Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
>
Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
The Dangerous Legal Strategy Coming for Our Books - The AtlanticJustin Richardson and Peter Parnell
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/arc...
Why is the New Zealand government cutting Māori words from some school books? https://www.theguardian.com/world/202...
VirginiaKing William library fails to stock some titles, including those on school lists
https://archive.ph/h1alU#selection-13...
More than two years ago, some residents flagged what they deemed controversial books that were available to young people in King William’s public libraries.
Today, some of the titles are no longer on the database operated by the county’s new, privately-run library, while a novel about potty training has been removed from the children’s section.
The Tidewater Review found that some of the Pamunkey Regional Library books citizens complained to the King William Board of Supervisors about in March 2023 are no longer listed in the King William County Library catalog. King William left the PRL earlier this year and hired the private company Library Systems and Services to run its libraries.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 11, District 1 Supervisor Bill Hodges said some residents had complained that some books on reading lists from West Point schools were not available at the new library in the town. A database search revealed that popular, non-controversial titles as well as more commonly banned books were unavailable at the new library, while PRL stocks them in book or electronic formats.
LS&S took over King William’s two libraries at the start of July. West Point is the only branch presently open, while King William County plans to renovate the parks and recreation building to become the Upper King William branch.
PRL books highlighted by citizens in 2023 included “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews. The book, about a socially awkward teenage boy, is available as a hard copy and in electronic format on the PRL database, but no titles are listed by the King William County Library.
At a Board of Supervisors meeting in 2023, resident Elaine Daniel cited the rise of mental illness among teens as justification for getting rid of some books.
“The characters in this book are neurotic, they are nihilist,” she said of Andrews’ novel. “They think nothing is important, nothing matters, and the only thing that they can focus on is destruction. So why would we offer such a book as this? We don’t want to ban it, but we don’t want to buy books that have no good purpose.”
At the same meeting, resident Rose Bloomfield branded “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo as “p---graphic literature” and “disgusting.” The young adult title is still available at PRL, but is no longer available on King William’s database. Bloomfield spoke encouragingly about the ban of “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” in the 1950s. D.H. Lawrence’s controversial book is listed in King William’s catalog. However, no items were marked as available Sunday.
King William’s new library has also changed the PRL classification of “A Potty for Zaza” by Mylo Freeman from children’s picture books to juvenile fiction, meaning it has been moved from the children’s section to the young adult section.
“Looking for Alaska” by John Green, a novel branded “obscene” by a citizen at the 2023 meeting, remains in the King William catalog. However, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson, listed as the most challenged book by the American Library Association due to its LGBTQ+ and s--ually explicit content, is not listed in King William while it remains available via the PRL. Popular and uncontroversial middle school books missing from the King William library system catalog include “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen and “Ghost” by Jason Reynolds.
On Aug. 11, Hodges alluded to citizen dissatisfaction with the library branch in West Point, which opened at the start of July.
“Some of the citizens went to the library in West Point looking for the books required by West Point schools, and they are not available. This would entail more than one copy,” he said.
Board Chair Justin Catlett said he would take up the issue with Ashley Herndon, chair of the library board of trustees.
....
Fran Freimarck, a retired director of the PRL and a critic of the Board of Supervisors’ decision to leave the regional system, said the new library system had a restricted book budget and fewer copies of books were likely to be available in the West Point library.
“In the past with Pamunkey Regional, people could request multiple copies of the same book,” she said in an email. “Pamunkey would pull the books from all 10 libraries and send them to West Point for use by a class or book group. That is not possible since with LS&S there is only one library and just the books in that library.”
“It is a question several asked during the efforts to save our libraries,” she added. “LS&S always assured people they would provide multiple copies, but they have no way of doing that except by buying them, and I doubt they will do that because then they would need to find shelf space for them.”
...
South CarolinaEarlier this summer the York County Library tried to ban all trans and gender themed books from those under 18. The decision was tabled, and last week, people were very vocal about how they did not want this to pass. It is currently still under legal review.
Proposal to move LGBTQ+ books to adult section stirs controversy in York County
https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/pro...
A proposal to move children’s books with LGBTQ or s--ual themes to the adult section of the York County Library sparked heated discussions at a packed meeting on Tuesday.
The informal proposal, discussed by a subcommittee of the York County Library Board, aims to relocate books containing s--ual content, including transgender and LGBTQ themes, from the children’s section to the adult section.
Stephanie Griffith, a grassroots organizer, expressed strong opposition to the proposal, stating, “We don’t want to use resources to fight book censorship, and that’s what it is. People are gonna call it book banning if they move the books. It’s restricting access to people that need access.”
Parent Robert Rummage supported the idea, saying, “I do not want to ban books and book banning is wrong - but I do think - in this case - the library board is working with some wisdom to say let’s not ban them, but put them in an area where s--ualized discussions are more appropriate.”
The proposal is similar to changes made by the Greenville County Library System, which resulted in a lawsuit from the ACLU.
This context adds to the controversy surrounding the York County Library’s discussions.
No decisions were made at the meeting, and library leaders indicated that a decision might not be reached until the end of the year.
Ohio high school library closed to ‘review materialshttps://fox8.com/news/ohio-high-schoo...
Students and parents in Southwest Ohio were shocked to learn the library at Bellbrook High School was closed on the first day.
It’s the result of a new policy enacted back in April, regulating books containing s--ual content and gender ideology. The policy stemmed from a new state law, in which Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools interpreted the definitions of those terms.
Parents are now required to sign a waiver to permit their kids to read any content involving sexuality and gender ideology.
...
Several residents and parents attended Thursday’s board meeting, saying they were not pleased with the actions the school board has taken.
Some parents told FOX 8’s sister station, 2 NEWS, the policy was too broad.
“I am of course, very disappointed. “I think access to libraries and information are pivotal,” said one parent.
Others said administration should be able to sort and review materials while keeping the library open.
“We can come to a middle ground here, and the middle ground is don’t close the libraries,” said another parent.
One staff member told 2 NEWS off camera that some English teachers were removing classroom book collections to avoid controversy all together.
“If you feel that teachers removing their classroom library makes you look bad, or the school library, it’s not. It’s your own actions and your own policy,” said Sugarcreek Education Association President Mark Carreira during the meeting.
It’s unclear when the library will reopen. The district superintendent says that it could be days or weeks before it’s available to students again.
There's Something Happening HereTexas school districts show some fight in response to the legislature's repressive new book bills.
https://franklinstrong.substack.com/p...
... the superintendent of College Station ISD, Tim Harkrider, who said SB13 “was written to create discord in communities and take rights away from librarians and others … to create a controversy about library books that’s a figment of their imagination.”
Then the entire board of Spring ISD decided not to adopt a new library acquisition policy in its regular August meeting. Instead they decided to discuss other options with the district’s legal counsel.
The policy seemed poised to sail through its first vote—a motion had been made and seconded to accept it in its entirety—when trustee Winford Adams spoke up, saying, “I fundamentally oppose this policy.”
Specifically, Adams objected to the policy’s removal of wording that limited clarified that, while parents have a right to direct their own children’s upbringing, they do not have the right to limit the access of other parents’ children to valuable books. “I do not believe that another parent should be able to dictate which texts my child has access to. And I think the legislature made a mistake when they implemented this policy, and we’re going to see some detriment to students.”
...
Adams was quickly seconded by another trustee, and the board voted 6-0 to look for other legal options to address the requirements of SB13.
[Rumor has it] ... district and school administrators are quietly but firmly refusing to comply in advance— are saying that if the fascists in charge of the state want them to remove educationally valuable books or misgender their students, then the state is just going to have to make them.
For a number of reasons, SB12 and SB13 have hit Texas schools harder than previous educational gag orders. That’s bad, of course. I don’t want to minimize how bad that is. But it also means more and more educators are being forced to think about their values and ethics. And those teachers, librarians, and administrators are having to decide how they’re going to respond if they’re asked to do something that contradicts what they know to be best practices in education. Or, you know, the Constitution.
Ultimately, of course, the state has the power—unless and until the courts recognize these laws as unconstitutional. Adams acknowledged as much in Spring ISD’s board meeting, saying, “I recognize that there may be consequences associated with that choice.”
“But this is a thing that I am willing to stand on,” Adams continued. “We likely will be, at some point, compelled. But I did not want to go silently along with this. I wanted the people in Austin to know that you’re not going to see unanimous votes on this.”
...
Even in Conroe ISD and a full Board of “Mama Bears”, the EFA/EFB policy changes couldn’t get passed because of a laundry list of issues, such as putting an insane amount of work on the Board Trustees to micromanage not just books but digital content. I’m sure they’ll pass it eventually. Right now the wait-and-see is around Bluebonnet and how parents have organized to opt-out of the religious content within it. It’s going to cause huge headaches for teachers and admin. Conroe is the largest school district to adopt Bluebonnet I believe, and they did it without any parent or teacher input.
https://www.wehavequorum.net/p/sweepi...
No matter how much their books are banned, George M. Johnson will keep speaking and writing.https://www.advocate.com/print-issue/...
Uh good news?A Wyoming legislative committee tabled their bill to fine libraries $50,000 whenever kids read a “s-x” book.
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/08/...
After hosting nearly two hours of energized public testimony after a committee meeting that had already lasted all day Wednesday, Wyoming lawmakers chose to table a bill aimed at fining libraries for offering s--ually explicit materials to kids.
The Joint Judiciary Committee now plans to “work” or refine the library bill at its Oct. 13 meeting.
“I’ve heard swirls that there are amendments to this bill, so that’s why I propose (tabling it) as an option,” said committee Co-Chair Sen. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne.
Olsen has been a longtime proponent of library reform.
Rep. Tom Kelly, R-Sheridan, another proponent of library reform, agreed.
“I think our heads are a little fried,” said Kelly in the wake of the lengthy debates and daylong meeting. “We need to think a little more clearly.
“We need some more time to talk to more people and make sure we fine-tune any amendments we do have, rather than slap something together tonight when we’re already exhausted.”
Public turnout at the meeting in Casper was significant, with people arguing on both sides of the issue.
Controversies surrounding s--ually-explicit books have pervaded Wyoming communities for about three years, prompting library board turnover in at least two counties; an ousted library director's lawsuit against her county and members of her community; and multiple attempts to address the issue from a state law vantage.
The Wyoming Legislature so far, however, has rejected obscenity-related library reform.
The proposed bill as it now sits would render governmental entities liable for “damages” from kids finding s--ually explicit materials in school or public library sections designated for age groups younger than 18.
It would also make libraries and school districts liable for a civil penalty of $50,000 for each time a kid accesses s--ually explicit materials in the kids’ section.
Any “interested party” could sue the library or school district, and could also win attorney’s fees, damages, costs, and other legal remedies.
The definition of s--ually explicit materials in the bill includes graphic descriptions of s--ual acts. It is more specific than and does not match Wyoming’s definition of “obscenity,” which tracks roughly with U.S. Supreme Court case law on the matter.
Bill opponents at the meeting called the legislation’s definitions overbroad and said it violates the premise of local government control over local issues, and it disregards parents’ responsibility to govern what their children can access at the library.
Proponents, conversely, said the definitions are straightforward, libraries have gone downhill, and librarians should work to uphold the trust parents place in them.
People on both sides of the issue questioned the $50,000 civil penalty as excessive.
“Given the statutory interpretational rule that every word must mean something, it seems like you’re creating separate liabilities on every staff member,” said Rep. Ken Chestek, D-Laramie.
Chestek, a retired University of Wyoming law professor, has long opposed state legislative library reform, saying local libraries do a fine job with their own collections and policies.
He worried aloud that the penalty will incentivize lawsuits against libraries, which some witnesses said run on a shoestring budget already.
From the opposite side of the issue, Rep. Marlene Brady, R-Green River, offered to reduce that to a $5,000 “per book” fine instead.
The committee didn’t take that proposal up because it didn’t reach the amendment-crafting phase before tabling the bill.
Civil penalties like the $50,000 one contemplated go toward the local school districts of the entity fined, a legislative staffer told the committee.
Sen. Gary Crum, R-Laramie, toyed with the idea.
“Let’s say a school district gets fined — we’re using $50,000 — and (that money then) goes to the school fund …”
Meeting attendees burst into laughter.
“Is it a wash?” concluded Crum after a pause.
“You know, unless I’m mistaken about the disposition of civil penalties, that’s correct,” said Brian Fuller, deputy administrator of the Legislative Service Office’s (LSO) legal services division.
LSO staffers are legal analysists who help craft legislation but defer to lawmakers on changes that form “policy questions.”
Olsen interjected, saying the money would still be redistributed among other schools, so other school districts could benefit from the errant district’s breach. But, he clarified, that only applies where more than one school district sits in that county.
Kelly said it may be wise to refine language around what comprises a “violation.”
“So, if five students pass around a book, is that five violations?” Kelly asked. “Can we clarify what would constitute a single violation?”
The committee may wish to consider that, answered Fuller.
The library bill is one of multiple bills legislative committees tabled this week for later consideration, as both the Judiciary and the Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivision committees held meetings well into the evening and flooded with passionate public testimony — and amendment proposals
MarylandLocal News
Harford County community members protest school district's ban of controversial book
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/new...
Harford County community members protested on Monday the school board's decision to ban the illustrated novel "Flamer," by Mike Curato, from its libraries.
The community members held signs outside of the Harford County Board of Education ahead of a meeting in Bel Air.
Members of the advocacy group "Together We Will Harford County" organized the protest after the school board voted to ban the illustrated novel from school libraries in June.
"I feel that the school board is buckling under political pressure from a small group of citizens that have an agenda," said Gary, a protester.
The book ban was not on the agenda for Monday's board meeting, but people who oppose the decision as well as people who support it spoke during the school board meeting's public comment.
Against the book ban
The book, "Flamer," by Mike Curato, was previously approved by district committees. However, after an appeal from a parent, the board voted 5-3 in June to remove it, making it the first book pulled under a new review policy.
This was the first book to be removed by the district after it created a process to review books flagged by concerned parents.
Protesters say the book ban threatens students' rights.
"In the school system, parents can opt out of any book that they want for their child. There is already plenty of support or protection for any parent who doesn't want their child to read a book," said Delane Lewis, president of Together We Will. "What we have is the Board of Education stepping in front of parents and telling them what they should or shouldn't have their children read."
Parents and community members who support the Harford County book ban argue that the book is not appropriate for children and students.
"We want to protect the innocence of children," Will Martino said. "We want books that have appropriate language and material for them and these books don't serve any educational purpose whatsoever."
Theft or civil disobedience?16 volumes go missing after Kentucky church urges members to check out, never return library books about LGBTQ+ people
https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2025...
A Kentucky church is urging its members to permanently remove books from the Shelby County Public Library by checking them out and never returning them. The books portray gay characters and historical figures or explore LGBTQ+ themes.
Pamela Wilson Federspiel, who has been director of the library in downtown Shelbyville, Kentucky, for 34 years, says the action is tantamount to “stealing.”
But three leaders of the Reformation Church of Shelbyville defend what they call an “act of civil disobedience.”
“Yes — we have urged Christians, both locally and across the country, to search their libraries for books that promote sodomy, gender confusion, and rebellion against God — and if found, to check them out and never return them as an act of civil disobedience,” pastors Jerry Dorris and Tanner Cartwright and Austin Keeler, an evangelist with the church mission, Reformation Frontline Missions, recently told the Lantern in an email.
The library has “lost” 16 books valued at $410.85 since a member of the church checked them out last year with due dates in late June 2024, said Federspiel. Some of the books were written for children, some for adults.
Federspiel did not identify the library patron and said the books were never returned after several notices.
The titles include “The Art of Drag,” “My Two Moms,” and “My Two Dads.”
Chris Hartman of Louisville, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, said he has never considered “theft to be a form of civil action.”
He also said he has never heard of a church encouraging its members “to steal from a public institution. It is shameful, unfortunate, and disrespectful.”
Such activity often backfires by making people, especially young people, curious about the books and giving them more attention, he said.
Sarah Prager of Boston wrote one of the 16 books the Shelby County Public Library has “lost.” It is called “Kind Like Marsha: Lessons from LGBTQ+ Leaders” and is for juveniles. Amazon.com says it celebrates 14 LGBTQ+ people throughout history...
“My book is not about s--ual acts. It is about real, caring people — and what is wrong about that? A library must always have a diverse inventory. We can never let that change,” Prager said.
The church posted its recommendation to check out certain library books and not return them in a 2 minute, 57 second video on its Facebook page on June 1, 2024. Church leaders said recently their message has not changed.
“Friends, the Shelby County Public Library is promoting the vile LGBTQ agenda to groom and trans children in Kentucky,” a script accompanying the video says.
“Would you help us expose what’s happening here?” it asks before providing contact information for two library officials and listing books the church found objectionable.
....
But rare, if ever, is the practice condoned by the Shelbyville church for making books disappear from the shelves.
“Strategically checking out books with no plans to return them as a method of permanently removing certain books from local public libraries is not a common practice, at least not one that has been reported to KDLA,” said Jill Midkiff, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet and the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA).
...
Pastor Dorris said the church became aware of the controversial books when a member took their children to the library and the “children were exposed to some of them. Upon investigation they discovered the remaining books.”
Like librarian Federspiel, Dorris declined to identify the patron. He said the family did not want any public attention. Records of books checked out by patrons of public libraries are not subject to Kentucky’s Open Records Act, said Amye Bensenhaver, co-founder and co-director of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
Dorris said he is uncertain where the checked-out books are now. “They have not been destroyed to my knowledge.”
He said his independent church, which “shepherds 357 souls,” is taking a “public stand against sexual perversion being pushed upon children through taxpayer-funded institutions.” It will continue to take that stand without apology, he said.
“This is not literacy — it’s grooming,” Dorris said.
Asked about the removal of public property, Dorris said, “We reject the idea that civil rebellion is only legitimate when it’s done with rainbow flags or Marxist slogans. Civil disobedience is a biblical category when obedience to God and love for neighbor demand it.”
Dorris said that when the church discovered the controversial materials in the local library, it contacted Shelby County’s state senator and representative. It also contacted the library’s staff and its board members “to express our deep concern and call for action.”
“No library staff or board member ever followed up with us, no request has been made for the return of these books, and — tellingly — the books themselves have not been replaced. Not that we would return them — but the silence itself speaks volumes,” said Dorris.
Matt Burgin, president of the library’s board of trustees, said Federspiel told the board about the situation but no one else has ever contacted him about the books.
The library has handled it like other cases of overdue books, he said.
Dorris said he did talk to then-state Sen. Adrienne Southworth, R-Lawrenceburg, but he would not divulge their conversation. ...
Dorris stressed that the book action is not a formal position of the Reformation Church and “not every member of our church is aware of and agrees with these actions, and that’s acceptable. We don’t discipline or pressure members over strategy. These actions — like the permanent removal of library books — were taken by individual Christians under personal conviction. We support their right to act or refrain in good conscience.”
The 16 books director Federspiel says are “lost” due to the efforts of the Reformation Church range in cost from $19.99 to $35.
The library offers a variety of books for a diverse community, she said. “All are library property.”
Library materials that are not returned are not available for other patrons, said Federspiel, who declined to have her photo taken for this article. “The library is committed to providing materials that meet patron needs. Materials that are not returned are not available for other patrons. Replacing lost material is costly.”
Amanda Perry-Davis, the library’s collection manager, said the library acquires books generally based on their popularity. That can be determined by various book reviews, journals and magazines. Library professional journals recommended the “lost books” as appropriate titles for each age level.
Patrons also suggest specific books to acquire, said Perry-Davis.
Federspiel, who is retiring at the end of the year, said several staffers also provide their input on what books to buy but the final decision is hers.
Federspiel said that most of the “lost books” had not been in high demand by library patrons.
The library left a voicemail message with the patron about the overdue books and issued three other notices before turning the matter over to a collection agency, Unique Management, after 60 days, she said. The replacement cost is added to the patron’s card but so far the books remain missing.
...
“These displays grieve the heart of God and signal our community’s descent into spiritual decay,” said Pastor Dorris. “We do not hate the men who perform in drag, nor the librarians, nor the critics who accuse us of being hateful. We love them enough to tell the truth — that Jesus Christ is Lord, that sin leads to hell, and that the gospel alone can set people free.”
Dorris, the pastor, expects “some sort of reaction against the church” for its book removal efforts but does not know exactly what that will be.
“We know there will be consequences for saying what others are afraid to say. We will not be silent. We will not comply. We will not flinch. Our duty is to God, and our aim is the good of our neighbors — even those who revile us,” he said.
...
Mark Adler, director of the Paris-Bourbon County Public Library and last year’s winner of the Kentucky Public Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Award, acknowledges that community members have the right to voice their concerns about materials in a public library but suggested it be channeled through a reconsideration request.
Each individual library has its own reconsideration process, as each community is unique in its makeup just as the local library collections are, he said. “These reconsideration requests provide an avenue for community members to file objections while also providing a structured, consistent process for libraries to follow when requests are filed. We encourage community members who have questions to bring those directly to their local libraries so we can work with the affected citizens to address their concerns.”
Shelby County’s Federspiel concurred, adding a public library should always celebrate books for all kinds of people.
In 1903, when Andrew Carnegie built the library in Shelbyville and donated $10,000 to it, “he had inscribed on the floor as you enter … ‘A University for the People,’ showing his dedication to unite communities,” she said.
“To this day, we proudly honor these words by acquiring acquisitions that celebrate both inclusiveness and diversity of our community.”
VermontCommunity tensions rise as Milton School Board debates library and transgender policies
https://www.miltonindependent.com/new...
Tensions ran high at Milton’s latest school board meeting, where board members and residents clashed over a high school library book, policies affecting transgender students and a formal complaint against a board member.
At the Aug. 14 meeting, the board reviewed revisions to existing Policy D8, which outlines how library materials are chosen and challenged. The updates spell out criteria such as educational value, age appropriateness and community standards. Ahead of the vote, a school board member gave community members a vibrant reading from one of the books in the high school library.
Chairs shifted nervously, some shook their heads, and the occasional awkward cough echoed when board member Allison Duquette read a s--ually-explicit passage from “This Book is Gay” aloud.
The nonfiction guide by British author Juno Dawson is intended to educate LGBTQ+ youth about sexual health, identity and relationships. But for some board members and parents, its content crossed a line.
“This is about parental rights and what our kids have access to,” Duquette said, holding the book in her hands. “This book contains material that some families may find objectionable. We need to ensure parents are involved in their children’s education.”
Adding another layer of tension to the evening, the discussion over the book came alongside the board’s consideration of a formal complaint against trustee Duquette for an alleged conflict of interest.
The complaint claimed Duquette may have represented her own special interest and has been influenced by political factors other than a fair presentation of all sides. Board members debated whether the claims rose to the level of an ethics violation or simply reflected policy disagreements.
These discussions also came against the backdrop of an email circulated among Milton educators prior to the meeting, encouraging teachers to attend and weigh-in on the agenda items. Some community members cited the email as an attempt to pressure or intimidate Duquette, while others defended it as legitimate organizing.
Under the Milton School Board’s code of conduct, members are expected to avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts, abstain from votes when such situations arise and disclose conflicts for the record.
When a motion to hold an informal hearing on the complaint ended in a 2-2 tie, with one abstention, the motion failed.
Duquette, a mother whose child is home-schooled, said the results of the meeting made her question sending him back into the public school environment.
“After seeing that and some of the comments made tonight, it makes me, as a mother and community member, really uncomfortable about sending my son back into the school,” she said. “If I were watching this from the outside, seeing how the union has targeted someone over policy disagreement, I would be very concerned about the school environment.”
The discussion over library materials intertwined with the first read of revisions to Policy C28, which is designed to guide support for transgender and gender nonconforming students.
...
sions ran high at Milton’s latest school board meeting, where board members and residents clashed over a high school library book, policies affecting transgender students and a formal complaint against a board member.
At the Aug. 14 meeting, the board reviewed revisions to existing Policy D8, which outlines how library materials are chosen and challenged. The updates spell out criteria such as educational value, age appropriateness and community standards. Ahead of the vote, a school board member gave community members a vibrant reading from one of the books in the high school library.
Chairs shifted nervously, some shook their heads, and the occasional awkward cough echoed when board member Allison Duquette read a sexually-explicit passage from “This Book is Gay” aloud.
The nonfiction guide by British author Juno Dawson is intended to educate LGBTQ+ youth about sexual health, identity and relationships. But for some board members and parents, its content crossed a line.
“This is about parental rights and what our kids have access to,” Duquette said, holding the book in her hands. “This book contains material that some families may find objectionable. We need to ensure parents are involved in their children’s education.”
Adding another layer of tension to the evening, the discussion over the book came alongside the board’s consideration of a formal complaint against trustee Duquette for an alleged conflict of interest.
The complaint claimed Duquette may have represented her own special interest and has been influenced by political factors other than a fair presentation of all sides. Board members debated whether the claims rose to the level of an ethics violation or simply reflected policy disagreements.
These discussions also came against the backdrop of an email circulated among Milton educators prior to the meeting, encouraging teachers to attend and weigh-in on the agenda items. Some community members cited the email as an attempt to pressure or intimidate Duquette, while others defended it as legitimate organizing.
Under the Milton School Board’s code of conduct, members are expected to avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts, abstain from votes when such situations arise and disclose conflicts for the record.
When a motion to hold an informal hearing on the complaint ended in a 2-2 tie, with one abstention, the motion failed.
Duquette, a mother whose child is home-schooled, said the results of the meeting made her question sending him back into the public school environment.
“After seeing that and some of the comments made tonight, it makes me, as a mother and community member, really uncomfortable about sending my son back into the school,” she said. “If I were watching this from the outside, seeing how the union has targeted someone over policy disagreement, I would be very concerned about the school environment.”
...s.
Board member Scott O’Brien asked whether MTSD might be at risk of losing federal funding
“These are kids who are growing into adults,” community member Lynda Battistoni said. “If they have questions and can’t go to somebody to talk to, they might get themselves in a worse situation by not having knowledge. We’re not talking about elementary kids — these are high school students, and they need access to information that can help them navigate who they are.”
Other speakers highlighted the potential consequences of denying access to supportive resources.
“When a child tells me they are not safe to come out as who they really are in their home, I believe them,” Christine Vaughn, longtime educator said. “We should not put teachers in a position where they have to violate that trust, because if we violate it, it impacts every aspect of their learning — socially, academically, emotionally. For some students, the school may be the only safe place they have.”
Similarly, music teacher Jenna Schultz underscored the need for policies guiding support for transgender and gender-nonconforming students.
“They exist, whether our policy does or not,” Schultz said. “We need guidance, recommendations and best practices to support them. What we care about is keeping our schools functional and safe for everyone.”
Ember Nova-Quinn, a transgender, nonbinary Milton resident and educator, spoke candidly to the board about the pressures LGBTQ+ communities are facing during today’s national climate.
“Adults don’t really get to learn something new unless they immerse themselves in it again and again,” Nova-Quinn said. “Every state in the U.S. now has laws targeting LGBTQ or transgender rights, except Vermont. Forty percent of this school board doesn’t recognize trans people. When you call trans girls boys or label us with mental illness, it sends a clear message to trans kids in our community. And they are here — they are students in every school.”
Paul Curtiss, who has worked in Milton schools for two decades, spoke in support of allowing students access to diverse perspectives.
“There has never been a successful society that has banned books. Banning what students can access harms our community and our kids,” he said. “If we don’t let kids have access to this information, they’re going to get it somewhere else — uncurated, and often worse. We can do better for our students, and we should.”
Beyond public comments regarding C28 and library materials, several residents expressed frustration with the alleged conflict-of-interest claim against Duquette.
“We’re here trying to silence a sitting elected official,” Milton resident Shawn Tatro said. “This should never be coming up to this board. Allison has done nothing wrong, and this harassment needs to end. These teachers have continued to cost the taxpayers money and the school board important time with false accusations about elected board members…How can they sit here and constantly harass her? I am calling on the superintendent, who’s responsible for her staff, to resign.”
Jennifer Hoyt, another resident, tied the dispute to democratic representation.
“Silencing Allison undermines the democratic process and disrespects the voters who put her here,” Hoyt said. “When a board member is bullied or silenced for holding different views, it’s not just that member who is silenced — it’s every citizen who voted for them. Vermont law requires safe, civil school environments. Harassment or intimidation aimed at students, staff or board members has no place here.”
Thomas Hughes, a community member who defended Duquette, framed the situation as a difference of opinion rather than a conflict of interest.
“There is no conflict here, only differences of opinion,” Huges said. “The current attack is just the latest iteration of an ongoing campaign against Allison. It’s vile and repugnant, and sadly, I don’t think it’s going to stop.”
C28, the policy addressing transgender and gender nonconforming students, is scheduled for a final vote on Sept. 11. The board voted to approve Policy D8 regarding the high school library. The motion passed with board members Jeremy Metcalf, Melinda Young and Karen Stout in favor, while O’Brien and Duquette voted against it.
...
AlabamaFairhope Public Library completes review of challenged books amid state funding pause
https://gulfcoastmedia.com/stories/fa...
The Fairhope Public Library has completed reviewing its challenged material and unanimously voted to relocate a final book to the adult section amid its state funding pause.
“Like a Love Story,” written by Abdi Nazemian and published in 2019, is a historical romance novel intended for young adult audiences and follows an Iranian boy grappling with being gay during the AIDS crises in New York City. Anne Johnson and Randal Wright, who are part of the library’s Board of Trustees, read the book as part of its review process.
Wright said she was impressed with the writing of the book, citing that it was named one of the best young adult novels of all time by Time magazine. However, she said she found that some of the wording was objectionable and recommended to relocate it, an assessment Johnson agreed with.
A controversy that has divided the Fairhope community, the Alabama Public Library Services (APLS) paused funding for the Fairhope Public Library in March over alleged violations of its code that they say is to protect children and minors from sexually explicit material. APLS chairman John Wahl, who also serves as the chairman for the Alabama Republican Party, previously said the library “ignored” the concerns of parents, but library officials have insisted they are in compliance with APLS code.
During a meeting in Montgomery in July, the APLS delayed a decision on whether to restore funding to the library, with Wahl saying they would wait until the library has completed its review of the challenged material. At the time, Wright said five books had been relocated to adult sections amid their review process.
The APLS will meet again on Sept. 18, when it is expected that a decision on funding will be made barring unforeseen circumstances.
Mod
I have only ever burned Nazi and Confederate flags. During my time at the University of Waterloo, we (the UW German Club) came across a store in Kitchener that sold both so we bought up their entire stock and had a huge bonfire in a public park.
But honestly, I now am seriously considering purchasing a bunch of American flags and burning them right near the US/Canada border (like in Windsor, Ontario, for example, or in St. Stephen, New Brunswick), probably will not, but really do want to and also hope that Trump's executive order results in lots and lots of burning flags both in the USA and abroad.
Mod
This is what admirers (including Trump himself) have said about Adolf Hitler.
More news from BookRiot Florida
Gov. DeSantis vows vindication after Judge knocks down part of law restricting books in schools
[i.e. He's going to beg and bribe judges until he gets the answer he wants.]
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/...
Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state will appeal — possibly all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — and predicted Florida will “be vindicated” after a federal judge knocked down part of Florida’s law restricting books in school libraries.
“It’s pretty clear we’re in front of a judge who is not going to give us a fair shake on this. We’re already prepared,” DeSantis said, accusing U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza of being an activist Judge. “That’s really political when they’re just trying to override the policies that we’ve enacted through the normal legislative process.”
DeSantis was asked about the state’s steps during a press conference ...
DeSantis complained, saying, “They always find some judge to do something at some point. And you know, more often than not, we get it rectified on appeal.”
Last week, Mendoza ruled that provisions in a 2023 law banning p----graphic books are too broad and violate the First Amendment.
“Many non-obscene books have been removed from public school libraries to the dismay of students (who) deeply identify with these books,” Mendoza wrote in his order.
Dan Novack, a vice president and associate general counsel for Penguin Random House, called the ruling a “knock-out victory” and will give momentum to students, teachers and parents fighting censorship.
DeSantis fought back Tuesday, arguing that Florida’s law should remain and is rightfully keeping inappropriate material off the shelves.
“Taxpayers are funding these schools. We have the right through elected officials to empower parents to have a say in this, and to make sure that the materials align with standards,” DeSantis said at his news conference.
PennsylvaniaWest Shore considers anti-LGBTQ+ bathroom, book policies
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/ne...
West Shore School District officials are expected to consider new restrictions on which bathrooms LGBTQ+ students can use and what all students can read.
...
The committee will also revisit an update to a book policy, which is also being reviewed by the curriculum committee. Assistant Superintendent Mathew Gay said last week the administration is reviewing the language in the draft and will bring it back to present this week.
Back in May, the administration brought up concerns with using too broad of language in the policy because it could result in banning books by Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare due to their references to sex.
Gay, who previously worked as an English teacher, specifically cited "The Tempest," a play by Shakespeare commonly taught in high school classes.
“[With this policy], I’m not sure we don’t inadvertently say you can no longer teach 'The Tempest,’” he told the board's policy committee in May.
On August 13, he said if the board passes the policy, he expects the administration will present a new form that parents can submit for challenges in November to the curriculum committee.
Kelly Jensen of BookRiot reports:California's Redlands schools have officially voted to make it easier to ban books the board doesn’t like. Recall that California has an anti-book ban law that applies to public schools but that law is only as meaningful as it’s enforced."
(The article has a pro-book ban slant)
https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/20...
The Redlands school board gave final approval Tuesday night, Aug. 19, to a policy that makes it easier to pull library books with [supposedly explicit] content off shelves in addition to passing rules to ban explicit material from curriculum.
In another lengthy meeting that went late into the night, the Redlands Unified School District board voted 3-2 to pass both policies.
As has been the case for several votes on divisive issues, board members Candy Olson, Jeanette Wilson and Michele Rendler voted in favor. Melissa Ayala-Quintero and Patty Holohan voted no.
Olson said the curriculum policy is a preventative policy and that the library rules would protect students from s--ually explicit books. Olson said she has read books now in Redlands school libraries that she found disturbing. These should not be available to kids, she said.
Several people in the crowd pretended to cry during Olson’s comments.
Olson said that normalizing incest and sexual abuse through books would make students “more accessible to predators who wish to abuse them.”
Ayala-Quintero said the board was taking rights away from well-informed parents to appease parents who agreed with the board’s conservative majority. Parents who give permission and understand what their child is reading should be able to make that decision, she said.
...
Ayala-Quintero also said the policy should set a limit on costs. The district spent $20,000 on nine book challenges, she said.
...
On the curriculum policy, Ayala-Quintero said the conservative board majority was pushing a false narrative. She and Holohan called its passage a slap in the face to librarians and teachers.
....
The policies are major issues on which Olson and Wilson ran during the 2024 election.
Awaken Redlands, a group that focuses on restoring “traditional values” to the school board and city council, supported the policy in a Monday, Aug. 18, Instagram post. The group endorsed Olson and Wilson.
The post showed several titles the group suggested might be banned, including “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky and “Sold” by Patricia McCormick. ...
Wilson said the new policies do not violate the rights of protected classes or a state law that prevents book bans in community libraries and schools.
In 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1078 into law to stop book bans in community and school libraries. The bill introduced by Assemblymember Corey Jackson, D-Moreno Valley, prohibits censorship of instructional materials and library books. It gives the state the authority to buy textbooks for students in a school district, recoup costs and assess a financial penalty if a school board violates the law.
Redlands Superintendent Juan Cabral said the new policy does not conflict with Jackson’s bill. The law focuses on discriminating against particular subjects, he said, and the board policy is not a targeted attempt to ban books.
Rendler said children should not be subject to [what she's calling] s--ually explicit or obscene material and that the board must continue to provide a safe learning environment.
“This is not about exclusion,” Rendler said. “This is about responsibility.”
The board is “grounded in academic excellence and moral clarity,” she said.
The final policy is a revision of one introduced in March. Trustees moved forward with the rule in June and Rendler was the deciding vote in July, when the board sent the policy back to administrators. Rendler said she wanted district officials to define terms such as “p----graphy” and to create a rubric.
The revised version passed a first reading in early August. It defines terms, including s--ually explicit and obscene materials.
Sexually explicit content is described as that created with the primary intent of (view spoiler) It also is lacking in lacking significant educational, literary or artistic value. The policy defines obscene material as content that meets the legal or community standard of being s--ually offensive.
[i.e. absolutely NONE of the books in schools or public libraries].
Books will be examined using a ratings system to judge books by several criterion for a total of 35 potential points.
There are four categories under which books can fall. The fewer points between 0 and 10 a book receives, the fewer examples it contains of s--ually explicit or obscene material. A book that is scored as 10 or below would remain on the shelf. If a book falls between 30 and 35 points, it has scored high in several categories and would be immediately pulled.
Under the policy, if a book is “perceived” as s--ually explicit by a member of the public, it will be removed within three days and subject to a school board hearing within 45 days.
After the report comes in, a district review committee comprised of the superintendent, assistant superintendent of educational services and the director of elementary or secondary education will have two months to read and review the book using the rubric.
Critics of the policy said it is similar to what other school districts have approved and believe it will marginalize the LGBTQ+ community, censor educational materials, and open the district to lawsuits.
In March 2024, the Chino Valley Unified School District board approved a policy to make it easier to get books with s--ually explicit material off shelves.
Speakers blasted and applauded the board Tuesday night.
“I do not believe that you are qualified to make decisions,” said Katherine Hayes, a Redlands resident and former substitute teacher in the district.
Being a parent does not make the board qualified to make decisions on the merit of books on library shelves and in classrooms, she said. The board’s policies marginalize LGBTQ+ and minority groups, she added.
Trisha Keeling, executive director of Together for Redlands, which has opposed the board’s conservative moves, said “book banning has no place in Redlands Unified, book bans will drag Redlands Unified into lawsuits.”
Keeling said the board should keep dollars in the classroom and out of the courtroom. She said that, in the past, the board spent $20,000 on nine challenged books and asked how much the policy would cost.
“We are all going to have this weird book club and we are going to do this once a month,” Keeling said.
Cheryl Raine, a Redlands pastor, said banning books is a form of censorship that restricts access to information and ideas for political, religious, and moral control.
“Banning books gives us silence when we need speech, closes ears when we need to listen and makes us blind when we need to see,” Raine said.
Supporters of the policy said it was not censorship, but pulling obscene material out of school libraries.
Lawrence Hebron, a former board candidate, said trustees could not blindly trust librarians.
“They may be professional, but that does not guarantee that they will be unbiased public servants,” Hebron said.
The board should not accept the judgment of professionals without “critical analysis,” he said.
Valerie Zavis told the board “it is not a book ban; it is a book review policy.”
“Disagreeing with each other doesn’t make someone a Nazi,” Zavis said. “It is not banning. It is just common sense.”
Redlands East Valley High School student Braxton Foley applauded the board for “leading with courage.”
“Protecting kids from p----graphy is not censorship,” Foley said. “It is common sense. Thank you for standing up for the truth.”
Conservative takeover of Arkansas State Library Boardhttps://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local...
Sanders appoints new Arkansas State Library Board members
All six members of the Arkansas State Library Board have been replaced, with a more conservative bench.
This comes after a law to replace the board was passed in the legislature and signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year. The replacements, all appointed by Sanders, are a part of a statewide push to regulate the content of books in public libraries.
Former board members refused to pass a resolution withholding funding from libraries, or requiring libraries to relocate certain books to a restricted section. Lawmakers decided to replace them at the last legislative session.
In December 2023, Sanders added former Republican state Sen. Jason Rapert, an outspoken supporter of book relocations, to the library board. At every meeting since his appointment, Rapert tried to pass resolutions to withhold funds. The resolutions would require libraries to relocate books he found offensive .... Each resolution failed, some not even receiving a second.
As more appointments became available to Sanders, she added more conservative members. Shari Bales and Sydney McKenzie voted to support Rapert's resolutions, but still made up a minority on the board.
Earlier this year, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, took matters into his own hands. He passed a law to disband the library board, allowing the governor to hand-pick the replacements. The board was disbanded on August 3. Per the law, Sanders had 30 days to reappoint members.
...
Sydney McKenzie, from Rogers, will retain her position on the board. She is the wife of Republican state Rep. Brit McKenzie. Emmaline Pilkington from Knoxville is also a spouse of a lawmaker; she's married to Republican Rep. Aaron Pilkington.
Sanders also appointed Jack Fortner, a former Republican lawmaker, to the board. Annette Bailey is the spouse of a preacher in Mountain Home. Another new appointee, Lynlee McMillan, works as the governor's Director of Constituent Services.
Clay Goff is already the chair of the White County Library Board. The library catalog doesn't carry most of the books Rapert objected to, like "Gender Queer" or "All Boys aren't Blue." He is also president of the Beebe School Board. At one meeting, he said an LGBTQ+ club proposed at the high school did not represent his beliefs.
The board allocates state funds for libraries. They meet quarterly, with two more meetings scheduled for later this year.
_____________
Kelly Jensen reminds us: "Recall this board replacement is a result of proposed legislation to shutter their state library."
Goodish news from CaliforniaAfter public outcry, small Napa County school drops opt-out form for LGBTQ+ curriculum
Parents, teachers and former students packed a tiny Napa County school board meeting Tuesday, urging leaders to drop a plan that singled out LGBTQ+ lessons — and they did.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article...
Paywalled
summary by Kelly Jensen of BookRiot
"Howell Mountain Elementary in Napa County will not move forward with a proposal to let parents pull their children from LGBTQ+-inclusive lessons, after public opposition at this week’s board meeting. This is how we operate when it comes to Mahmoud. This doesn’t mean parents don’t have the "right" to pull their kids from these lessons; they just won’t be alerted every single time there are potential lessons that they can object to but will see the reminder annually."
South CarolinaBeaufort School Board vote to restrict books on proposed ‘ban list’
https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/...
he Beaufort County School District held a vote Friday morning to decide whether nine books in the curriculum would be banned.
The vote passed 9-2 to restrict the books. This now means parents will have to give consent for their children to read the books. At this time, the books will not be banned and will remain on the shelves.
The Beaufort County School District (BCSD) board will hold a public meeting to address nine book complaints filed earlier this year. The meeting will take place Friday, Aug. 22 at 9 a.m. in the BCSD Media Center located at 2900 Mink Point Blvd in Beaufort.
According to Families Against Book Bans, a single parent has re-submitted complaints about several books that were reviewed in 2023 and were later returned to library shelves.
The challenged books are: [mainly adult books]
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Sold by Patricia McCormick
The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
The Duff by Jody Keplinger
Mod
Good for New Brunswick premier Susan Holt!! But perhaps it is time for Canadian border guards to start doing tit for tat with in particular American travellers.
And that border guard who was verbally abusive to Ms. Daigle and supposedly kept yelling at her (and frankly anyone involved in this), they need to be identified, publicly and openly shamed and also be told that they and theirs will not be welcome in Canada (and will in particular not be welcome in New Brunswick).
New day new mandate from the feds. Schools get very little federal funding though so I don't know if this will make a difference or why it matters so much to these people that kids don't learn gender dysphoria is a real condition and how to stay safe. Do they WANT to pay for a generation of diseased people? Or why they can't get their heads out of their butts and talk to actual doctors and medical practitioners who will inform them gender dysphoria is real, no they don't perform surgery on minors, no they don't give hormones to minors, yes they can give puberty blockers to minors WITH parental consent and those can be stopped at any time the patient wishes. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-p...
States must ax transgender references from sex ed or risk losing funds, Trump admin says
The mandate comes just days after the Trump administration terminated funding for a sex education program in California.
The Trump administration directed 40 states, five territories and Washington, D.C., to remove references to transgender people from their sex education programs or risk losing federal funding.
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, sent letters Tuesday demanding that the health departments in these states and territories remove “all references to gender ideology” from their Personal Responsibility Education Program, or PREP. The program is a federally funded initiative created in 2010 to help prevent teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
...
The 40 states that received letters are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The five U.S. territories are: Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Links to all 46 letters were included in the administration’s press statement. The ACF’s four-page letter to New York, for example, includes a bulleted list of course content that was flagged during a “medical accuracy review” earlier this year and “must be removed from New York’s PREP curricula and program materials.”
The content flagged for removal includes definitions of gender identity and gender expression and directives that program facilitators allow students to share their pronouns and “demonstrate acceptance and respect for all participants, regardless of personal characteristics, including race, cultural background, religion, social class, sexual orientation or gender identity,” according to the letter.
If New York’s health department declines to comply, it could lose more than $6 million in federal funds, according to data provided by ACF. The other states and territories stand to lose $300,000 to $4.6 million each.
Cadence Acquaviva, a spokesperson for New York's health department, said in an emailed statement that the department is reviewing the letter.
"The mission of the New York State Department of Health, under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, remains the same," Acquaviva said. "We will continue to promote and protect health and well-being for all, building on a foundation of health equity.”
...
The letters come just days after the ACF terminated $12 million of California’s remaining PREP funding after the state’s health department declined to remove references to trans people from the curriculum, arguing that the references had already been approved by the agency, the materials were medically accurate and relevant to the statute, and ACF does not have the authority to take such an enforcement action, according to ACF’s termination letter to the state.
California’s health department has 30 days to appeal. A spokesperson for the department said in a statement that the state maintains its position that its PREP curriculum “is medically accurate, comprehensive, and age-appropriate.”
“CA PREP sexual health education curriculum promotes healthy relationships and reduces the rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy, as well as leads to delayed sexual activity in youth — all outcomes that lead to a healthier state,” the spokesperson said.
In an emailed statement, Elana Ross, a spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, said, “If it’s a day ending in y, President Trump is attacking kids’ safety, health, and access to education as part of his culture war.”
The action from ACF is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to prohibit federal recognition of trans people and penalize the use of federal funds for any program that includes or mentions them.
...
Mod
Well, anything that shames Nazi premier Danielle Smith of Alberta is a good thing.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...
Honestly, if I still lived in Alberta, I would be sending Danielle Smith a box of swastikas.
IowaThey're going to come for public libraries now.
Des Moines Public Schools worked with the Des Moines Public Library to allow student IDs to be used as library cards for the public library, and of course, the censors are furious.
DMPS library partnership prompts questions about state book laws
https://www.kcci.com/article/dmps-lib...
Starting in September, all DMPS students in grades 7-12 can use their school ID cards to check out materials at any of the six locations of Des Moines Public Library and to access digital content online. District officials say the move removes barriers to books and learning resources for roughly 12,000 middle and high school students citywide.
...
Roberts also said there will not be restrictions on what books students may check out from the public library. Iowa law requires schools to remove from school facilities books that contain descriptions or visual depictions of a s-- act, but an ongoing lawsuit is currently blocking that rule from being enforced. Public libraries are not subject to the same restrictions.
“We want to make sure that students see reading as a way for them to explore and experience the world without having any restrictions. So, while as a school district, we're always going to be in compliance with the law, here's an opportunity where students do not have those restrictions because they and their families should have agency around what it is they want to check out and want to read either hardcopy or digital," Roberts said.
The partnership links student IDs to public library accounts and opens the door to the library’s full catalog and services, including books, e-books, audiobooks, research databases, study spaces and technology tools. The Des Moines Public Library says it holds more than 416,000 items in its collection, including more than 11,000 print books for teens and about 2,750 teen e-books and digital audiobooks. The initiative is slated to launch in September.
The move drew swift pushback from the Polk County chapter of Moms for Liberty,... which criticized the absence of content restrictions tied to school-issued IDs used at the public library:
“Iowa supports strong literacy and the freedom to read, but with common sense safeguards.
It is unfortunate that Des Moines Public Schools is choosing to skirt state law by creating a loophole through the public library system. While Iowa law rightly requires schools to ensure students are not exposed to materials that are s--ually explicit or otherwise age-inappropriate, DMPS is now opening the door for children to access those very materials under the school's banner and with a school-issued ID.
When schools deliberately work around laws designed to protect children, they undermine parental rights and erode trust. Moms for Liberty-Iowa stands with parents who want safe, age-appropriate materials and expect schools to follow both the letter and the spirit of the law.”
Attorneys representing Penguin Random House, a major publisher that is challenging the book removal provision in SF 496, reached out to KCCI calling Moms for Liberty's statement inaccurate.
"A federal court has issued a preliminary injunction preventing enforcement of the book-removal provisions in Senate File 496. Specifically, the ruling enjoins state actors from enforcing or taking action under the provisions that require removing 'non-age-appropriate' books from school libraries.
This means neither DMPS nor the public library system is violating the law by allowing students to use their IDs for access. The law Moms for Liberty referenced is not in effect because of the court’s order."
Supporters of the partnership say the change is about restoring access to reading materials and learning tools, not politics.
“I am aware that a lot of these schools have had to remove their libraries,” said Sara Hayden Parris, founder of book restriction opposition group, Annie’s Foundation. "Now, these kids have access to those books that may have had removed from them, not because of content concerns, but because the school could no longer support it."
...
South CarolinaThe same parent who has been challenging books in Beaufort County Schools has once again complained about 9 more books that have already been reviewed and approved. They’ll now be restricted from students unless the students have signed parental permission.
https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/...
“Now we find ourselves here again, and I think it’s important to ask, will the will of a few individuals override the will of the majority?” said one Beaufort County resident.
Majority of the room sided against removing any books from public school shelves, while one Beaufort County parent argued that the material presented should not be read by students.
There was one other Beaufort County resident who called in to the meeting in support of the parents’ request to remove the books from schools.
“This isn’t about a popularity contest and who has the most people here. This is about following the regulation and removing any votes that are not age or developmentally appropriate,” said the parent pushing to have the books removed.
The one parent believes the several novels, which focus on themes of race, sexuality, trauma, and other topics, are not appropriate for public school students, and violate the state’s book regulations.
The State Board of Education’s recently amended 43-170 Regulation allows the material to go back under review.
Many said that one complaint shouldn’t lead to all students losing access to the proposed books. But according to the state regulation, the parent’s complaint, like any other individual, would be processed and reviewed at a district level.
“The State Board of Education passed draconian regulations that are allowing one parent in Beaufort to remove parental decisions from all other parents and remove intellectual freedom from all children in South Carolina.”
Several people in the audience claimed the back and forth was unnecessary and unfair to the local review panels as they’d already approved the books previously.
“It’s an insult to those of us who volunteered and gave many hours to teach me to the process. Our hard work actually examining the materials is being dismissed for one woman who no longer has a child in the system,” said a Beaufort County resident.
The school board voted 9-2 in favor of restricting students from reading the books until parents sign consent. The books are not removed from shelves, but South Carolina still leads with most books banned.
Opinion | How a Florida ruling spells doom for Alabama’s book banning effortsA judge found the Florida law “plainly slip(s)” into unconstitutional censorship, and Alabama is doing the same thing.
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/08/25...
MichiganThe Hartland Cromaine District Library invites people to join an anti-censorship organizing effort on Sept. 4
https://www.whmi.com/news/article/sag...
An upcoming forum organized by a group local conservatives argue is causing division within the Howell community, is billed as defending the “right to read” and "freedom to access information" following actions taken at the Hartland Cromaine District Library.
It’s titled “Emergency Community Forum – Book Banners Run Hartland Library” and hosted by SAGE or Stand Against Extremism Livingston County to “Fight For The First Amendment”.
The forum is scheduled on Thursday, September 4 from 6-8pm at Hartland’s Historic Music Hall to “discuss the situation and ideas on how we can work together moving forward”.
The Music Hall and Library are not sponsoring or endorsing the event.
In more recent weeks, the group has been organizing demonstrations outside of FloodGate Church during weekend services to "draw attention" to what SAGE calls "harmful policy changes" that FloodGate pastor and Cromaine Library Board President Bill Bolin has been allegedly "drafting with lawyers from Project 2025’s advisory board - Alliance Defending Freedom."
FloodGate members accuse SAGE of intimidating and antagonizing families as they enter exit the church, including a large inflatable [male body part].
SAGE responded to WHMI to say “the person with the prop in question is not a SAGE member, as these protests are open to the public."
Messages seeking comment were placed with the church.
SAGE asserts “Currently, books are being labeled at Cromaine library with pink stickers as LGBTQ books" and "more will start being sequestered soon."
A release from SAGE states “This is part of ongoing national protests against the Trump administration. The focus of ‘Rage Against the Regime’ protests is to expose local examples of the administration's agenda. Bolin is working with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) lawyers in drafting new discriminatory library policies. ADF is on the Project 2025 advisory board. Their agenda threatens to dismantle the First Amendment, reshape the public sphere, and undermine the fundamental principles that support libraries. Since Bolin’s slate overthrew Cromaine library last election, hundreds of books are now in the process of potentially being purged. By targeting libraries, they aim to limit access to information, suppress diverse perspectives, and erode the foundations of a democratic society.”
As for the policy adopted in June, the updated “Materials Selection and Reader Guidance Policy” went from four to ten pages, according to SAGE.
Library Board Secretary Nancy Rosso opposed it.
Minutes state: “Secretary Rosso said this policy is fraught with many violations of 1st Amendment Rights. We have been advised by ACLU, our attorney, and staff from the Library of Michigan on labeling and this policy is an effort to disregard that legal advice. Effectively, what this policy will do is “Ban Books.” This is highly risky, and a risk the library does not need to take”.
The policy reads:
C. The Library Director is responsible for overseeing where the books are shelved and catalogued, subject to the Library Board’s review of challenges to materials brought under Section IX of this policy. Materials that are appropriate for adults or older teens but may be considered harmful to minors, as defined by the Library Privacy Act, shall be shelved within the adult collection.
Further, Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of contents. Library materials may be labeled to notify patrons that materials may contain graphic violence or sexually explicit material as defined in Appendix B.
The process for challenging materials held in the collection is at the end of the policy in section G.
Library Director Sarah Neidert clarified for WHMI that she has completed reviews of quite a few materials at the request of community members, and there have been appeals of her decisions in some cases.
She said one thing to note that many may miss is that at the end of the challenge process as outlined in section G, the board agreed to remove the word "removal" - meaning they cannot "ban" books.
Neidert said "Only library staff may decide when to remove a book. The board may override professional decisions on the location or labeling of materials, but cannot force the removal of material”.
Seating is limited for the September 4 forum and those looking to attend should register by emailing: sagelivco@gmail.com.
OhioBellbrook High School Library reopens amid ‘gender and sexuality’ review
https://www.daytondailynews.com/local...
The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek High School Library has reopened amid an ongoing staff review of “gender and sexuality content” in the library’s books.
The high school’s library reopened to students on Monday, after being closed for roughly a week and a half at the start of the school year to comply with the district’s “Parents’ Bill of Rights” policy.
... [Superintendent Doug Cozad stated ] "The review is still ongoing, Cozad said, adding “We cannot guarantee all relevant books have been identified at this stage.” he wrote in a letter to parents.
The review is still ongoing, Cozad said, adding “We cannot guarantee all relevant books have been identified at this stage.”
The high school library was closed to comply with a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” policy adopted in April that regulates s--ual content and “gender ideology” in school materials, presentations, or books.
None of the books have been removed from the library, but those identified as having sexual content or containing “gender ideology,” have been set aside and marked in the school’s online card catalog, Cozad wrote.
Per the school board’s policy, parents may opt-in for their kids to access these materials, and students whose parents choose not to do so will be given “alternative instruction of equal academic weight,” the policy says.
Parents’ can either give their child “carte-blanche” access to all library books, or if the high school student wants to check out the book, the librarian will contact the parents ahead of time.
As of Monday, about 75% of parents have given their child “carte blanche” access. About 140 parents have not answered the survey, school officials said.
In contrast, The Redlands Unified School District (CA) is looking for their book banning committee members. (California, an anti-book ban state)
RUSD book challenge policy passed, here’s what happens next
Following the approval of AR 1312.2, RUSD is seeking community volunteers to serve on book review committees.
https://www.communityforwardredlands....
North CarolinaJackson Co. library, Pride supporters outnumber drag show protestors during ‘read-in’
https://www.bpr.org/bpr-news/2025-08-...
Sunday’s drag pageant at Jackson County Public Library dovetailed with debate over whether some counties will break away from the regional library system.
In support of the event, more than 125 people participated in a “read-in,” with attendance overall vastly outnumbering protestors who said the family-friendly show was inappropriate for children.
For the third year running, local drag performers competed in a pageant in the library’s community room. The Mx. Sylva Pride event is part of the annual Pride event, held in September.
Sylva Pride President Burgin Mackey explained that the winner will represent the group for a year. Mackey said that representation for the LGBTQ community in Western North Carolina is even more important during the Trump administration.
“This is a really scary time to be trans, to be queer, to be Black, indigenous, or a person of color. To see so many people, so many of my friends, outside that just want to keep eyes on the situation and make sure that this event goes off without a hitch. It really does mean the world to me,” Mackey said.
This is the first year that there has been a significant number of people protesting the event. Last year, Mackey says, there were threats on social media, and in 2023, there were three protestors.
On Sunday evening, about 25 people from the Jackson and Macon County Republican Parties held signs reading “No Drag for Kids” along the road below the library. Inside, about 40 people attended the pageant, which drag artist Leo Scott won.
Bodie Catlin, 77, Highlands precinct chair for the Macon County GOP, sported a Trump-Vance T-shirt for the event. He says the group was protesting the library allowing the event to take place on county property.
Sunday’s three-hour event took place an hour after regular closing time for the library branch and was open to the public with a $10 admission cost, and was advertised as family-friendly.
...
During BPR’s time at the event, the majority of people in the crowd were adults.
In line with the library’s space rental policy, Sylva Pride paid a total of $200, library officials confirmed.
While the event appears to have been hosted in accordance with library policies, Catlin says he doesn’t like it.
“It shouldn't be in Western North Carolina, in my opinion. Now, you know, is it being done in Raleigh and Durham and Chapel Hill? Yes, it is because those are pretty liberal places over there. But the idea that it's done and in our neck of the woods kind of bothers us,” Catlin said.
Under the library’s policy, meeting spaces may be reserved for use by organizations engaged in educational, cultural, intellectual, or charitable activities or for private special events. Commercial groups may also use meeting space for educational and training purposes. Sylva Pride is a nonprofit organization.
As a nonprofit, Sylva Pride would not have been charged if the event had been during school hours.
Catlin says the pageant is just one of many inappropriate things that the library allows... Catlin has been a leader of the fight to disband the Fontana Regional Library System along with his wife, Diann. She is now a member of the Macon County Library Board.
The pair were part of the 2023 discussion to remove two books from circulation. Both books remained in circulation, but “Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships and Being a Human” was moved to the adult section.
“My kids tell [us], ‘Mom, dad, y'all just love controversy.’ And we said, ‘Kids, you're going to understand this one day. We love controversy when we're on God's side of the controversy,’” Catlin said. “And in this battle, we are on God's side. God is being mocked, and God is not pleased with what's going on here.”
Jackson County GOP Secretary Keith Blaine also attended the protest ...
Blaine also said that he is advocating for the NC General Assembly to include “male or female impersonators” as “Adult Live Entertainment” which would be illegal to “perform on public property.”
Meanwhile, over 125 people sat on blankets and chairs reading books on the library lawn and steps in support of the event. Sara Steiner is one of the organizers of Jackson County Public Library Allies (JCPL Allies).
“We organized the read-in to highlight the fact that reading is a fundamental right for everyone, and it is really important to not censor out viewpoints that are different than your own,” Steiner said.
Commissioners still working on leaving Fontana Regional Library system
Despite the June vote, the move to leave the system won’t be final until 2026. That means both sides are continuing the discussion.
Jackson County Commissioners are currently considering hiring a consultant firm for $50,000 to clarify the costs of running an independent library system and “potentially facilitate the transition,” the Smoky Mountain News reported on Aug. 12.
Meanwhile, JCPL Allies are still fighting to stay in the system. Steiner says there are about 700 people on their mailing list and more social media followers who support Fontana.
“They always say a good library has something in it to offend everyone, and if we begin to look to strip out things that are offensive to this group or that group, then pretty soon we have a library with no books in it and we have state-sponsored media that's incredibly limited in its scope,” Steiner said.
On Sunday, Sylva Police Chief Chris Hatton took to Facebook to thank both sides for their peaceful protests.
“Tonight, our town became a living example of what democracy looks like when it’s done right. People gathered to express their views, some in celebration, some in protest, some in quiet reflection, and they did so side by side, without fear or disruption,” Hatton wrote.
“This wasn’t just a peaceful evening, it was a powerful one. A reminder for us all that disagreement doesn’t have to mean division, and that a truly strong community can embrace differences respectfully.”
No Jackson County Commissioners were spotted on either side of the protest, but two Sylva Town Council candidates sat on the library steps to take part in the read-in. Sylva residents and candidates Sam McGuire, 40 and Joe Waldrum, 60, both said they think the library should stay in the Fontana Regional System.
...
The Sylva Town Council passed a resolution in July in support of staying in the Fontana Regional Library System. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Blitz Estridge as the sole dissenting vote, according to the Smoky Mountain News.
Sylva Pride next month
Sylva Pride is scheduled for Sept. 5-7. The event will not include a parade. In 2024, Sylva Town Council denied the parade application, and Mackey said this year the application process has also been updated to reduce the size of the festival.
“So our festival is effectively cut in half, and so we are kind of expanding into two days whereas we had almost 60 vendors last year,” she said.
Mackey says that representation through the pageant and the Sylva Pride festival allows rural queer folks to see an example of someone living authentically.
“As somebody who grew up on a 52-acre farm outside of a small town on the Tennessee-North Carolina state line, I can tell you that I'm as queer as a $3 bill and there are plenty of other people that feel exactly the same way that I do,” she said.
The festival starts on Sept. 5 with a Pride Mass at 5:30 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church. On Sept. 6, there is a Chalk Walk art show from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. around downtown Sylva and an art market at Jackson Art Market(JAM) Glass studio called the Rainbow Jam. On Sept. 7, from 12 to 6 p.m., will be the Pride festival with vendors at Bridge Park and JAM.
North CarolinaWake County Schools now require teachers to provide a list of every book available in their classrooms so parents can restrict access to titles for their children.
https://www.wral.com/news/education/w...
Wake schools plans to adjust rules for Title IX, library book review
The Wake County Board of Education is moving forward with four new policy changes on library books, class assignments and field trips that will implement a new state law and Trump administration changes to Title IX.
The Wake County Board of Education is moving forward with four new policy changes on library books, class assignments and field trips that will implement a new state law and Trump administration changes to Title IX.
The board's policy committee agreed Tuesday to send the policies to the regular school board for two votes of approval.
Title IX is the part of federal education law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at educational institutions that receive federal funding
The Biden administration had made changes to Title IX that overhauled complaint procedures and extended protections to students based on gender identity.
The Wake school board adopted the Biden-era changes in July 2024 but removed them in April after the Trump administration rolled them back. They had only been in effect in some schools, based on decisions by federal courts to halt their implementation.
...
The board also plans to change policies to comply with House Bill 805, a new state law enacted earlier this summer.
That law requires schools to provide access to a list of books in schools libraries, now including classroom libraries. The school system has long had library catalogs online but has not previously compiled classroom library books.
The law also requires schools to allow parents to list books that they don't want their children to check out, something the district is making available within the library catalog link on each school's homepage.
The school system is still working to make classroom library lists available; district officials estimate about 10,000 classrooms in the district, many of which may have their own libraries stocked by the teacher.
House Bill 805 also requires parents to be able to request to withdraw their student from an assignment for religious reasons -- and to have access to assignments ahead of time "to the extent practicable" to help them make that request. It establishes a process for parents to withdraw their student from the assignment and to receive an alternative assignment. The principal will review the request and grant it if the assignment would "impose a substantial burden on the student's religious beliefs" or "invade the student's privacy by calling attention to the student's religion."
The school system already allows people to request to withdraw but doesn't have a formal policy for that except for policy on objecting to materials.
The district doesn't want to interrogate the family's religious beliefs in that process and typically already errs on the side of the students and their families in the requests principals already field, said Drew Cook, assistant superintendent for academic affairs.
Floridahttps://archive.ph/qFuJA
School districts across Florida started removing books from their shelves without formal review this summer, soon after the State Board of Education threatened legal action against Hillsborough County for having materials that board members called harmful to minors.
A handful of Hillsborough parents told their school board Tuesday exactly what they thought of their district’s quick move to comply. Some said it was a necessary correction, while others raised objections to the way things were handled.
A key concern: It might lead to more districts ignoring state law requiring public evaluation of books that are challenged for their content. If there’s no formal objection, they suggested, there might not be a formal review, leaving district officials to act unilaterally.
That’s not what is happening in Pasco County with its latest group of questioned books.
Pasco, which did remove books from the list sent to Hillsborough, received an informal email in mid-August from a parent who complained about the presence of four titles. Those are Speak Up by Rebecca Burgess, A is for Activist by Innosanto Sagara, Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Kahn and The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo.
“I will give the district 14 days to remove all books related on gender or any books that are violation of state and federal laws and guidelines. If no action is taken, I will report to both state and federal agencies,” wrote parent Rebecca Yuengling, who in 2024 successfully pushed for the removal of The Letter Q, a series of essays directed at LGBTQ+ youth.
Rather than immediately pull the books, the district decided to convene committees that include teachers and parents to look at each as if a formal challenge had been submitted, district spokesperson Toni Zetzsche said.
She said the committees would follow all relevant state law and district policies in determining whether the books should remain in school libraries. The state agreed last year in a lawsuit settlement that books in school libraries are not subject to the Parental Rights in Education Act because they are not used for class instruction.
Legal battle erupts between Michigan school librarian, [right-wing MFL] parenthttps://bridgemi.com/talent-education...
Christine Beachler has loved her 38-year career, mostly as a librarian in Lowell Area Schools, a K-12 school district on the west side of the state. But she’s found herself the unwitting target of a culture war over book bans that she says has included “abusive” social media posts, “outrageous” false accusations and a viral video that led to death threats.
After five years, Beachler is fighting back in court. But she says her battle is not about what students should and shouldn’t read.
“This lawsuit is not about book bans,” said Beachler, 57. “This (behavior) is going on in other districts in Michigan and across the country. I felt like it was time for an educator to stand up against it.”
According to a civil lawsuit she filed in May in Kent County Circuit Court and later amended, the situation started in 2020 when a campaign began to remove books from the Lowell school libraries.
Leading the campaign, according to the lawsuit, was Stefanie Boone, a parent affiliated with Moms for Liberty ... Boone opposed library books including those with LGBTQ+ themes, calling them “p---graphy,” the lawsuit says.
Beachler — the library media director for the Lowell district, which has fewer than 4,000 students — alleges that Boone has engaged in a smear campaign against her with numerous, ongoing social media posts referring to Beachler with disparaging labels such as a “pedo” or p----phile and “p--n-peddling” librarian.
The lawsuit also alleges that Boone posted online a video she filmed during a school library tour with on-screen text asking where the “p--n section” was. It says the video was shared numerous times and viewed by more than a million people, with some viewers calling for violence against Beachler.
Beachler is seeking unspecified damages, the removal of any online posts containing her name, photo and false claims, and for future behavior to stop.
Neither Boone nor her attorney responded to numerous requests from Bridge Michigan for comment. Boone’s attorney is Matt DePerno, who is facing felony charges for allegedly tampering with voting machines in a hotel room in 2020. ...
DePerno has filed motions to get Beachler’s lawsuit dismissed, but the court has let the lawsuit stand.
This week, DePerno filed a response to Beachler’s amended lawsuit and filed a counterclaim against her, accusing the librarian of waging a defamation campaign against Boone and highlighting Boone’s parental rights under state law and the First Amendment.
The counterclaim describes Boone as a certified teacher and mother of six children who is actively involved in their education.
It alleges that Beachler introduces “Pride Storybooks … to promote her own political agenda” and those books “groom children through DEI, SEL, social justice issues, alternate sex and one-sided gender ideologies, and other liberal political ideology … encourage gender transitioning and focus excessively on romantic infatuation — with no meaningful parental notification or opportunity to opt out.”
In her legal filing, Boone alleges that Beachler has used “offensive and inappropriate language” when discussing her in interviews and podcasts and has “used her influence” to have Boone’s Facebook pages taken down.
Beachler said the counterclaim “has absolutely no merit. I look forward to addressing these ridiculous allegations through the court.”
In an interview with Bridge Michigan before the counterclaim was filed, Beachler said she decided to sue after Boone’s alleged attacks became relentless and her efforts to stop them failed. Supporters have since raised nearly $60,000 to fund her legal costs on gofundme.com.
She emphasized that the lawsuit is not about library books or parents’ rights.
“It’s about the truth of what has been said,” said Beachler. “It’s about human decency and treating others with respect when you have a differing opinion with them … Calling people names and constantly insulting them and denigrating them and dehumanizing somebody to the point where you are inciting hatred and anger and threats against a person is what my lawsuit is about. And that’s what’s happened to me.”
....
The actions allegedly directed at Beachler stand apart as “it is the most targeted attack on a person and one of the most vicious and long-lasting,” [said] Sara Hoeve, who’s researching the groups and their impact on educators while serving as director of student teaching and certification at Hope College in Holland.
“She has had almost five years of daily (social media) posts that have called her a ‘groomer,’ ‘p----phile,’ ‘smut peddler,’” said Hoeve. “There’s been video posted, her photo, her phone number, comments about her family finances. She has been harassed at a family gathering at a park. She’s received death threats.”
...
Boone is affiliated with a local chapter of Moms for Liberty,.... Boone has three sons enrolled in the Lowell Area Schools and two sons who graduated from the district and a daughter who graduated from another school.
Boone has led unsuccessful campaigns to recall members of education boards in Forest Hills and Lowell schools and ran a failed bid for a seat on the Kent County Commission, Beachler’s lawsuit says. In 2020, Boone began a campaign to remove books from Lowell schools and started reading “salacious excerpts from books” at school board meetings and calling books she disapproves of “p----graphy,” Beachler’s lawsuit says.
According to the filing, Boone’s activities included sending a note to the Lowell schools media center stating that her children should not have access to anything “inappropriate” but did not follow procedure or specify what she meant, the lawsuit says. She also allegedly has made numerous posts on social media pages, with tens of thousands of followers, “targeting and making false accusations” against Beachler and discussed them with “right-wing media.”
Beachler alleges that In 2022, Boone posted a picture of Beachler that referred to her as a “smut-peddling media specialist” who was “purposefully pushing divisive topics onto our children” and urged people to hold the librarian “accountable.” She’s also called the librarian a “pedo” (short for p----phile) and “groomer.” according to the lawsuit.
“Defendant Boone asserts that, by providing books of which Defendant Boone disapproves, Plaintiff has engaged in grooming behaviors,” the lawsuit says. “Defendant Boone is aware of the meaning of the term groomer and has intentionally created the false impression that Plaintiff engages in behaviors designed to abuse children. “
After Lowell Police Department told Boone that approval of a book is not a crime and the Kent County prosecutor refused to prosecute, Boone “ refused to stop making false accusations the against Plaintiff,” the lawsuit says.
Beachler said she sent Boone a letter in 2023 to stop making false accusations against her and demanded that they be removed from social media but Boone refused and escalated her activities, the lawsuit says.
When Beachler filed the lawsuit in May, Boone released a statement to a Grand Rapids television station, saying she does not “condone violence or extremism toward an individual simply because of a difference of opinion.”
“As an experienced educator and a mother of 6, I have the unique advantage of seeing all perspectives within the world of education,” said Boone’s statement, in part. “I will always stand for parental rights and transparency in education, as is the law in Michigan, no matter which lens I view it through.
“I have consistently stated that my efforts toward transparency within our public schools are not personal, although some individuals may see it that way.”
... She started asking questions about books in the library that included LGBTQ+ content, anti-police, anti-racism “rhetoric”. She said when she questioned Beachler about it, Beachler responded that she was doing her job and refused to answer questions.
Boone said she got a cease and desist letter from the Lowell school officials that told her she was no longer allowed to not talk with her children’s teachers or post anything online about the school district.
“You can’t tell someone what they can and can’t say,” said Boone. “I have parental rights. I have the right and it’s the law in Michigan that parents are to direct the care and education of our children in public schools.”
After spending her career in Lowell schools, Beachler no longer feels safe where she works. She’s sought counseling, which has helped, and felt the support of most of the Lowell area schools community. But the ongoing situation, she said, has taken a toll on her.
“It’s made me very fearful to go to work,” said Beachler. “It’s made me lose some of the love of my job. I have always loved my job. I’ve enjoyed the kids and the families and Lowell and it’s just made everything much more complicated and I am very fearful.”
...
What’s been happening to her for the past five years has been difficult on her and her family, she said, because everyone knows everyone in the community and it’s not how she envisioned the end of her career.
She said she works every day with students to help them choose library books that work for them. As for the books that others disapprove of, she is not the one who decides which books are removed from the libraries. That decision is up to the school board.
She says the campaign in Lowell is part of “a playbook” that parents opposed to certain books use and she has seen in other Michigan communities and across the nation. The behavior toward her hasn’t stopped even with the filing of her lawsuit and it’s “really frustrating,” she said.
“It just continued to be something that is a huge disruption to the education process at Lowell schools,” Beachler said. “It’s abusive behavior toward our staff, and directed at me, manufacturing a problem that we don’t really have.”
Parents have a right to challenge books in a library, which they did in Lowell, but a committee reviewed two books, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson and “The Sun and her Flowers” by Rupi Kaur. Then the committee made a recommendation to the superintendent and the board not to remove them, Beachler said.
“What many people, including the defendants, are ignoring, is that they don’t have the right to choose for other people’s children,” Beachler said.
Carrie Vonderheide, a Lowell resident who has three children in the school district and one who recently graduated, said there’s so much support for Beachler but there is social media chaos being created in the community by people who don’t even live there or have children in the school district.
“It’s costing taxpayers money and it’s making a spectacle of our district,” said Vonderheide, who contributed to Beachler’s gofundme campaign to help pay legal costs.”It is coming after years and years of a smear campaign. I don’t blame her for for saying enough is enough. I do hope she wins.”
Beachler said her lawsuit is for other schools and librarians that are also facing challenges in Michigan and across the country. That’s why she’s participated in two documentaries about the issue.
But the lawsuit is also for her, and the career she built over the years in Lowell.
“I would like to have my life back,” Beachler said. “I would like to be able to work with the kids and the distraction and the smear campaign to end.”
Pennsylvania West Shore public school officials advance book ban
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/ne...
PAYWALLED
Good story from Colorado on how to actually discuss differences and communicate like rational adults.School board approves policy changes, DAC charges
https://www.chaffeecountytimes.com/ne...
The Buena Vista Board of Education approved revisions to two administrative policies and assigned charges to the District Accountability Committee during their Aug. 25 meeting.
Policy KEC, Public Concerns/Complaints about Instructional Resources, saw a revision to the line “A book shall not be excluded because of the writer's membership in a protected class.” “Protected class” replaced “race or nationality or political or religious views.”
The board received an email from a community member with questions about other portions of the policy. The policy reads that “Factual, unbiased material on all major religions has a place in school libraries.” The community member questioned whether “major” was the correct word and suggested a change to “various.”
“If someone wants to make an argument for changing that, then I think it would be important for us to take that back to our legal counsel to make sure that it’s not changing any further meaning,” Superintendent Lisa Yates said.
Board member Paula Dylan suggested removing “major” from the definition, “because who defines what are major religions?”
Yates added that the district hasn’t had anything challenged in its libraries for presenting a religion that a community member or parent would not want presented.
“I think, when people might be challenging a book, it would be easier for the board to say, ‘It seems like what you’re challenging is an ideology as opposed to what has been accepted as major religions,’” she said.
Board member Jessica Crites said that the policy is the “model policy” for the Colorado Association of School Boards. A majority of board members felt anything not addressed under “Religions” could be handled under “Ideologies.”
The subsection on ideologies states that “libraries should, with no thought toward swaying reader judgment, make available a balanced collection of primary and factual material on the level of their students on various ideologies or philosophies that exert or have exerted a strong force, either favorably or unfavorably, in government, current events, politics, education and other phases of life.”
The community member also addressed Item 2A in the policy, which states, “The person who objects to the book or other material will be asked to sign a complaint on a standard form on which that person will document the criticism.” Crites said she felt the question was addressed in the complaint form.
“I appreciate the email. I really like it when anybody’s looking into the policies, because it gets really easy to just kind of blast through them,” board member Brett Mitchell said.
The motion to approve the change carried unanimously.
...
This is absolutely ridiculous! These books have been on the shelves for awhile now. Why are they suddenly so "bad"? Who is this idiot overruling the wishes of the parents? Is he from Oklahoma?Edmonton Public removing more than 200 library books to comply with provincial rules
https://globalnews.ca/news/11356095/e...
Public School Board chair Julie Kusiek said anyone unhappy with the move should contact Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides.
“Division staff worked over the summer to ensure that only books that directly met the criteria in the ministerial order were added to the division’s removal list,” Kusiek said in a statement.
The result, she said, is “several excellent books will be removed from our shelves this fall.”
Kusiek said trustees have already heard concerns from families about the list of books, and that trustees share those concerns.
“We encourage anyone who has a concern about a book being removed, or the criteria for book removal set out in the ministerial order to contact the Minister of Education and Childcare directly,” she wrote.
In a response, Nicolaides said Thursday that his office is reviewing the Edmonton public board list and has asked the division to clarify why the books on it have been chosen for removal.
“We will work with them to ensure the standards are accurately implemented,” he said, adding that Alberta Education plans to work with all school boards to ensure “the policy is being implemented appropriately with the intent of ensuring young kids are not exposed to s--ually explicit books.”
Edmonton Public’s list of books, the first such look into the policy’s affect in schools, also includes Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and books from authors like Alice Munro and Ayn Rand.
Dozens of additional books will also be made inaccessible to students in kindergarten through Grade 9, including George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”
The school division said in an email that the list is non-exhaustive, and further titles are expected to be added.
Nicolaides has directed all schools to remove books with sexually explicit content from shelves by the end of September. They must also have in place by the new year clear policies on how the new directive will be maintained.
The rules, contained in a ministerial order signed by Nicolaides last month, bans books with explicit s--ual content for students in all grades.
Those in Grade 10 and over may have access to books containing what the province deems to be non-explicit s--ual content.
...
Critics have accused Nicolaides of overstepping his mandate while pandering to the social conservative wing of the governing United Conservative Party.
Howard Sapers, the executive director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said he was disappointed by the division’s list and concerned with the path the province is going down.
“Let’s just think about what the loss is to students and to their community when students don’t get exposed to a variety of thought and expression,” said Sapers, who also served two terms as member of Alberta’s legislature.
“It’s important to individual growth but it’s also important to the kind of society we want to live in.”
Earlier this month, Saper’s organization and Nicolaides were in a public spat over the policy after an opinion column the association published said the government was engaging in “textbook censorship” with its policy, to which the minister said the association was pushing a “false narrative.”
The minister’s office also took issue with Sapers writing that books like “The Handmaid’s Tale” would fall victim to the policy.
Nicolaides’ office said at the time that such a choice didn’t align with the intent of the policy, which school boards were expected to uphold.
Sapers said Thursday he “took no joy” in seeing his prediction come true.
“There is absolutely a need to be vigilant about what young minds are exposed to, to make sure that it’s not harmful,” he said.
“But when you have a policy that is just so over-broad that this is the result, then it’s hard to accept the government at its word that it did not intend to see large-scale book banning.”
The move comes as students head back to school for the new year, including 115,000 across more than 200 schools in the Edmonton public system. On top of that, talks continue to head off a potential provincewide strike by some 51,000 teachers.
Opposition NDP education critic Amanda Chapman said in a statement Thursday the government’s priorities are wrong that the province should be more focused on heading off a strike.
“Instead, they’ve set their sights on keeping the works of prolific Canadian authors like Margaret Atwood out of the classroom,” Chapman said.
Florida's Santa Rosa and Escambia school districts are neighboring districts that share the same primary book banner. This person targets authors that speak out against censorship.https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/flfr...
Our old "friends" in Duval County, Florida are up to old tricksDCPS to consider creating new committee reviewing objections to books in schools
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/lo...
The Duval County School Board wants to create a new committee to review challenges to books on school shelves, but some parents worry it will lead to more book bans around the district and less power for them to share their concerns.
One of those parents is Katie Hathaway, who’s now a mom to her family’s fifth generation of Fletcher High School students. Her past with the school district runs deep, but it’s the future she’s worried about.
“They’re changing the rules and now pushing a policy that allows them to appoint members that potentially align with their own personal beliefs. So that’s a concern to me,” Hathaway said.
The policy Hathaway referenced would change who handles complaints made against books on Duval County school shelves by creating a “Material Review Committee.” The policy says each school board member would pick one person to serve on the committee, either a parent or community member who lives in the board member’s district.
The policy cuts out the previous requirement for at least one librarian, one teacher, and one parent of a student to serve on the committee. It also does not include language in Florida law that says committees reviewing book challenges in school districts “must include parents of students who will have access to such materials.”
School board member Melody Bolduc tells Action News Jax the new committee wouldn’t operate outside of state law.
...
Bolduc tells Action News Jax that, since she was elected by members of the community, whoever she would choose to serve on the community would represent them, rather than herself. She doesn’t speak for the school board, but said she believes the new committee would give parents the voice they want.
...
Action News Jax told you back in April when the school board last voted to ban a book, after its book review committee had unanimously recommended keeping it on school shelves.
The new committee would also only have the power to recommend removing or keeping books that receive challenges, rather than have the ability to restrict access themselves.
______________
The Florida Freedom to Read Project notes "The update still includes provisions from HB 1069 that Judge Mendoza ruled unconstitutional.
Board Members took an oath to uphold the Constitution. Voting for this unconstitutional policy while appeal is pending (and no stay granted) is irresponsible."
How Education Censorship Fuels School PrivatizationEducation censorship fuels school privatization by starving public schools, silencing teachers, revising history, erasing immigrant voices, and ignoring supportive parents, creating frustration that funnels families toward private alternatives
https://www.freedomtoreadproject.org/...
FloridaParents rip Hillsborough’s ‘capitulation’ to state over book removals
District leaders didn’t say much about state pressure to remove books, but public commenters did.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
School officials did not mention books in the first public board meeting since state officials targeted Hillsborough County over the issue on social media, and Superintendent Van Ayres removed the memoir of a transgender YouTuber in response.
Tensions remained high among members of the public, though.
A handful of parents and community members expressed frustration with the way the district handled recent state pressure to remove books from libraries at a meeting Tuesday in Tampa, saying procedures that include review committees were ignored.
Rachel Doyle, a parent, said the district skipped protocol in yanking the book.
“I’m surprised you didn’t ask the commissioner of education if you want fries with that when he commanded you to remove ‘Trans Mission’ by Alex Bertie” she said. “Us parents wanted our review process. You all ignore us, and now you’ll likely ban some more books that already went through the process and were confirmed to be able to stay. Parental feedback does not matter to you.”
Hillsborough resident and business owner Carmen Alvarez said Ayres had committed a list of missteps this summer that were “long and serious.”
“Not only was it an absolute capitulation to an overreaching Department of Education, throwing existing county policy out the window, it was the direct opposite of leadership at the expense of our most vulnerable students to an administration that has time and again moved the goal post,” she said.
Robert People said his children have since grown, but that Hillsborough parents deserved better.
“Let’s stop lying about this being to protect any children,” he said. “It’s about protecting bigotry.”
Not every speaker criticized Ayres’ decision.
....
[Blah blah whine whine... the usual rhetoric]
Censor: Julie Gebhards, a parent who removed her child from the district and has long criticized the county for the books they keep... [wants to ban GenderQueer]
...
In his letter to state officials, Ayres said he planned to recommend removing two additional books at a September board meeting.
While the book issue wasn’t part of Tuesday’s agenda or Ayres’ comments to the board, Chairperson Jessica Vaughn indirectly addressed the issue during her closing comments.
“We’re living in a time when the autonomy of local school boards is increasingly challenged and under pressure decisions that once rested in the hands of local educators and elected officials,” she said. “People who know our schools, our students and our unique challenges are now too often being dictated from the top down. That kind of overreach undermines our ability to meet the needs of our district in real, responsive and meaningful ways.
“Let me be clear: local control matters,” she added.
Vaughn added that there was nothing “radical” about advocating for more resources for students and teachers.
“We must not forget who we serve,” she said. “We serve our students, our families, our educators and the future of this community, not politics, not special interests, and certainly not those who seek to divide us.”
TexasTexas Rep Hillary Hickland is threatening the district with penalties under newly-passed SB412. If you’re a Texan looking for a way to push back on censorship, let her know what you think of that at https://x.com/hicklandhillary?s=21&am...
Texas book banners are in a tizzy about Killeen ISD, a district that looks likely to exercise their legal option *not* to create a committee policing their school libraries. Here’s one trustee explaining his reasoning in a way any American can understand:
https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/fran...
How Funding Threats Create a Chilling Effect: Money Talks, And Too Often, It Keeps People from TalkingFunding threats create a chilling effect in schools and libraries, silencing educators, canceling programs, and narrowing curricula, censorship through financial coercion instead of open debate.
https://www.freedomtoreadproject.org/...
Stephanie Vanos, a School Board Member in Orange County (FL), steps up after weeks of very intimidating efforts by the state to quash local control and infringe on the right of students and shares an important message everyone needs to hear.https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNqD6K...
Authors, parents and advocates push back against book bans after Florida Board of Education meetingThat comes after just this summer, 600 book titles were pulled from Florida school shelves, prompted by the state board of education and the state attorney general.
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/articl...
Shortly after the Florida Board of Education finished its August meeting in St. Augustine ..., a group of authors, parents, students and literature advocates gathered just outside the meeting room. PEN America, a freedom of literature nonprofit, helped lead the gathering.
The push to remove books in Florida started in earnest in 2023 with a new state law. Then earlier this summer, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent the Hillsborough County School Superintendent a letter requesting "immediate removal" of certain books in schools, saying they were “patently p----graphic.”
State Board of Education Member Ryan Perry told the superintendent in June, "I’ve read through these books. These are nasty, disgusting books. They have no place in a school in Florida, not even California."
That request from Uthmeier led to other counties across the state either reviewing or, in some cases, yanking certain books off the shelves.
Wednesday, at the PEN America gathering in St. Augustine, William Johnson told the crowd, "This summer alone, at least nine counties have pulled as many as 600 books from the shelves."
Johnson is the PEN America Florida director. He said the book excerpts that the state provided as evidence for removal from bookshelves were taken out of context.
"We're talking about books like The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, The Kite Runner, even still, Judy Blume," Johnson said.
Kristin Arnett, an author who lives in Orlando, was at Wednesday's gathering. She told First Coast News, "Many of the materials that were removed are not something that anyone would sit down and consider p----graphic."
A federal judge this month said the Florida law passed in 2023 -- allowing parents to challenge books over purportedly pornographic content -- was overbroad and unconstitutional.
Johnson said, "I'm happy about the judge's decision. I’m still concerned about state overreach because we’re finding the state doesn’t care about rules."
Meanwhile, the Florida Board of Education continued its work, with one of the last comments of Wednesday's meeting coming from Board Member Kelly Garcia, "I am glad we were able to shine a light again on some of the inappropriate instructional materials that are clearly inappropriate and continue to sit on our shelves and that are very easy for children to access."
Florida State Board of Education asserts enforcement power over Florida schoolshttps://www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
The State Board of Education and commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas doubled down on their efforts to enforce their interpretation of parental rights during a meeting Wednesday in St. Augustine.
The board found the Alachua County school board to have violated parents’ First Amendment rights in late July, and ordered the board to correct its ways with no deviations over the next year or face financial penalties, as WCJB reports.
Kamoutsas read passages from the memoir “Trans Mission” that he told Hillsborough County schools to remove earlier this month or face possible prosecution for providing children with access to harmful materials. After citing statutes he said explain why the material is unacceptable, and saying he expected all districts to “govern themselves accordingly,” Kamoutsas praised the state’s new prosecutor and said he was “committed to working with him” on this issue.
....
Board members asked if they could override the commission. Kamoutsas said they have no authority to change the decision of the quasi-judicial action, for which any appeals could be filed in court, adding that he is consulting with department lawyers to see how they might rewrite the rules for the future.
Board member Daniel Foganholi used the discussion to suggest the state might need to do a better job communicating expectations to teachers, many of whom he said are working hard to do the right thing and scared of enforcement against them for mistakes.
He spoke of his own experience with his son’s teacher, who he said was reluctant to call the boy DJ because his formal paperwork said Daniel Jr.
“I want to make sure that we overcommunicate to our teachers so that we make sure they are comfortable in those situations, that they’re not scared, they’re not in fear,” he said. “I feel like a lot of teachers are paying the price for people doing the wrong thing.”
If it’s a mistake, Foganholi said, “show grace.”
Not everyone walked away from the meeting with that message. The Florida Education Association issued a statement afterward criticizing the board and commissioner for having chosen politics over students and “vilified the very educators who keep our neighborhood public schools strong.”
Some parents attending the session also signaled their dissatisfaction with the discussions and actions. They said the board should stop wasting time on “political theater” and focus on fixing crowded classrooms, low teacher pay, student academic struggles and other “real issues.”
The board meets again Sept. 24 in Fort Walton Beach.
Commentary: Florida book-ban appeal undermines civics it claims to promotehttps://buttondown.com/wellsourced/ar...
It's Easy to Sow Panic When You're Just Lying
The lack of expertise or knowledge about children's literature is on full display when most of your new reviews are of adult books.
https://buttondown.com/wellsourced/ar...
FloridaFour books are under review in Pasco after an email complaint wrongly stated that library books that include the topic of gender identity are prohibited under Florida law.
Titles include: Speak Up!, A is for Activist, The Beautiful Something Else, and Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend.
https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/flfr...
Freedom to Read Project@freedomreadproject.bsky.social
New Insight from the Classroom: A major national survey shows that many K–12 teachers, especially in affluent and Southern schools, face alarming levels of censorship and pressure.
https://www.freedomtoreadproject.org/...
Mod
Now theoretically, the Nazis and Stalinists ruling with an iron fist in Alberta should not be able to ban Margaret Atwood's satirical story as there is nothing regarding sex in there, so I hope Alberta teachers will collectively be using this story in the classroom (although this would probably end up making trouble for them). And ha, ha, ha, Atwood having Alberta premier Danielle Smith appearing in the story as one of the elitists from the Handmaid's Tale is absolutely delightful.
Honestly, since Alberta's draconian and screwed up "rules" also pertain to private schools, looking back at what we were reading at school (junior and senior high in late 1970s and the early 1980s), MUCH of this (including the Shakespeare plays we read and also performed, the unedited Greek, Roman and Norse mythology, the Old and New Testaments as literature, the occasional anti American and total Anti Vietnam War slants etc. in Social Studies and that we read and critically analysed the Communist Manifesto, that our English teachers collectively stood up for us and succeeded when a bunch of hysterical parents wanted the school to restrict us taking Judy Blume's Forever to school and sharing it with classmates who were not allowed to read it at home and to also punish us for this) all this will likely not be possible now anymore (and I guess reading Margaret Atwood's Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature like we did when we covered Canadian literature in grade eleven would be "verboten" as well, as would many of the Canadian literature novels and short stories we read and so on and so on and son on, sigh).
Manybooks wrote: "https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...Now theoretically, the Nazis and Stalinists ruling with an iron fist in Alberta should not be able to ban Margaret Atwood's sat..."
Public School Board chair Julie Kusiek said anyone unhappy with the move should contact Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides.
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Out of the Blue (other topics)The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink (other topics)
My Rainbow (other topics)
Butt or Face? Volume 3: Super Gross Butts (other topics)
The Day the Books Disappeared (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jodi Picoult (other topics)Sarah J. Maas (other topics)
Ellen Hopkins (other topics)
Jodi Picoult (other topics)
Scott Stuart (other topics)
More...
I have lots more book news to share. I'm way behind. It's deeply disturbing and in the mean time read up on the trad wife movement because the censors are coming for romance novels next and guess who reads romance novels? women.