Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
Kelly Jensen, Book Riot editor, has unlocked a story on the ongoing harassment and targeting of staff and LGBTQ+ books at the Davie County Public Library in North Carolinahttps://12ft.io/proxy
... staff members at the library have been in a heightened state of alertness for nearly two years. That’s about the time that a small group of people began moving and hiding books — those with LGBTQ content have been a particular target — and confronting staff members with “harassing” questions about certain books, leading to low morale, according to the minutes of the library’s board of trustees meeting from March 2023.
The harassment culminated in June when a car bumped library director Derrick Wold in the parking lot of the library as he attempted to confront the driver, who had been seen moving and hiding books, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The driver, John Howard Tarolli, 53, of Mocksville, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Wold was not injured.
The harassing behavior, which had begun to taper before Wold was struck, is just one of several concerns among library supporters. Last year, the county manager ordered a book removed from the library’s collection around the same time that county commissioners began changing the way they appoint people to the library’s board of trustees after years of approving the recommendations of the sitting trustees.
Taken together, library supporters worry that this small, quiet library is being drawn into the culture wars at a time of surging book bans and challenges.
Khristen Mears, a longtime Davie County library user and, until a month ago, a member of the library’s board of trustees, said she feared that the pattern of disruption inside the library could lead to violence. Employees have told trustees that they feel “on guard” while at work. One staff member broke down in tears while describing the tense climate to trustees. Another quit rather than deal with the harassment, Mears said.
“I was extremely shocked and disappointed but not surprised,” she said of the assault on Wold. “This is what we were afraid was going to happen.”
In response to the assault, the county, for the second time in about 18 months, has strengthened security measures at the library by adding even more cameras and installing panic buttons for staff members. The sheriff’s office has stepped up its patrols around the library, and staff members have also been trained in de-escalation tactics.
The number of cameras in the 5,000-square-foot library is now up to 15, a cost of nearly $34,000 to local taxpayers. Panic buttons will cost another $2,600, County Manager Brian Barnett said.
Nationally, among the most challenged books is “Flamer,” a young adult graphic novel about a boy struggling with his sexuality. It’s the book that Barnett ordered Wold to remove from the library’s collection, bypassing the library’s own multistep process on how to challenge material.
Reviewing challenged books is among several duties of the trustees. They create and modify policy, including the process to review challenged material, and generally advocate for the library and its employees. It has no say in what materials the library keeps in its collection. Staff members have that duty.
Mark Jones, the chairman of the Davie County Board of Commission, vigorously pushed back on the notion that the book’s removal equates to censorship, saying at July’s commissioners meeting that though the book is no longer on the shelves, interested readers can get a copy through the state’s interlibrary loan program known as N.C. Cardinal. Getting a copy may take weeks.
Barnett said last week that he wanted “Flamer” removed as a preventative measure.
“If you ‘Google’ it, it has become a hotbed, and I didn’t want it to be a distraction,” he said.
In that July meeting, supporters of the library packed the board room, addressing a number of issues, including what they believe is an attack on LGBTQ books, such as “Flamer.”
“I don’t know if I’m delivering news to you, but reading gay books does not turn you gay,” Nathan Linville, 20, told commissioners. “I know how it is to grow up gay in Davie County. I deserve to see myself in the books I read if I choose to.”
Library supporters are concerned that the removal of “Flamer” is the tip of the iceberg, and that a movement is afoot to fill the board of trustees with people who will make it easier to challenge books.
As it is now, if a book challenge fails, it can’t be reviewed for another three years.
According to county policy, commissioners have the final say-so on who gets appointed to the county’s 16 advisory boards. These voluntary boards, made up of Davie County residents, advise commissioners on a range of issues in the county, including juvenile crime, agriculture and aging.
Of the 16 boards, the library board is the only one that for years has recommended candidates. Typically, sitting trustees will nominate someone who they see frequently patronize the library, figuring that such a person will have a built-in knowledge of and passion for the library.
Library supporters are concerned that the removal of “Flamer” is the tip of the iceberg, and that a movement is afoot to fill the board of trustees with people who will make it easier to challenge books.
As it is now, if a book challenge fails, it can’t be reviewed for another three years.
According to county policy, commissioners have the final say-so on who gets appointed to the county’s 16 advisory boards. These voluntary boards, made up of Davie County residents, advise commissioners on a range of issues in the county, including juvenile crime, agriculture and aging.
Of the 16 boards, the library board is the only one that for years has recommended candidates. Typically, sitting trustees will nominate someone who they see frequently patronize the library, figuring that such a person will have a built-in knowledge of and passion for the library.
Commissioners Jones, Brent Shoaf and Benita Finney said there is no hidden motive behind the change in selecting library trustees. Finney said the board of trustees needs to reflect all viewpoints and that the concern over the selection process is misplaced.
“We do have to represent all people. That’s our responsibility for all citizens to be represented.” she said. “I hope moving forward we will not have all this misinformation, all of this publicity and all of these unnecessary reactions to an advisory board appointment.”
Commissioners have also had no input on library materials, he said.
But those statements have not allayed the concerns of library supporters who worry that the board of trustees is being pulled in a more conservative direction.
In the meantime, on Aug. 24, a multipurpose room at the library that is available to community members has been reserved for a Brave Books story hour, one of many taking place across the country. Brave Books is a conservative Christian publishing company that focuses on “Pro God, Pro America” books.
The public library has not endorsed the story hour. Teresa Bivins, one of the trustees that commissioners selected without library input, will be the host.
A public pulpit? Some in King George, Virginia wary of influence wielded by county’s ‘pistol-packing preacher’https://www.fredericksburgfreepress.c...
When King George County School Board Chair David Bush wanted to assure concerned community members that books containing s---ally explicit material were locked away and required parental approval, he called on the Rev. Sherman Davis.
Davis, the longtime pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in King George, routinely uses his three minutes of public comment time at the county’s school board and board of supervisors meetings to recite scripture.
In this case, Davis said Bush attempted to assure him students at King George Middle School had no access to the two most recently challenged books unless their parents gave the OK to check them out.
“I said, ‘How do you know that’s happening?’” Davis recalled. “I’m not suggesting [Superintendent Jesse Boyd] is a liar. He told you this, but how do you know it happened?’”
Davis suggested Bush head to the school to investigate the process, but the board chair declined to do so. According to Davis, Bush didn’t want to fracture his close relationship with the superintendent.
Instead, Bush encouraged Davis to join Boyd, board member Cathy Hoover and Principal Casey Nice to explore the process. No librarians or other school staff were invited.
With the King George School Board planning to vote Monday on an appeal of the checkout process and potentially remove two books from the library altogether, some in the county are questioning Davis’ degree of involvement in decision-making.
And they are wondering aloud if faith leaders should have that level of influence in the school division.
“I am certainly not a fan of the level of reach that he tries to have to try to influence the schools,” former school board representative Carrie Gonzalez said.
At the Aug. 5 school board meeting when the books “Sold” and “ttfn” were discussed as targets of removal from the division, one resident noted that Davis’ church states on its website that it believes the state should not be involved in its affairs —before asserting that his church is heavily involved in school and government business.
Davis’ son William Davis is a first-year member of the board of supervisors, representing the Dahlgren District. William Davis’ wife, Colleen Davis, meanwhile, is the Dahlgren representative on the school board.
“I believe they’re trying to take over the county,” said Katy Evans, the chair of the county’s Democratic committee. “They preach at both the board of supervisors and the school board meetings, and they pushed out the non-partisan people. … "
Evans said many in the community call Rev. Davis a “pistol-packing Pentecostal preacher.” William Davis said the only untrue part of that statement is that his dad is not Pentecostal.
Rev. Davis, 76, said his family is also not politically motivated.
William Davis said neither of his parents are politicians, and the last thing he wanted to do was run for the board of supervisors. However, he believed it was necessary because the county “was getting out of hand” particularly with growth.
“They both ran for office and got elected,” Rev. Davis said of William and Colleen Davis. “Nobody knew for a long time he is my son. He ran and got 60% of the vote … My daughter-in-law ran unopposed. If they wanted somebody else in there, they should’ve run.”
Rev. Davis said being a Christian does not mean he loses his right to speak out about issues concerning public education and other county business. In his mind, government and God cannot be separated because God created government. He said part of a Christian’s belief system is that they are the “salt of the earth” and should make their presence known in every aspect of life.
To William Davis, the separation of church and state means that the government cannot make a law respecting an establishment of religion.
“If you can tell me one thing in [the Bill of Rights] where it protects the government from the people, let me know,” William Davis said. “Everything in there protects the people from the government, and the church is the biggest part of that.”
William Davis said the only time he works directly with his wife in county affairs is during budget season, and that was a source of contention in their marriage: she wanted more funds for the schools than the supervisors were willing to give.
Rev. Davis said despite what people are saying about his influence in schools and government, he only holds one vote.
“When I face an issue, I ask myself, ‘What would Jesus have me to do?’, and ‘What would Jesus do?’ I don’t think He would be for these books with the children. My duty as a citizen, and not just as a Christian is to say, ‘This is wrong.’ I ought to have a voice to say ‘This is wrong’ no matter who I am.”
Rev. Davis said he initially became concerned about the direction of King George’s schools when he learned from the county woman who initiated the book challenges that a gay couple called the “Gardening Gays” spoke to a first-grade class at a county elementary school about farming and let the students know they are married.
He said he attempted to read the two books in question, but said it triggered previous trauma in his life regarding p____graphy. Three of Davis’ siblings had issues with p____graphy, he said, and two died by suicide while one went to prison for 40 years after being convicted of r---e and murder.
“I got saved at 24 years old. I left drugs and alcohol alone. So, I know what Christ can do for a person,” Rev. Davis said. “The heart of the problem is the heart of the man, and a man’s heart is desperately wicked. He wants evil. That’s why people do not want God in politics because He is moral. They want to take God out of it.”
After the school board implemented the process to lock away certain titles at the middle school and require parental approval for checkout, the county resident who first challenged the books filed an appeal.
Bush said if she wins the appeal, the board must then decide whether to completely remove the books from schools or find another solution. If she loses the appeal, the process will remain the same.
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At the Aug. 5 meeting, several residents spoke in favor of keeping the books in the middle school library.
Bush said since that meeting two weeks ago, he’s read both books but isn’t willing to share his opinion of them until Monday’s meeting. He implored all board members to read the books so they can make an informed decision.
Evans said she read the books and contends that they contain “zero p_______raphy.” She also questioned why the book challenger has not been present at the three most recent meetings at which the issue was discussed. Gonzalez is also not in favor of removing the books completely, or any other changes that could come about from the challenger winning the appeal.
She is alarmed that along with Davis, Bush is pushing a “religious agenda” into the school division.
“He’s the one that unilaterally decided to open the meetings with prayer before the school board had even collectively agreed,” Gonzalez said. “David Bush’s advocacy, in my opinion, is why Sherman Davis is such a presence. It’s encouraged.”
Gonzalez said she is concerned that, if Bush remains on the school board, a religious agenda will “proliferate and grow because that’s essentially his priority.”
She noted that while Bush boasts 28 years of experience in education, retiring as a high school principal, he also spent many years as a religious missionary, helping to establish Christian churches in non-Christian communities — including in Africa.
Bush said he is careful not to mix his personal views on religion with school business, asserting that he would allow the invocational prayer to be done by any church leader regardless of religion. He said he has yet to receive a request from an official at a “mosque or temple” in the county.
“I think that every person of any faith, no matter what that faith may be, probably walks a line as far as their public responsibilities and their private responsibilities,” Bush said. “I try to make a clear line that what I do with my life and what I do with the people that are around me and my family, that is something that is important to me.
“Now am I trying to push my agenda onto the teachers and this whole county as far as me being the chairman of the school board? The answer is ‘no.’ I’m not pushing anything.”
Bush is an Elder at Thrive Christian Fellowship, which holds its services at King George Elementary School. He joined Pioneer Bible Translators eight years ago and serves as an advisor with its Scripture Impact Team.
“I’m never going to deny that I am a Christian, and I serve Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior,” Bush said.
Bush is not the only local official with close ties to Rev. Davis. In addition to his son and daughter-in-law, Rev. Davis said King George Interim County Attorney Sen. Richard Stuart (R-Westmoreland) and others have been parishioners at his church, which consists of approximately 400 members and accommodates two services.
The church has hosted forums for Democratic and Republican candidates in the past. It is also a regular meeting location for the King George Tea Party, which is a mixture of libertarian, right-wing populist and conservative activism.
Rev. Davis said he is not a member of the Tea Party but attends meetings regularly, especially when they’re held at his church.
“I only vote Republican because they’re conservative,” Rev. Davis said. “If the independents had someone conservative, I would consider it. I’m for state more than federal government.”
Rev. Davis remembers being taken aback when he spoke at a school board meeting and residents told him he may be out of line because there should be a separation of church and state. He said if he’s ever crossed that line, he is unaware of it. And if Davis’s detractors were looking to keep him away, the outcry produced the opposite result; it prompted him to return to another meeting and provide a lesson on civics.
“I said to myself, ‘Surely, they don’t believe that separation of church and state means I lost my citizenship, and because I’m a Christian, I can’t say anything anymore,’” Davis said.
Davis said he will continue to speak out, especially when something is, in his opinion, “wicked.”
He plans to speak at Monday’s school board meeting about the challenged books. One of his concerns is that if they remain in the school, a student with parental permission can share it with one who does not have permission. He also said books are not being “banned” even if they are removed from the library.
“It’s not about banning. I’m against banning books,” Davis said. “You can go to another library and get the book. You can go online and order the book. The school has a policy on peanut butter because there are so many kids with allergies. So, is peanut butter banned? No. You can eat it in the car. You can eat it at home. You just can’t have it at school.”
Another from King GeorgeBooks survive challenge as King George School Board supports superintendent’s policy
https://www.fredericksburgfreepress.c...
After hearing from nearly 40 residents Monday night, the King George County School Board voted against an appeal of the checkout process for s----lly explicit material at the middle school library.
The board voted 4-1 during a tense meeting held at King George Middle School to maintain the process established by Superintendent Jesse Boyd, which includes locking away books deemed to be s----ally explicit and requiring parental consent before students can check them out.
Vice Chair Matthew Roles of the James Monroe District was the only board member to support the appeal filed by a county resident. If the appeal was granted, the board could have removed the two books in question altogether or come up with another solution.
Roles made an amendment to board member Ed Frank’s original motion to maintain the process by requesting that one book in question — entitled “Sold” — be moved to the high school library and another, “ttfn,” be taken out of the school division entirely.
Roles then settled on a compromise to move both books to the high school library, but the amendment failed, 3-2, with only him and Frank supporting it.
Roles launched several criticisms at “ttfn,” a young adult novel by Lauren Myracle written in the form of an instant messaging conversation. He said it included a (view spoiler)
“A total misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Roles said. “At worst, it’s corrupting our youth we’re supposed to be investing in to develop their character and their minds.”
School Board Chair David Bush and others who voted to keep the books in the middle school library said they did not agree with all the content of the material, but rather that leaving the decision in the hands of parents is the best outcome.
They pledged to closely examine the process that initially allowed the books to be housed in the library.
Bush also said “Sold,” a young adult novel about a young girl sold into s-- slavery in Nepal, had more educational value than “ttfn,” but he was alarmed that several pages described se---l abuse of the girl in a graphic manner.
“It was more upsetting because I could see the value of having these discussions, but we don’t have to get into that nitty gritty … those horrific descriptions ... from a child’s point of view,” Bush said.
Boyd said there are 133 books labeled s---ally explicit in King George school libraries, and they require 30 days of advanced notice to parents before they are checked out by students.
Frank noted that “Sold” was only checked out twice in the past four years, and “ttfn” was checked out nine times since 2021.
The residents who spoke expressed mixed feelings about the books. Many said they have no place in a school setting, where students should be focused on learning the basics and good citizenship. One resident called on Boyd to resign because she does not believe he is holding accountable staff members who do not follow policy on the books.
“I’m a taxpayer, so my money buys dirty books for the schools,” county resident Molly Roberts said.
Roberts referred to the books as “smut” and said they are a form of grooming in that they desensitize children to sexually-deviant behavior.
Other speakers — including multiple students — said reading certain books is a personal decision that should be left to children and their parents.
Madelaine Perrotte, who works in human resources for the military specializing in s---al assault victim advocacy and suicide prevention, said she was disturbed by comments at previous meetings that suggested librarians are “groomers and p-----iles.”
“I wanted to weigh in on that as someone in the field,” Perrotte said. “Groomers generally do not give children books that illustrate what they’re doing is wrong, and getting a college degree to groom and mistreat is generally a lot more effort than most p-----iles want to put in.
“I’m not saying there are no predators in school, but I would be surprised to see any peddling books telling children what to look out for. Most are content running youth groups and waiting for uneducated on the topic, lonely or neglected kids to come around.”
Perrotte said she did not agree with the compromise to lock the books away, but she understood it. She said parents should talk to children about human trafficking and other potentially dangerous topics rather than push for books on the subjects to be removed from libraries.
“What I have heard tonight is people concerned about s----al assault and grooming,” Perrotte said. “For those interested in helping kids, instead of this lazy and ineffective attempt, the Rappahannock Council on S----al Assault is always looking for volunteer advocates."
Chattahoochee, GeorgiaThe revision to their policy about who can challenge books in the system is now limited to those who are residents within the system, rather than anyone anywhere.
https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/...
Who can request removal of offensive books in Columbus libraries? That policy has changed
Before this vote, anyone offended by an item in the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries collection could have submitted a request for it to be removed. But that policy change when the CVL board approved the director’s recommendation Thursday. The board unanimously approved the policy amendment proposed by Director Alan Harkness, who was named the state’s library director of the year in January by the Georgia Public Library Service.
The amendment changes the phrase denoting who may request reconsideration of materials from “any individual” to “any resident of the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries Service Area.” That service area comprises seven libraries serving the counties of Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Marion and Stewart.
“This is a trend in public libraries nationally to ensure that only local residents have influence over a local collection,” Harkness told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email. “We haven’t had any issues in this area, but it is a good thing to consider proactively.”
Only four challenges of an item in CVL’s collection have been submitted since Harkness was hired 11 years ago, according to the records he shared with the Ledger-Enquirer. All of those requests were from residents of Columbus, so what prompted Harkness to recommend changing the policy? “I cannot point to any particular incident,” he wrote. “This is more about what I’ve read in the literature/news over time, and have noticed other libraries adopting.”
Harkness said he started thinking about such a change last year, when the board amended its policy to allow only residents in the CVL service area to speak during the public portion of its meetings. “This is the same spirit I’m suggesting for reconsideration of materials,” he wrote. “Those that live here (and pay taxes) get to influence the decision-making, the process. It is better to have that thought through ahead of time, rather than be on one’s back foot for lack of foresight.”
A committee of library staff members considers each request, Harkness said. None of the four submitted requests resulted in removal, but two of them prompted the CVL to make some changes. On March 29, 2018, Recheal Jacobs of Columbus objected to the content in an ebook, “Dark Cities” by Sherrilyn Kenyon et al, at the North Columbus Public Library. “The collection of short stories begins with a story that contains (view spoiler) Jacobs wrote. “The theme centers upon promoting things that are vile and unlawful. Please withdraw this book. I feel that this type of material could be read by a high school student or younger.” In his April 4, 2018, letter to Jacobs, Harkness explained why he agrees with the committee’s decision to retain the book.
“The book featured numerous popular authors, including Sherilynn Kenyon, Cherie Priest, and Paul Tremblay, who have been regularly read and requested by library users,” Harkness wrote. “This particular title has been checked out five times this year. We know that all materials in our collection are not for everyone, and we aim to provide something for all members of our diverse community.”
On Sept. 20, 2019, Francine Andrews of Columbus objected to the content in a book, “The Truly Brave Princesses” by Delores Brown, at the Columbus Public Library. “I object to the page in the book referring to two princesses being married,” Andrews wrote. “My daughter is only 3 years old, and this is a distasteful impression to display to toddlers. I would like the library to both re-evaluate and withdraw this book from the children’s section.”
On May 22, 2022, Adam Hon of Columbus objected to the content in a book, “You Know, Sex” by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth, at the North Columbus Public Library. (view spoiler) and a whole lot more that children should not be able to access in a public library,” Hon wrote. “… S-- should be explained at home by parents to their own children. Please withdraw this book and any other books in the children’s department on this subject.”
In his May 31, 2022, letter to Hon, Harkness said, as a result of the committee’s findings, the book will be retained, but a note will be added in the catalog to indicate the book is for ages 10 and older. “At CVL, our Children’s section includes materials through age 11,” Harkness wrote. “… Library professional publications highlighted the book as a modern approach to learning about puberty, sex, and gender for kids ages 10+. … Many parents look for titles on these subjects, and rely on the library to help them.”
On Aug. 15, 2023, Arianna Marealle of Columbus also objected to the content in “You Know, Sex” at the North Columbus Public Library. (view spoiler) I recommend nothing similar in its place. Please withdraw this item entirely from the children’s section. My 4 and 8 year old children should never have to see it.”
In his Aug. 17, 2023, letter to Marealle, Harkness said the committee decided to move the book to the teen section of the library. “We agree that this location is a better overall fit for this title,” Harkness wrote.
After citing reviews praising the book, Harkness wrote, “We work diligently to provide options for parents in their difficult role, guiding their children’s reading and library use as matches their family’s needs.” Asked whether the way the committee handled the first and second complaints about “You Know, Sex” is an example of listening to local opinion, Harkness told the Ledger-Enquirer, “We took the feedback from the second customer on this title seriously.” “The second time this was brought up, we checked against national catalogs again, noticing that more libraries had the book in their Teen departments, rather than in Children’s. . . . So, yes, we take feedback to heart when we get it,” Harkness said. “Sometimes we will agree, and sometimes not, but it has to be taken into our community’s context.”
When the committee rejects a resident’s request to remove an item, that resident may appeal the decision to the board. No appeals have been made in these four cases, Harkness said. “
The rate of these requests is about what you’d expect for a library and community our size,” he wrote. “We do try to have conversations with people who have issues with materials that they do not agree with, and most of the time they appreciate being informed about the purpose of a library and having a diverse collection. When they don’t agree, we are happy to give them the form and explain the process. These represent maybe half of the people who ask for the form.”
Texasgee what a surprise
Kelly Jensen previously reported on League City
https://bookriot.com/how-public-libra...
League City officials postpone evaluating committee’s decision to restrict access to book
https://communityimpact.com/houston/b...
On Aug. 13, League City City Council voted 6-2 to postpone the discussion of The Community Standards Review Advisory Committee’s vote to move “Big Wig” by Jonathan Hillman to a higher shelf in Helen Hall Library and only allow adults to check the book out.
Council members Chad Tressler and Tom Crews voted against postponing the discussion and vote.
The Community Standards Review Advisory Committee was created in February 2023 to review Helen Hall Library books that residents flag as potentially offensive or inappropriate and determine whether they should be removed or reshelved.
On July 31, the committee voted to reshelve and restrict Big Wig to those with adult library cards only.
Any resident of League City may request reconsideration of the classification and location of materials in Helen Hall Library, according to the library materials reconsideration policy.
The committee's review of the book was triggered when a League City resident flagged it to the committee, according to minutes from the July 31 meeting.
The picture book depicts a young boy who “dresses in drag to compete in a neighborhood costume competition,” according to the book’s Simon and Schuster description.
The book also includes an image of a boy sitting in front of a mirror and trying on a wig with text saying, “This wig belongs to B.B. Bedazzle, the most fabulous queen by far.”
Luann Shupp and Laura Teatsworth were the only two of the committee’s six voting members who were present to vote at the July 31 meeting. Shupp voted to reshelve the book, and Teatsworth voted against moving the book, with the committee’s chair, Todd Kinsey, casting a tiebreaking vote to move the book.
Under the proposed changes, the book would be reshelved from the library’s children’s section to the parenting section and placed on a taller shelf, city Librarian Meredith Layton said.
Patrons with an adult library card would still be able to check out the book for themselves or their child, Layton said.
Helen Hall Library distributes cards with different access levels for children, teens and adults. Once a child reaches age 12 or a minor reaches age 18, they are eligible to access the library’s teen and adult sections, respectively, Layton said.
If a parent decides they want to give their child access to the other sections, they can do so, Layton said.
Some League City residents, such as Will Pate, who spoke at the Aug. 13 meeting, spoke against reshelving Big Wig, arguing that the book did not depict “obscenity.”
“I don’t see anything in this book that appears to be harmful to minors in any way, nothing that definitely meets the definition of obscenity,” Pate said. “Nowhere in the book, hopefully you all read it, does it use the word drag.”
League City resident Eloísa Pérez-Lozano said she felt people who didn’t like the contents of the book should not have the power to restrict access to the book to children or decide what books other parents can check out for their children.
Kinsey, who voted to reshelve the book, said he read interviews with the author that he felt indicated Hillman was attempting to open a discussion about sexuality among young children, though not specific se---al practices.
“In my opinion, kids aren’t ready for that until well into their teens,” Kinsey said before adding that he felt, ultimately, it should be up to the parent if they want to come to the library and ask for the book.
Shupp agreed with Kinsey and said she was more concerned with what she felt were harmful subliminal messages in the book. “In my opinion, I find it inappropriate because of the fact that it has underlying messages and subtle things that are giving off the wrong ideas to these kids,” Shupp said.
City Council has not yet determined when it will consider approving or rejecting the committee’s recommendation to reshelve the book. In the meantime, the book will remain in the children’s section until City Council reaches a decision, Layton said.
Boise Library trustees reject request to deem Bible ‘harmful to minors,’ restrict accesshttps://www.boisestatepublicradio.org...
On Wednesday, the Boise Public Library’s Board of Trustees rejected a request to designate a version of the Bible as adults-only material.
Trustees considered the request under Idaho House Bill 710 that took effect on July 1. The bill requires libraries to relocate any book deemed “harmful for minors” upon Board review to a restricted section only accessible by adults.
Library Trustee President Nicole Trammel Pantera said the removal request was for a Bible version – the New Living Translation – that the library doesn’t own. It was filed under an apparently fake name that crudely referenced Idaho Gov. Brad Little.
“This is not in our collection. We do not own a copy of this title. This requester is not a library card holder to the extent we could identify,” Pantera said, adding: “just given the name, it just doesn't make sense to me.”
This was the first removal request officially considered under the House Bill by the Boise Public Library, Idaho’s largest library system, and now the first to be rejected. Pantera said the board will respond to new removal requests as they come in each month.
“This won't necessarily be the process in the future, if something warrants like a letter or a fuller consideration,” Pantera said, referring to the board’s brief consideration and quick rejection of the request. “It's just with this particular one.”
Sad it has come to this.A Facebook post for a Brown County, Wisconsin, Pride event mentioned the presence of a bookmobile. Public library started to receive a response to that and had to assure patrons that no, they weren’t going to the Pride event
https://fox11online.com/news/local/br...
All ages are welcome on the festival's second day, which includes "a heartwarming Drag Story Time with readings by Anita Bobbypin and Ellah Maeaux."
Cue more hysteria
Des Moines RegisterDo some social studies books violate Iowa laws? Why Johnston pulled 5 books off a to-buy list
Paywalled
https://subscribe.desmoinesregister.c...
Great newsA San Diego, California, county supervisor has created a policy proposal to protect books from being banned in county libraries.
https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/...
Supervisor Lawson-Remer Proposes Policy to Protect Books from Being Banned in County Libraries
San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Monday outlined a proposed policy intended to protect “banned books” and ensure they are accessible at all 33 county library branches.
According to Lawson-Remer, book bans are rising in the United States with 17 states banning or challenging 100 different books. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reported that in 2023 alone, 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship nationwide.
“We are standing up for democracy and working to keep literature from being censored in San Diego County,” said Lawson-Remer, vice chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “A significant portion of the bans happening across our country are targeting books representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people. With this policy, we’re protecting your right to read and fighting back against racism and bigotry.”
The policy includes several suggestions, including supporting an Assembly Bill requiring state-funded libraries to create a written policy for the creation of book collections, preventing library boards from “banning or restricting the circulation of any materials based on their topics or the views, ideas, or opinions expressed in them,” as well as directing the Chief Administrative Officer to recognize Banned Book Week, and have the county acquire and make available hard and/or digital copies of banned books to ensure access at each county library location.
That library branch had a Pride display with dozens of books featuring LGTBQ+ characters or topics. The protesters checked out all the books and informed San Diego Head Librarian Misty Jones they were keeping the books unless the library excluded them from the collection.
“(They) said they felt having those types of books on gender identity and sexuality for were not appropriate for children. It’s not in the children’s area. It’s in the front of the library,” Jones said. “And also, I think it discounts the fact that there are many, many children with two moms, two dads. There are children that identify as LGBTQ. This is not something that should be shielded from children.”
“Libraries have always been a space for community learning and dialogue,” said Leslie Ann Masland, an adult services librarian with the county. “Equal access to information and books that raise critical issues that often times uplift the voices of those who are often left out deserves to be protected as a constitutional right for all residents in San Diego County.”
“As other entities look to ban books and limit free speech, I am proud to stand as a librarian that celebrates these freedoms for our vibrant and diverse San Diego communities,” she said.
On Tuesday, Aug. 27 the Board of Supervisors will vote on Lawson-Remer’s policy.
Good news from FloridaAlachua County
Nine books challenged in Alachua County Public Schools (FL) will be retained and kept on shelves.
https://x.com/FLFreedomRead/status/18...
Three books were challenged at Hales Corners Public Library (WI), This Book Is Gay, It’s Perfectly Normal, and Doing It Right. The books were retained this week. Story is paywalled.https://www.evernote.com/shard/s17/u/...
One book was banned and one was reshelved in Troy City Schools (OH), All books students borrow from school libraries will be reported to their parents/guardians.Don't click, it's flagged by my antivirus but here's the link
https://click.e.bookriot.com/?qs=bdc4...
One book was banned and one was reshelved in Troy City Schools (OH), all books students borrow from school libraries will be reported to their parents/guardians.Link flagged by my antivirus, posting it for credit
https://click.e.bookriot.com/?qs=bdc4...
The Cheyenne County Public Schools (WY) passed a policy that requires all students to opt-in to using the library and now librarians are the ones who’ll be targeted if a parent thinks a book is inappropriate. Even when parents choose the level of opt-in for their students, there will only initially be a small pool of books for accesshttps://www.wyomingnews.com/news/loca...
Paywalled
Summary provided by Kelly Jensen of Book Riot
“Crawford County has paid approximately $385,300 in legal fees for two lawsuits against the county and its library over attempts to censor certain books.” https://talkbusiness.net/2024/08/craw...
WHAT?! I went to Kindergarten and first grade in Branford. I don't remember it at all or the library but I bet we went there. Must ask my mom. The public library in Branford, Connecticut, received a bomb threat this week.
https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut...
Oxford Area Schools (PA) where board member Blessington has no idea what "young adult" means. How can anyone take this guy seriously?https://www.chestercounty.com/2024/08...
Oxford Area School Board discusses new policies, initiatives for upcoming year
The policy committee’s meeting primarily focused on policy 6300 -- “Materials Selection Policy Library,” that began receiving attention last spring when the school board was involved in several books being contested for removal from one of the district’s libraries.
Primarily, the committee focused on who would be on the advisory committee when a book is proposed for removal. Although President Jenifer Warren and member Tenille Dewees agreed that there should only be one board member on the review committee, board member Mike Blessington said that the committee should be made up of two members.
The committee then voted in favor of having the review committee made up of two members.
Considerable time during the meeting was occupied by Blessington’s argument that books in the young adult genre are not appropriate, as students in the schools are “adolescents” and not “adults,” while Warren and Dewees clarified that the “young adult” classification is from publishers and refers to books written for the adolescent age group and is not the district saying children in schools are actual adults.
“That’s a publisher’s definition of a ‘young adult,’ and that’s how they categorize the books,” Dewees said. “We can’t change that for the policy just because you don’t like referring to kids as young adults when it's the way the entire industry calls it.”
This discussion did not end in a vote on any edits to the policy.
Conroe ISD Trustees Consider Helping Parents Access Upper-Level Removed Bookshttps://www.houstonpress.com/news/con...
Nearly two months after Conroe ISD board members declined to reverse the removal of 19 titles from classroom library shelves, trustees reevaluated the district’s instructional and library materials policies and procedures on Tuesday night.
Trustee Theresa Wagaman initially proposed revisiting these guidelines at June’s board meeting following a public hearing where several community members attempted to make a case for the board to reinstate these texts.
Wagaman specified on Tuesday that she wanted the board to establish a procedure to help parents obtain banned or removed books that are not available on campus or in classroom libraries, particularly for those who have children in Advanced Placement or college-level courses.
These courses offer supplemental or extra reading to prepare for the AP test. Superintendent Dr. Curtis Null clarified in response to trustee Melissa Dungan's concerns that instructors would not teach these books. The board would only provide a way for parents to access any of the roughly 30 titles on the list.
Null recommended several procedural ways the board could implement this practice, such as having a community member donate an Amazon gift card to a student, having a student go to the Montgomery County Library or using a text from a former student.
Wagaman said some of it was out of the trustees’ hands and up to legislative policies, which were an “absolute overreach.” Chase took issue with the limitations of the proposed changes, saying it was “not just the access” but about the appropriate use of these materials in these higher-level courses.
“We can’t pretend that just having access to a book is the same thing as being able to be instructed with it,” Chase said. “It’s not the same thing. Otherwise, when kids showed up for their science class, you’d hand a biology book to them and say good luck.”
Chase piggy-backed off Wagaman’s proposal to suggest changes to the district’s instructional and library materials policies. Fellow board members agreed that she would “red-line” or write her recommended revisions with Conroe ISD General Counsel Carrie Galatas’s assistance and then submit them to the board for consideration.
Theresa Neman, an AP English teacher who led the charge in filing the complaints to try to put the 19 shelves back on classroom library shelves, encouraged the district to modify its policies to curb removals during public comment.
“For years, we managed to teach, react, and treat our families reasonably. If a parent objected to the book, the parent, teacher and school worked to find an alternative,” Neman said. “But in the last two years, unreasonableness took over the minor minor minorities.”
Neman emphasized that only about 20 people—six of whom emailed lists of books to board members but have no children in the district—took advantage of the stricter policies compared to most students and families who didn’t have an issue with libraries or classroom collections.
“Please don’t continue to limit the rights of our students because a handful of individuals cannot stand that our values might not be their exact values,” she said. “Please return our book policies and our district back to reasonableness.”
Chase did not provide exact details about what would be adjusted in her proposed revisions to the library and instructional materials policies.
However, Chase has criticized how far-reaching both policies go, particularly when it comes to removing classic texts and those regularly included on the AP Exam. Fellow trustees who support changes to the guidelines have also voiced their concerns.
Trustee Datren Williams reiterated prior statements on Tuesday regarding the “inherently racist” nature of the policies that are “overwhelmingly” subjective and target books by authors of color and that feature LGBTQ content.
“It’s been huge for me to sit here and listen, knowing that these actual books have never been the issue. That’s just a red herring,” Williams said. “The issue has been folks going to force their agenda on our school district at the expense of our kids and their education, and that’s just where we are.”
Trustee Tiffany Baumann Nelson quickly challenged Williams, referencing an email sent to the district that showed only 8 percent of the books removed were by a minority author.
Williams said Nelson was not accurate at all. In June, Williams reported that at that time, at least 47 percent of titles up for reconsideration by the district were by authors of color or featured LGBTQ content.
Board President Skeeter Hubert and Trustee Misty Odenweller also added to the list of possible changes for Chase to consider. Hubert recommended a mechanism in both policies to revisit the removed but informally challenged books to allow them to be formally reconsidered.
“They’re trying to interpret this, they’ve removed these, and there’s no mechanism to have these books go through a full review. They’re gone,” Hubert said. “That’s where I would like to see this move. Allow books that are not p----graphic — they’re sensitive subject matter — believe it or not, close your eyes if you need to, those things happen.”
“I am for finding a way that those books that have been removed that hit specific subject matter that should be discussed have a way to come back into the school and in the hands of the kids so they can learn, study and understand these things,” he added.
Odenweller reiterated that the district website needed to be updated with the book removals for both library books and instructional materials. She added that the reason why a title was pulled from the shelves needed to be included.
Alabama as usualThe North Shelby Library (AL) director has resigned after a year of battling complaints over a Pride display.
https://www.alreporter.com/2024/08/21...
North Shelby Library director Kate Etheredge announced her resignation Monday after a year of controversy at the library that ended in a takeover of the board by the Shelby County State Legislative Delegation.
Etheredge, who served 15 years at the library, is taking a new job to be assistant director at the Homewood Public Library.
The controversy at the North Shelby Library began last year after some residents took issue with an LGBTQ+ pride display at the library.
The board at the time rejected a new policy that would have given it more control over library displays, with a majority of patrons present supporting the move. But the decision further angered the upset residents and lawmakers, particularly State Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover.
DuBose joined State Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, in crafting a passing a local bill during the legislative session that completely transformed the library board.
The NSL district is unique in that it is not a city or county library, but a district specially created by legislation that included a process for direct election of the board members by the public.
The Shelby County delegation has turned that on its head, now making the appointment of board members themselves, ousting those board members that had made the decision not to adopt the new policy. The new board was sworn in last month.
Wow!The Charleston County Republicans (SC) want the public library system to “restrict” books they deem “s---ally explicit.”
https://abcnews4.com/news/local/local...
The party submitted a resolution to both the Charleston County Public Library system and County Council asking to relocate s---lly explicit books and place limitations on public computers for minors.
However, some argue the proposal undermines the public library and its staff.
Andrew Boucher, chairman of the local Republican Party, said it’s simply about giving a voice to parents’ concerns.
“Concerned people want to make their voice heard," he said. "We've had grandparents come in bewildered by the fact that their kids can take something off a library shelf here in Charleston that is entirely inappropriate for their age."
On the other side of the debate, people argue the library’s current appeals process addresses any book concerns submitted by Charleston County residents.
The local Defense of Democracy chapter said this is a step too far.
“We don't feel like some parents or political parties should decide what is acceptable for my children. Parents can have the right to decide what's acceptable for their own children, but that doesn't mean that I have to go along with it,” said Allan Morris, chair of the chapter.
If the Republican Party’s resolution were approved, all s---ally explicit material would be relocated to a separate area that wouldn’t be accessible to minors.
Boucher said the party is not proposing the books be removed altogether.
“This isn't about banning anything. It's making sure that when parents drop their kids off at the library, they can trust the library so that their kids aren't exposed to sexually explicit materials,” he said.
Defense of Democracy has launched a petition against the resolution that gained more than 1,000 signatures in the first 24 hours.
Morris said he and the organization trust librarians to make these decisions.
“They are fully qualified to choose books that appeal to a wide variety of children, and the characterization of se---al content in books is subjective,” Morris said.
The Republican Party has not curated a list of books leaders are asking to be moved. Boucher said that decision should be left up to policymakers.
It might be up to a vote in Monroe County Public Library (GA) as to whether or not they need to remove all of the LGBTQ+ books from the youth area. https://www.mymcr.net/news/how-can-a-...
Paywalled
https://www.41nbc.com/monroe-county-c...
Monroe County Commissioners address community concerns over LGBTQ+-themed books at library
Some commissioners want to move LGBTQ books out of children and young adult sections of the library.
The topic of relocating LGBTQ+ books from the children’s and young adult sections to the adult section of the library took center stage during Tuesday’s commission meeting, held in a packed room of about 100 people. 20 citizens made public comments.
District 2 Commissioner Eddie Rowland, who placed the library discussion on the agenda, says while he believes that while no books should be removed, the community would prefer these materials be moved to a more appropriate section.
According to Rowland, feedback from his conversations with constituents revealed that “60 to 70 percent” of Monroe County citizens would favor moving the LGBTQ+-themed books to a location in the library not accessible to young children.
“Sometimes parents don’t want their children to be exposed to that; they’d rather talk about it in the confines of their home,” Rowland said. “We want everybody to have the opportunity to get literature they want to read. We don’t want to take books out of the library. We just want to put them in a safe section that’s more easily accessible to the people that want to read that particular type of information or media and to separate it from other types of media.”
The Monroe County Library Board’s policy on book removal or relocation requires that requests be submitted in writing. The board then evaluates the appropriateness, accuracy and quality of the materials in question. Taylor Bittick, representing the Monroe County Library Board, said public library collections are intended to reflect the diversity of the community and that parents bear the responsibility for guiding their children’s reading choices. Specifically, the policy said books for children and young adults may have representation of the human experience, and books are not restricted by the possibility that a minor may use them, putting the responsibility on parents and not the library.
Despite the ongoing controversy, no formal requests have been made to remove or relocate books since two challenges were made last year. Commissioner Rowland said the next step would be exploring how to move the books to another section of the library.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Monroe County attorney Natalie Sundeen told commissioners to be cautious in their decisions to avoid discriminating against protected classes, mentioning that similar debates are happening across Georgia.
Some GOOD news out of Florida for a changeRon DeSantis banned lessons on racism in Florida public schools. ‘Freedom schools’ fill the gaps
Extracurricular classes teach ‘the majesty and value of Black history’ from the origins of Africa to Jim Crow policies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/a...
Moms For Liberty Lose Big In Florida and Other Library News, August 23, 2024!This one is kind of sad. This shouldn't even be necessary! These materials should be in the public library for everyone to study and learn from. I'm glad students are excited about visiting but I don't know if this is going to help in the long run.
Indianapolis’ first library for Black residents reopens through a school librarian’s leadership.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/202...
________________________________________________________
The majority of DeSantis-backed candidates lost their school board races in the Tampa Bay (FL) area. The same happened in Broward County, Santa Rosa County, and Indian River, which is the birthplace of Moms for Liberty.
https://www.wfla.com/news/school-boar...
woohoo!
VERY bad news from Oklahoma for Summer Boismier, the teacher who shared the QR code to the Brooklyn Public Library's Books Unbanned shelf. In summary: It's been two years and they just took away her teaching certification. Her recertification period has expired and having this black mark on her record will make it impossible to get another teaching job. She feels they're making stuff up because her story didn't suit their narrative and they didn't get the outcome they wanted right away. She plans to keep fighting.
Read about it here
https://www.kgou.org/education/2024-0...
and here
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/...
“I see this as a much larger fight beyond just me versus [State Superintendent Ryan Walters] or me versus [the State Board of Education], kind of situation,” Boismier said. “So what our next steps would be, essentially, is to move this fight from the classroom to the courtroom.”
Boismier didn’t yet have a timeline for filing for a judicial review, but hopes to move forward soon.
After the board meeting, Walters told reporters the move from the board was an attempt to hold teachers accountable “if they do things that operate outside the law.”
“She broke the law, you know,” Walters said. “And I said from the beginning, when you have a teacher that breaks the law, says she broke the law, says she’ll continue to break the law, that can’t stand.”
However, in August 2023, a state department hearing officer concluded, after reviewing evidence and testimony, there was no evidence to show Boismier violated the Standards of Performance and Conduct for Teachers or Oklahoma Administrative Code concerning certain discussions of race or s-x in the classroom — more commonly known as House Bill 1775.
The policy says the board must “prohibit discrimination on the basis of race or s-x in the form of bias, stereotyping, scapegoating, classification, or the categorical assignment of traits, morals, values or characteristics based solely on race or s-x.”
House Bill 1775 went into effect in the summer of 2021, and since then, Tulsa and Mustang Public Schools’ accreditation statuses have been downgraded due to violations. While the law’s authors say the bill language is not vague or overly restrictive, teachers say it has created a chilling effect in the classroom around having hard conversations pertaining to history and culture.
According to the hearing officer’s review, obtained by StateImpact, Boismier covered her classroom bookshelves in red bulletin board paper, with “Books the state doesn’t want you to read,” written on it. The QR code was taped to the paper.
The code linked to the website of the Brooklyn Public Library, where students could apply for a free library card. T...
While the state department provided excerpts of three books from the “banned books” list, the hearing officer concluded there was no evidence Boismier used the books in classroom instruction, shared the books with students, encouraged students to read the books, or that students accessed, attempted to access or were provided access to the books.
Ultimately, the hearing officer recommended Boismier’s certificate not to be revoked.
Boismier said she doesn’t understand the purpose of the hearing officer’s recommendation if it was going to be ignored.
“It feels a little like, to me, shaking a magic eight ball,” Boismier said. “And the board got to shake it more than once because they didn’t get the result they wanted to begin with.”
Boismier’s teaching certificate was set to expire this summer, and she said she applied for renewal in May. But the state department sent her an email saying they would not renew her certificate until a decision was made on her case. Between then and the Aug. 22 meeting, her certificate expired.
Because her certificate is now expired, she is not eligible for an expedited certification process, or “interstate reciprocity,” if she wants to return to the classroom in another state like New York, where she now lives. Additionally, she’s concerned about the stain a revocation leaves on her record.
“No matter where I go… if I decide to teach in a classroom, the fact that I have now had a certificate revoked does matter,” Boismier said. “On the application that you’re going to fill out whenever you apply for any school classroom job… there’s that box that you have to check that says, ‘Have you ever had a certificate suspended or revoked?’ I will have to check that box. There is no space on that application to explain why. So effectively, this locks me out of the teaching profession entirely.”
Boismier said the saga with the state board has been emotionally taxing and made her the target of harassment and death threats. But, she said, what she struggles the most with is making sure she takes the “right steps” to support teachers and students.
“I understand what the stakes are for my colleagues who are in classrooms right now and can’t recommend book titles to kids who want to read,” Boismier said. “I understand what it’s like to be afraid that a single text on your classroom library shelf, a single errant comment, like, ‘Hey, you should read this book if you like this one,’ could ultimately, as we’ve seen, now result in a revocation of your license.”
Boismier’s advice for teachers trying to navigate controversial classroom restrictions was measured. She said while she has certain privileges, she acknowledged not all teachers are able to be outspoken.
Walters said he wanted Oklahomans to be very clear that Oklahoma State Department of Education would hold teachers accountable. “The Legislature passes laws, we have rules, teacher code of conduct that goes along with those things ― those will be enforced. I wanted every parent to know they have the best teacher possible in their kid’s classroom.”
Brady Henderson, Boismier’s attorney, said Boismier would fight the revocation in district court. Henderson said there was some confusion about what facts the board based its decision on. “We don’t know what set of facts they used,” he said.” We know they had to make up some new alternative facts to base the revocation on to fit the result they wanted, but we don’t really know what those are yet.”
He said he expected to file a court case in a week or two. “Basically, if we get a final order, we’re going to do a judicial review petition to overturn what they did in throwing about the actual findings of the case and revoking anyway,” he said.
Boismier has faced a revocation hearing for almost two years. In 2022, Walters said Boismier was attempting to indoctrinate students with a “liberal political agenda" and called for her teaching license be permanently revoked.
“Just to clarify, at the June meeting the board voted to modify the hearing officer’s recommendation and direct me to write the order that relies solely on the written record," Cara Nicklas, the board’s attorney, said. “That order has been provided to you and it's simply you are authorizing the chair of the board to sign off on it.”
On previous occasions, Walter said that Boismier "admittedly was breaking state law to push inappropriate material on kids. We have heard from parents all over the state — they do not want activist teachers in classrooms. I believe it is of the utmost importance that we continue to protect our kids from indoctrination and that we show all parents that the actions of this individual do not align with Oklahoma values and this board will continue to uphold state law and state statute."
Boismier resigned from Norman High School in August 2022 and now lives in New York. She did not attend the Oklahoma board meeting.
Good news but bad in FloridaDeSantis appointee lost school board race, gets state board of education seat instead
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/new...
Daniel Foganholi lost his race to stay on the Broward County School Board on Tuesday, but received a spot on the Florida Board of Education as a consolation prize.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed Foganholi to the Broward board two times, on Friday named him to the state board. He’ll take the position officially on Nov. 20.
Foganholi, 37, of Coral Springs, was first appointed by DeSantis to the Broward board in April 2022, replacing Rosalind Osgood, who won a special election to the state Senate.
In the three-way race to retain his seat, Foganholi finished third, with 20% of the vote. Maura Bulman won outright with 51% avoiding a runoff, while Chris Canter finished second with 29%.
Foganholi worked for furniture company Arhaus, according his most recent financial disclosure form. A release from DeSantis’ office states he is now the director of legislative affairs for New Generations Children’s Ministry and the director of strategic partnerships for the Brazilian American Coalition.
Foganholi is a first-generation American whose parents are from Brazil. He's a member of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, and has an associate’s degree from Palm Beach State College and attended Florida Atlantic University, but doesn’t appear to have earned a degree.
The position on the state board is subject to confirmation by the Senate, but an appointee can stay on the board for up to two years before the confirmation is required.
Oklahoma teachers were told to use the Bible. There's resistance from schools as students returnhttps://apnews.com/article/bible-mand...
“If there is no curricular standard that ties with that particular classroom, what would be the purpose of a Bible if not for pure indoctrination?” said Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller, a former Marine Corps artilleryman.
Miller said it’s not uncommon to see students carrying a Bible or praying during a moment of silence at the start of each school day. Two copies of the Bible are available for checkout in the high school library’s reference section, along with a book titled “The History of the Bible” that includes maps and other historical details about the holy lands featured in scripture.
But he said a Bible simply doesn’t make sense for a seventh grade math classroom or a high school chemistry class.
“As a Christian myself, I am a little offended by diminishing the word of God to a mere classroom prop,” he said.
..
Grant Sullivan, who owns Scott’s Hamburgers in downtown Bixby and delivers a sermon every Sunday at a small church in the nearby town of Morris, said he questions whether the Bible mandate is a good idea.
“Have we thought this through?” asked Sullivan, who has a master’s degree in theology from Oklahoma Christian University and two children in Bixby schools. “What if you happen to have an atheistic teacher? Are they going to teach it in a way that may be more problematic than helpful?
“It just feels like that’s for the home and the church is how I feel about that.”
More on Amanda Jones from the LA Times. Still waiting for her book!Hell hath no fury like a librarian scorned in the book banning wars
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment...
As school starts so do the book and educational bans. Julia Alvarez mourns removal of her book How the García Girls Lost Their Accents from coastal Oregon high school English syllabus
https://www.oregonlive.com/education/...
In a letter to the Tillamook County Pioneer, a digital news source, Alvarez, now 74 and a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College in Vermont, wrote that “to cancel books and eliminate voices from our schools and libraries undermines a core value in education: to create thoughtful, well-informed, big-hearted imaginations in our students.”
whole story is paywalled
Texas, of course. Fort Bend ISD to vote Monday on policy which could give superintendent authority to remove certain books from libraries
https://www.click2houston.com/news/lo...
The current policy of the district requires community members with a concern to file a formal challenge to reconsider instructional material, including books in libraries. The book would then be read and reviewed by a reconsideration committee before a decision is made.
The district’s website outlines the current complaint process:
Schedule an informal discussion with school staff to discuss concerns.
A Campus or District Reconsideration Committee will review materials if necessary.
Complainants can appeal to the Board if unsatisfied with the committee’s decision.
The proposed changes to this policy would give the superintendent more authority over the materials in the libraries. If the revisions are approved, the superintendent or someone designated by the superintendent would be able to determine if a book in the library violates policy and would be able to remove it, without a formal challenge being made.
The opposition stated that if adopted, FBISD would have one of the most restrictive Library Materials policy in the state of Texas and will result in hundreds of age-appropriate and educationally suitable books being removed from library shelves.
The district is expected to vote on the revisions Monday night.
The potential change has Anna Lykoudis Zafiris fired up.
Zafiris is part of a Friends of FBISD Libraries group. She plans to speak at Monday's meeting about the proposed policy that she believes would give the superintendent too much power.
"This is a very bad omen for the district," Zafiris explained. "It shows that these board members are not respecting professionals in the educational sphere."
Right now, if a book is challenged, the district buys five copies for the committee to read and determine if it should stay, be removed, or restricted.
"That's a compromising situation for a superintendent to be in because of the influence and the power the board has over them," Zafiris said. "They could lose their job because they serve at the board's discretion."
One member of the board has pushed for this change for months. Earlier this summer, ABC13 obtained records from the district showing David Hamilton was the only board member who challenged books this year.
After the story ran, Hamilton told ABC13 that as many as 10 others also challenged books. Hamilton said he challenged the books despite not reading them, only excerpts.
Months ago, he explained why he wanted fewer people making the decision.
"I think that process is appropriate if it's more of a debatable gray area situation, but I don't think anybody would say we should have a school book in our libraries where a teacher is grooming and then having a s---al relationship with a 12-year-old," Hamilton said in June.
In the documents ABC13 obtained, Hamilton said the challenged books were suited for pe----ted adults. Despite this, the review committee didn't remove all the books.
A University of Houston education professor told ABC13 about the importance of having a diverse committee participate in the process. Some parents say they're worried books could easily be removed from shelves.
"We need to trust the educators," Zafiris said. "This is the reason we're educating the new doctors, lawyers, teachers, librarians, and astronauts. They have a purpose."
The meeting is right now
Greenville, SC library has moved ALL Transgender themed books to the ADULT section. This is ridiculously inappropriate for a public library and of course the story is paywalledhttps://subscribe.greenvilleonline.co...
Last week, South Carolina’s Greenville County library board voted unanimously to move all children’s books with trans characters or others that show gender “in ways inconsistent with the minor’s biological sex” out of the children’s section—but they adopted an amendment so books with “tomboy” characters could stay.
The board’s action came after someone requested that Melissa, by Alex Gino, a middle-grade book about a transgender girl, be removed from the library system, reports the Freedom in Libraries Advocacy Group (FLAG), a group of Greenville advocates for the freedom to read.
Library professionals reviewed the book and decided to keep it, whereupon the person appealed to the Library Materials Committee of the board. The committee voted to restrict Melissa to the Parenting and Early Childhood (PEC) sections of the libraries, only accessible by adults or by minors with parental permission—but “perhaps realizing” this “did not comply with the current policy” of what was in the PEC collection, said FLAG, it recommended that the full board change that policy.
The new collection policy approved by the board now impacts titles for ages 0 to 12, “in which the illustrations, themes or storylines affirm, portray, or discuss changing the appearance of a minor’s gender in ways inconsistent with the minor’s biological sex,” reports Greenville Online. This includes depictions of social transitioning, such as “pronouns or dress inconsistent with biological sex,” as well as of medical transitioning, such as puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapies.
The books will be moved to the PEC sections of the libraries. Only six of the library system’s 12 locations have such a section, however, reports WSPA, so some books may be relocated to other branches. One board member told Greenville Online that she has located about 20 affected books.
The board did amend the committee’s original policy recommendation so that books with “tomboy” characters, such as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, would not be relocated, notes Greenville Online—to which I say that while not every tomboy is queer, the line is very fuzzy indeed, and allowing tomboys while not allowing gender expansive boys, say, is just absurd.
At least one board member seems aware of how hard it is to make the distinction—but takes the approach that this means we should restrict even more books. Per the Post and Courier Greenville, Board Member Elizabeth Collins said during the Library Materials Committee meeting, “I would rather we err on the side of our net being too wide and catching some books that maybe shouldn’t have been moved to PEC. I would rather To Kill a Mockingbird end up in PEC than we miss books that the parent should be the one overseeing if they should be exposed to it.”
The board’s anti-LGBTQ actions are nothing new, however. A FLAG report last October found that 81 titles with LGBTQ themes had been removed from shelves in the past year, while others were moved to “improper” sections, where they are harder to access, reported the Post and Courier Greenville. The library also voted to ban “virtually all themed displays” after “receiving multiple complaints about Pride Month displays last June, as well as Juneteenth decorations.”
The books in question at the Greenville libraries are books written for children, evaluated by library professionals. They’re all appropriate for kids.
https://mombian.com/2024/02/29/a-sout...
Colorado‘Indoctrination’: Colorado Parents Outraged by Elementary School LGBTQ History Standards Launching This Fall
https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/2...
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Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
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Elizabeth (Troutman) Mitchell is a reporting fellow for The Daily Signal and co-host of "The Daily Signal Podcast." Send her an email.
Colorado’s new LGBTQ social studies standards, which include first grade lessons on LGBTQ history, transgenderism, and the rainbow flag, is age-inappropriate and pushes a radical agenda, some parents in the state complain.
The Colorado State Board of Education approved the new social studies standards in November 2022 to take effect in fall 2024. The standards incorporate the “historical and civic contributions of LGBTQ+” in first through 12th grade history and civics curriculum.
The Colorado State Board of Education approved the new social studies standards in November 2022 to take effect in fall 2024. The standards incorporate the “historical and civic contributions of LGBTQ+” in first through 12th grade history and civics curriculum.
Other in-class reading includes “The Story of Pete Buttigieg – Mayor Pete,” a children’s biography of the first openly gay presidential candidate, now the federal secretary of transportation, and an article about the current governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, who is gay.
In history class, first graders will “discuss common and unique characteristics of different cultures, including African American, Latino, Asian American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ, and religious minorities, using multiple sources of information.”
In lessons on the Pride flag, 6-year-olds read “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” and learn about the 2012 Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco, according to the Colorado Board of Education. Milk, who was gay, was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
“The Pride Flag is an international symbol that represents the culture and people of the LGBTQ+ community,” the standards read. “The book introduces children to the Pride flag and its use in the San Francisco movements for gay rights. The first image comes from San Francisco’s modern LGBTQ+ celebrations around Gay Pride.”
The rainbow flag is a “symbol of equality for citizens,” according to the standards.
"The Pride Flag and its use in clothes, stickers, and other representations are a common and easily identifiable symbol for a community who has struggled to be seen,” the guide for first grade teachers continues. “By displaying the symbol, LGBTQ+ people can feel included and respected.”
First graders who can “discuss, identify, and explain important LGBTQ+ symbols” will be considered “prepared graduates” under the newly implemented standards.
Second graders read “When You Look Out the Window,” which focuses on a lesbian couple who move to San Francisco, and study rainbow crosswalks in Denver, which the standards say “visually demonstrate this diverse neighborhood’s connection and support of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Recommended reading includes “If You’re a Kid Like Gavin: The True Story of a Young Trans Activist,” a children’s story about a biological female who lobbied to use the boys bathroom to match her “gender identity.”
“Gavin chose to correct others when they got his pronouns wrong,” the Amazon description reads. “He asked to be respected. He stood up for himself. Gavin proved that his school had violated his constitutional rights and had the Supreme Court uphold his case—bringing about a historic win for trans rights. There are many kids out there, some just like Gavin Grimm, and they might even be you.”
Fourth graders read “Donovan’s Big Day,” the story of a lesbian marriage from the perspective of a little boy.
Fifth graders learn an answer to the question of “what barriers to citizenship have affected people including African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ, and religious minorities?”
In sixth grade, the standards feature lessons on LGBTQ Native Americans. They learn to answer: “What values do different indigenous cultures have around gender and LGBTQ people?”
Sixth graders learn about the term “two spirit” though a video explaining that it refers to Native American people “believed to be blessed with both male and female spirits.”
Colorado state Rep. Brandi Bradley opposes the standards
________________________________
The usual hate-filled lies apply. Read at your own risk
And Katy, Texas of course is banning even more books. I didn't think there was anything left to ban.Katy ISD considers banning books about ‘gender fluidity’ from some school libraries
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/ar...
Trustees for the Houston-area school district narrowly voted last August to implement a policy that prohibits employees from discussing gender-related issues with students and requires them to notify students’ parents if they identify as transgender. That policy is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
A year after passing a controversial gender identity policy that prompted an ongoing civil rights investigation by the federal government, trustees for Katy ISD are considering another gender-related measure pertaining to library materials.
All elementary and junior high libraries in the Houston-area school district would be banned from containing books "adopting, supporting or promoting gender fluidity," according to a proposal on the agenda for Monday night's board meeting. High school students, meanwhile, would need permission from their parents to access such materials from their campus libraries.
Trustees for Katy ISD, which serves more than 90,000 students in a fast-growing suburb west of Houston, narrowly voted last August to implement a "gender fluidity" policy that prohibits district employees from discussing gender-related issues with students or providing them with information or resources about gender identity. It also requires administrators to notify students' parents if they identify themselves as transgender or ask to be addressed by pronouns that do not align with their gender at birth. Teachers can refuse such requests under the policy.
"This book policy revision restricting and removing access to ‘gender fluid' library books is yet another example of polices designed to target and marginalize trans and non-binary students," said Katy Pride president Amanda Rose, whose nonprofit advocates for LGBTQ+ residents.
The policy passed by the board last year led to a former Katy ISD student filing a complaint against the district with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. The office opened an investigation in May into whether the district's implementation of the policy violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits s-x-based discrimination in any school or educational program that receives funding from the federal government, and also whether it violates Title II of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
Katy ISD at the time denied any wrongdoing and said it is "committed to offering equal educational opportunities to our entire community." School board president Victor Perez has said the gender fluidity policy aims to promote parental authority in matters related to their children and to provide guidance to teachers who might feel uncomfortable delving into gender-related issues.
The proposed gender policy for library books would apply to campus materials as well as district vendors and "fundraisers selected for book fairs or the distribution of literature," according to the agenda item for Monday night's meeting.
Another proposed change to Katy ISD's policy for instructional resources and library materials pertains to book challenges by parents or community members. Instead of saying challenged library materials cannot be removed solely "because of the ideas expressed therein," the district is considering amending that language to say books cannot be removed "based solely on the ideas contained in the material or the personal background of the author of the material or characters in the material."
QNPoohBear wrote: "And Katy, Texas of course is banning even more books. I didn't think there was anything left to ban.Katy ISD considers banning books about ‘gender fluidity’ from some school libraries
https://ww..."
The vote to remove the book was unfortunately unanimous! This is extremely hurtful to many people and opens them up to potential lawsuits.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/ar...
Katy ISD board votes to ban books about gender identity from many school libraries
Trustees Dawn Champagne and Rebecca Fox abstained from voting about the controversial policy, which otherwise garnered unanimous support from the board.
Tompkins High School student Travis Thornton held up a copy of "Mein Kampf," the 1925 manifesto published by Adolf Hitler, saying it had been checked out of the school library.
The book ... is available to students in Katy ISD. As of Monday night, though, students like Thornton must get parental permission to access books that touch on gender identity – while elementary and junior high students in the district will not even be able to find them in their school libraries.
The Katy ISD board of trustees, with a 5-0 vote and two abstentions, implemented a library policy that bans books "adopting, supporting, or promoting gender fluidity." The measure also applies to district vendors and those who hold book fairs for Katy ISD, which serves more than 90,000 students in a burgeoning suburb west of Houston.
"If we can allow a book written by Adolf Hitler to be read by students, and you don't find it dangerous, we can most definitely allow books that have trans characters in them," Thornton told board members before they voted. "Giving kids access to books with transgender characters will not make your kids trans, just like reading ‘Mein Kampf' for history class does not make you a Nazi."
The decision was the politically conservative board's latest related to library materials and gender identity. The seven trustees voted last year to suspend the purchase of library books and place newly purchased materials into storage until they could be reviewed for questionable content, while also giving themselves authority to remove existing books if they deem them inappropriate.
Board members Dawn Champagne and Rebecca Fox, who along with Lance Redmon voted against the gender fluidity policy last year, abstained from voting about the gender-related book policy on Monday. They both expressed concerns about it beforehand, with Champagne saying the policy infringes upon parental rights, creates more work for librarians and opens up the district to lawsuits. Fox characterized the policy as redundant and also counterproductive as it pertains to student outcomes.
"I am done talking about library books," Fox said. "Children are not smarter or more prepared for their next steps by these hours, days and months spent on gender fluidity focus."
Board president Victor Perez, while responding to a question from Champagne about the definition of gender fluidity under the policy, said it applies to any material that includes the idea that gender is a social construct and can be changed or "espouses the view that it's possible for a person to be any gender or no gender, i.e. non-binary." Perez has previously said the district's gender-related policies aim to promote parental authority in matters related to their children and to provide guidance for teachers who might feel uncomfortable delving into gender issues.
Thirteen of the 34 public speakers Monday night expressed support for the library policy. Some of them did so while citing their beliefs in Christianity.
"The books that discuss gender confusion are just as horrible as those that are s---ally explicit," Mollie Ullrich said. "As board members, you don't know what is taught to students in their homes. But it is not your job to allow the schools to introduce sensitive s---al material and gender choosing to young children."
Thornton was one of five Tompkins students and 19 community members overall who spoke against the policy at Monday's board meeting. Among the group was Amanda Rose, president of LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Katy Pride, who called the policy "wrong and discriminatory" and said it's "gut-wrenching" that their child will not see their family represented in Katy ISD's elementary and middle school high libraries.
Another to voice disapproval was Cinco Ranch High School librarian Sean Heller, who called the policy and reasoning behind it "ridiculous."
"As a teacher and librarian, my space is for everyone," he said. "It doesn't matter their color or creed. They are seen. This policy wants to hide and belittle some of our students and their experiences. Your policy won't make them go away."
More on Amanda Jones, free video with intro from Oprah'Spread the truth': Librarian pushes back against lies about books and librarians
https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/wat...
Oh gracious here we go! Just what we need, outside crisis actors taking up time in school committee meetings. At least this one is in state.My boss alerted me to this incident. I
https://steveahlquist.substack.com/p/...
This is the same crisis actor mentioned before, from Westerly who came after the books. He started in his own town, against his sister- see
https://thepublicsradio.org/article/w...
My boss ALSO said, a Democratic candidate for school board, Marsha Fernandes, voted for a book banning bill! What the heck? I saw the bookmobile out this morning on the first day of school!
More bans in Florida. Are they any books left in the schools?Brevard school board removes three more books from libraries
https://www.wesh.com/article/florida-...
he Brevard County School Board voted to remove three books from school libraries – despite a committee's recommendation to keep two of the titles.
The books are:
"Sasaki and Miyano Vol. 1"
"People Kill People"
"Damsel"
The committee agreed to remove "Damsel" due to its graphic depictions of rape and abuse but recommended keeping "People Kill People" and "Sasaki and Miyano Vol. 1."
"People Kill People" addresses gun violence and white supremacy, while "Sasaki and Miyano Vol. 1" is a Japanese book featuring an LGBTQ+ relationship.
The board's decision passed with a 3-2 vote, with dissenting votes from Katye Campbell and Jennifer Jenkins.
House Bill 1069, which gave school boards the authority to determine the age-appropriateness of library content, has led to the removal of dozens of books in Brevard since its passing.
https://www.wesh.com/article/florida-...
Publishers, Authors Sue Florida Over Book Ban LegislationThe provisions in Florida's book ban bill disregard prevailing legal standards and restrict access to materials.
As reported by Kelly Jensen from BookRiot
Publishers Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks, alongside authors Julia Alvarez, Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, Jodi Picoult, and Angie Thomas are among those pursing litigation against public officials in the state. Also involved in the case are the Authors Guild, two parents, and two students.
“As publishers dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and the right to read, the rise in book bans across the country continues to demand our collective action. Fighting unconstitutional legislation in Florida and across the country is an urgent priority,” the publishers said in a joint statement. “We are unwavering in our support for educators, librarians, students, authors, readers—everyone deserves access to books and stories that show different perspectives and viewpoints.”
The lawsuit points to the requirement that school libraries remove any and all material that can be considered “sexual content.” The educational value of the material does not need to be taken into consideration, nor does the work as a whole need to be considered. This means materials do not need to fail the Supreme Court designated Miller Test for obscenity in order to be removed. HB 1069 allows for a parent or resident of a county to file a complaint about a book and the school must remove it from shelves within five days. The material will continue to be inaccessible until a resolution–keeping, removing, or otherwise restricting it–is found. If the person who filed the complaint is unhappy with the outcome, they can then appeal that to a state-appointed magistrate who is empowered to make a determination on the material’s “appropriateness.”
“Book bans censor authors’ voices, negating and silencing their lived experience and stories,” said Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild. “These bans have a chilling effect on what authors write about, and they damage authors’ reputations by creating the false notion that there is something unseemly about their books. Yet, these same books have edified young people for decades, expanding worlds and fostering self-esteem and empathy for others. We all lose out when authors’ truths are censored.”
“Florida HB 1069’s complex and overbroad provisions have created chaos and turmoil across the state, resulting in thousands of historic and modern classics—works we are proud to publish—being unlawfully labeled obscene and removed from shelves,” said Dan Novack, VP, Associate General Counsel at Penguin Random House. “Students need access to books that reflect a wide range of human experiences to learn and grow. It’s imperative for the education of our young people that teachers and librarians be allowed to use their professional expertise to match our authors’ books to the right reader at the right time in their life.”
This lawsuit focuses on both the House Bill’s violation of the Miller Test. It hopes to restore the right for trained professionals in the education system–library workers and teachers–to do their job without the state’s interference.
Reportedly Trump is making a M4L appearance meaning now they're out and out political and clearly making the children a pawn in their political gain.https://www.axios.com/2024/08/30/moms...
Christian County Library, MissouriLGBTQ+ books will now be labeled as a warning, as will books with violence and “sexual content.”
This library voted against this move pushed by a small facet of far-right folks but they lost this week.
https://sgfcitizen.org/government/chr...
Amy Hoogstraet said placing stickers on books with LGBTQ content would put people reading them at risk of being ridiculed or worse.
“I’m horrified by what I’ve seen here tonight,” Hoogstraet told the board.
Many of those who support the decision have been attending library board meetings for nearly two years asking for books with LGBTQ and sexual content to be labeled and placed in sections away from children and young adults. They’re concerned about the impact such content will have on young people and don’t want it available in a public library.
Laura Umphenour was among those who disapproved of the board’s Aug. 27 decision to label books. As she left the meeting, she shouted: “Bigots! Y’all are a bunch of bigots.”
Mary Dyke said labeling books with mature content protects kids. “Let’s just be able to go to the library and just chill,” she told the library board of trustees Aug. 27.
Kevin Bright told the board he appreciates their decision. Though it didn’t go as far as moving books out of the children’s and young adult sections like he wants, it was a compromise.
The rest is PAYWALLED
Interesting how this comes after a change in library board leadership.
https://www.ksmu.org/news/2024-08-28/...
Christian County has been at the front of the culture wars for well over a year. Attempts to remove books from the Nixa School District made national news in 2023. Now, ongoing calls to label and remove materials have also reshaped the county’s public library.
This week during their regular monthly meeting, the Board of Trustees for the Christian County Public Library voted to reorganize its officers. The board removed Allyson Tuckness from the role of Board President and elected Echo Alexzander to the role.
It comes after over a year of sustained pressure in public meetings and online by members of the public who self-describe as Christian conservatives and have called for the labeling and removal of LGBTQ+ material that they have deemed anti-Christian and called “p_____graphic.” Many online and in public meetings have directly criticized former Board President Tuckness.
And it comes just a month after a new trustee was appointed to the board by the Christian County Commission, an appointment many in the public have perceived as tipping the scales in the ideology of the board.
IowaDubuque district removes 50 books in compliance with Iowa law
Among the books removed at the secondary level were the novels “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker, “The Handmaid's Tale” by Margaret Atwood and “Looking for Alaska” by John Green.
https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/...
South CarolinaMidlands schools must implement new statewide book ban rules. How will districts cope?
Read more at: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/e...
At a school board meeting this week, Lexington-Richland 5 trustees worried just how raucous and raunchy a public hearing on book challenges could get. One board member referenced a previous hearing the district held about a challenged book that involved a novel’s graphic s-x scenes read aloud to a crowd of teachers, parents and students. “Does that mean they can come in and read out the bad language they’re concerned about?” asked board member Mike Satterfield. He worried future hearings could devolve into a forum for airing s---ally explicit or racially charged language, taken out of context. But his fellow board members at Monday’s meeting worried those concerns only underlined what they saw as inappropriate content in some school materials.
“We’re tasked with protecting minors,” said vice chair Matt Hogan. “If it’s not appropriate to read for adults, it might not be appropriate for children.” Lexington-Richland 5 isn’t alone in pondering these questions. School boards across the state will have to reevaluate their policies to determine whether they comply with new rules that are binding on all public school districts in South Carolina.
At the instigation of S.C. Superintendent Ellen Weaver, the S.C. Department of Education this summer imposed new rules that allow the state board of education to review local school boards’ decisions about allegedly age-inappropriate materials used in classrooms and libraries, especially material with broadly defined “s---al content.” Any parent can now challenge a book or other material up to the state board, and if board members overturn a local district’s decision to allow the material it could effectively ban a controversial work in every school district in the state.
Under the proposed new policy being considered in Lexington-Richland 5, any parent in the district can file a complaint identifying offending material and request that it be restricted to a certain grade or age group or removed from the school completely.
The revised policy says that parents must make a “good faith effort to address their concerns” with school staff before filing a complaint with the school board. A single complainant is limited to five objections per month under state rules.
Now, in line with the language in the new state rules, the school board has 90 days to rule on a challenge to a book. A parent would then have another 30 days after that to appeal the board’s decision to the state board of education. The rules also won’t require a challenged book to be taken off the shelves until the challenge is resolved, as the district has done in the past, District Chief of Academics Tina McCaskill said at Monday’s board meeting.
In recent years the district has reviewed challenges to a graphic novel about King Tut and a children’s book on Black identity, both of which were ultimately returned to school shelves.
But last year the board did remove the fantasy book “A Court of Mist and Fury” and other books in the series, something faculty pushed back on at the time.
“Teachers feel overwhelmed by this law,” Satterfield said. "The way that this whole thing is being presented as so encompassing for everything. It’s not just a book or a video, it’s anything a teacher might use in a classroom,” noting that teachers often use supplemental material in their classes. Some elective classes don’t even have formal textbooks, and depend on the teachers to come up with a lesson plan from scratch each day, he said.
The new policy would require teachers to get approval for outside materials from team leaders within their department, a compromise from having the principal personally approve all material a teacher might use. That way, McCaskill said, a teacher might get sign-off on a YouTube video from a colleague during a break between classes.
“I don’t want this to be a formal thing for teachers,” Satterfield said. “It’s like saying we don’t trust you, we don’t trust your professional judgment.”
Board member Kevin Scully also worried the rules would set unnecessary hurdles in the way of teachers trying to teach. “Professionals don’t have someone constantly watching over their shoulder,” he said.
The neighboring Lexington 1 school district is considering similar changes to ensure the district’s library policy aligns with the new state standards.
A proposal considered by the Lexington 1 board Tuesday would give the board discretion to send complaints to a subcommittee of three board members, which could hold a hearing and send its report back to the full board.
Board members there questioned how far the regulations could go. Board vice chair Kathy Henson asked if the rules apply to book fairs that outside partners sometimes host in the district. “If they do it in a school building, it needs to be in compliance with the regulations,” Chief Academic Officer Mary Gaskins told the board.
Likewise, Gaskins said, the rules would be applicable during school-sponsored field trips, after-school clubs or other district activities. “We may receive additional guidance,” she said.
On Aug. 15, the Lexington 2 school board also approved changes to bring policies in the Cayce-West Columbia school district in line with state policy. “I would point out that these changes track with exactly what the state has requested school districts do,” board member Beth Branham said in making the motion, which was approved unanimously.
Lexington-Richland 5 board members also indicated they would prefer the full board hold a hearing on any complaints, with a chance to hear from parents making the challenge and members of the community. But if a challenged book isn’t first reviewed and cleared by a committee of community volunteers, there won’t be a side at the hearing formally arguing in favor of the book.
Read more at: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/e...
Read more at: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/e...
AlabamaAlabama public libraries scramble to update children’s sections
https://www.wkrg.com/alabama-news/ala...
The Alabama Public Library Service requires books containing “obscene content” to be removed from aisles geared for young readers. Under new code changes adopted last year, public libraries that do not cooperate with the removals risk losing state funding.
“It told us that we weren’t trusted,” Craig Scott, president of the Alabama Library Association, said.
Library patrons are able to challenge books they find on shelves, which can cause them to be removed. However, Scott says local library boards ultimately have the final say.
One example involves the children’s book “John’s Turn,” which was deemed appropriate for its age demographic after a complaint in Gadsden.
“It’s a book about a young boy who wants to become a ballet dancer, and there is nothing objectionable,” Scott said.
While the APLS has received pushback regarding this decision, Becky Gerritson with the Eagle Forum of Alabama said the move is ultimately about protecting young children.
“I think the fact that we have found books in the children’s section that have these graphic materials has caused some distrust,” Gerritson said.
Hokes Bluff Public Library director Alexandria Williams says her location has received no challenges since the changes.
“We’ve had some staff members that I’ve just asked personally, say ‘Hey, can you go through and see if you think we have anything that you personally would consider inappropriate?’ Williams said. “So far, so good.”
Dr. Nancy Pack with APLS said they will begin reviewing the updated policies of libraries statewide starting Sept. 1.
Iowa tooSchool districts working to comply with Iowa’s book ban before students return
The law bans school books that depict or describe s-- acts and prohibits teaching students below the 6th grade about s---ality and gender identity.
https://www.kcrg.com/2024/08/22/schoo...
- A court challenge to the Iowa law that restricts certain books and topics ended - which means teachers, principals and curriculum directors are having to make sure they’re not in violation.
The law bans school books that depict or describe s-x acts. It also prohibits teaching students below the 6th grade about sexuality and gender identity.
Iowa City Schools planned to pull about 70 books from its shelves.
But Solon Schools says it’s not changing much.
“It really didn’t have a huge impact on us. I mean, we always do our best to protect our kids and put those decisions to parents.” said Solon Superintendent Davis Eidahl.
He explained that although the law had been blocked until earlier this month, the Solon Community School District operated as if it hadn’t been.
He and his staff had already gone through the books in their libraries and curriculums to ensure they’re compliant.
But without an official list of banned books from the state, they had to look to other districts for guidance.
“What we did was we kind of kept our eye on book lists that were starting to pop up not only in Iowa and some school districts, but across the nation.” said Eidahl.
Though, Eidahl says students can still access those books in other ways, like through the city library, just not the school library.
“With materials and books, we’re going to err on the side of safety.” he said.
Washington stateColumbia County Rural Library District board updates collection development policy
https://12ft.io/proxy
thank you Kelly Jensen for unlocking the story
In the policy, the Board of Trustees updated the list of protected classes the library must serve to align with the list of protected classes outlined in Washington state code and reformatted the way readers can access the policy’s supporting documents, including statements from the American Library Association, Washington Library Association and Association of Rural and Small Libraries.
The board also declined a proposed addition to the policy that would have applied the Children’s Internet Protection Act to print materials in the children’s collection, an addition that has faced legal challenges in other states,
Library director Ellen Brigham said she consulted the library district’s attorney about a suggestion at a previous meeting to remove the list of protected classes from the policy.
“It massively opens us up for future litigation. Even if we just say, 'all people,' people will say, 'Hey, I'm not on here anymore,'" Brigham said.
Instead of removing the list, Brigham recommended the list be updated to include all of the protected classes that are included in Washington state code.
Board treasurer Sharon Mendel said it is important to leave the protected classes in, while board chair Chuck Beleny said it is true that anyone can use the library.
Secretary Dale Walling said the issue came up because not all the protected classes were included in the list. Updating it to align with the protected classes recognized by the state resolves that issue, he said.
"The Columbia County Rural Library District Board of Trustees recognizes that the library is a community resource for people of all ages, races, creeds, national origins, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, disability status, veteran or military status, and political, religious, or social views."
Vice chair Kevin Rust proposed an addition to the children’s collection section of the policy to acknowledge the library’s "obligation to not include s-x acts or s---ally explicit or graphic materials," in that section.
The proposed addition included definitions of s-- acts and s---al activity and applied the requirements of the Children’s Internet Protection Act to print materials in the children’s collection, an addition that has faced legal challenges in other states.
Rust, who read the proposed addition aloud, said the proposed verbiage was taken from a policy approved by a library district in Campbell County, Wyoming.
That county has faced legal challenges from the library’s former director and from the American Civil Liberties Union over the policy.
Brigham said the Children’s Internet Protection Act does not apply to print materials and said including that language in the policy would open the Columbia County Library District up to legal challenges, as well.
Rust said he just wanted to bring it for discussion and consideration.
Member Jay Ball said he rejects the addition entirely, and Mendel called the passage "sick."
The board members did not take any motion to adopt the change, and the issue was dropped.
Later, public commenter and resident Peggy James said she understood why it couldn’t be adopted but wished the board had the same reaction to the books that were challenged as they did to the reading of the policy, referencing Mendel’s comment.
The board did approve a change to the resources available at the end of the collection development policy, deciding to include links so readers could access up-to-date versions of statements from the American Library Association, Washington Library Association and Association of Rural and Small Libraries.
Brigham had sought legal advice on discussion by board members wanting to remove the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement from the policy.
She said the policy states that the library district "adheres to and supports documents that support the foundation of intellectual freedom, which are found in the appendices of this document."
Good news AlaskaKetchikan School Board votes to keep “What Girls Are Made Of” on high school shelves
https://www.krbd.org/2024/08/23/ketch...
The complaint was brought by Deborah Simon, who has recently challenged several other books in both the school and public libraries. The board voted to retain the book “Red Hood,” also written by Elana K. Arnold, back in April.
In her address to the School Board, Simon said the book “reads like a horror movie,” and asked them to reconsider its educational suitability.
Board member Keenan Sanderson confirmed with staff that parents can prevent their children from checking out any given book. But he said he doesn’t think that discretion should extend to other people’s children.
“One of the things that we hear a lot in this community, on pretty much everything, is that it is the parent’s right and the parent’s choice to be able to help direct the education of their student,” said Sanderson. “However, I do not believe one parent should have a larger say in their children’s education over another parent.”
The board voted unanimously to keep the book in the high school library.
Florida as usual Citrus PUBLIC Library
Citrus County Public Libraries (FL) are still meeting to determine the fate of 26 books challenged as inappropriate in the young adult section.
https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/...
Editorial from a retired circuit court judge in Florida about why schools shouldn’t ban or restrict information about…science.https://www.tallahassee.com/story/opi...
Middle school students in El Paso County Schools (CO) have to have their parents opt them into using the library. The district has also banned Pride flags.https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/202...
By default, middle school students in El Paso County’s Academy District 20 schools can no longer access school library materials until a parent or guardian signs a form granting permission to use library resources through the district’s parent portal.
The change applies to middle school students old enough to check out young adult (YA) books from their school library.
According to a link near the bottom of the district’s YA middle school information website page, “This choice to access YA literature is for families of middle school students to reflect the diverse literacy needs of readers grades 6-8, or ages 11-14. This does not impact students in elementary or high schools.”
The district’s library opt-in policy doesn’t stop at YA books. The posted document also states, “Middle school students will not have any access to Destiny or Sora materials until their parents/guardians complete the library access questions.”
Destiny is the district’s online school library catalog, and Sora is an online platform and app for e-books and audiobooks.
It’s unclear when the district changed the library policy, which previously allowed students access to these titles unless a parent specified otherwise.
Assistant Director of Communications Krystal Story said, “Every year, we revise what we call our extended parent portal, and one revision this year included allowing families of middle-school students additional options consistent with our goal of empowering parental choice.”
Parents and community members couldn’t provide input, and many were caught off-guard when their children returned to school this month.
While specific studies on library opt-in policies might be limited, research in education and health care has shown that opt-in policies can reduce participation among disadvantaged groups, such as low-income individuals or those with limited access to technology, who may face more obstacles in navigating the opt-in process.
The effect may be to drastically reduce the number of YA books students request to read. Although Mark Belcher, D20’s chief communication officer, said 4,093 of the district’s middle schoolers have requested access to YA books, 1,051 have yet to make a choice, and 153 have said no.
Last year, the district faced intense criticism on both sides of the book-banning debate when a group called “Advocates for D20 Kids” demanded that the board remove three library books they considered obscene.
During public comment, Derrick Wilburn, who was elected to the school board later that year, warned, “School districts, you have abdicated your responsibility. You have failed our children. In 2021, the adults in the room said ‘enough.’ In 2023, you’ll learn that we meant it.”
Wilburn and Aaron Salt, who also serves on the district’s school board, are members of Advocates for D20 Kids.
Then Superintendent Tom Gregory approved the removal of three titles: “Push” by Sapphire, “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins, and “Lucky” by Rachel Vail. Those titles were later restored to shelves after a new superintendent took office and determined the district had failed to conduct an official book challenge.
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)
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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)
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Rutherford school board to decide if it will remove 7 books next month
The school board has 60 days to make a final decision from the date the complaint was received.
https://www.wsmv.com/2024/08/23/ruthe...
Director of Schools Dr. James Sullivan said the titles brought to the board potentially violate the obscenity law, and the board has 60 days to make the final decision from when the complaint was received.
Leaders said this gives the board time to vet the books even though they can’t meet prior to the deadline.
“There will be many of us cramming,” board member Tammy Sharp said. “I’m going to be looking for some books on audio, but we cannot meet together, but we will be able to review these books.”
Here are the books up for removal:
“Beloved” by Toni Morrison
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
“Wicked” by Gregory Maguire
“Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi
“Skin and Bones” by Sherry Shahan
“Queen of Shadows” by Sara J. Maas
“Tower of Dawn” by Sara J. Maas
Leaders now have until Sept. 19 to decide whether to remove the titles.