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Madison School Board proposes banning library books as part of new state policy

By GRAICE HART BROOKS MADISON COUTY EAGLE

The Madison County School Board has begun work on a state-mandated policy for instructional materials with sexually explicit content. Discussion has turned toward possibly banning books from school libraries as well.

In April, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill requiring the Virginia Department of Education to develop model policies to ensure parents are notified if students are being taught sexually explicit instructional materials in the classroom. The bill requires local school boards to adopt the policies based on the model policies, which will be minimum requirements. The model policy, vetted through a public comment period which ended in August, requires that parents are notified at least 30 days in advance of any instructional materials with sexually explicit content.

Parents will then be able to review the materials and principals will maintain a current list of the materials on the school website by grade and subject.

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Local school boards have until Jan. 1 to adopt the model policy or create their own using at least the minimum standards.

During a special called work session in late September, Madison school board members began discussing the creation of the policy dealing with instructional materials, including library books assigned by teachers.

Board members sought to take it a bit further, banning all books from the school library’s that have sexually explicit content.

School board member Christopher Wingate introduced samples from five books found within the Madison County High School Library that he said have sexually explicit content: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky; “Tar Baby” by Toni Morrison; “The Tale of the Body Thief,” by Anne Rice; “Snow Falling on Cedars” by David Guterson; and “Empire of Thrones,” by Sarah Maas.

Wingate said he has a real problem with the state’s draft policy which he said seems to allow sexually explicit materials in the school system providing there’s parent notification.

Board member Charles Sheads agreed, saying the school board should be building a wall against sexually explicit material and keeping it away from Madison County schools.

“We need to be cautious about what we allow in,” board member Damon Myers added. “Even putting it up for question says we condone it.”

Allen said she saw the policy as only being instructional materials and not something that includes banning books.

Board member Nita Collier said the draft policy is too broad and needs some additional language. Sheads said “opting out” doesn’t work. He said he and his wife opted out to his daughter reading a book in high school, but the book still made its way home.

Wingate said library books are paid for by taxpayers and thus should be included in a policy regarding sexually explicit material.

Superintendent Anna Graham explained that library books were not part of the original intent for the policy by the Department of Education. Allen said the policy and library books should be two different issues.

She also questioned how including library books would even work.

“You’d almost have to read every single one of them,” she said. “They buy books every year.”

Graham said parents have the ability to flag their child’s account so if they have a concern, the student wouldn’t be able to checkout that book. Sheads suggested utilizing the board’s lawyer to develop a policy prohibiting sexually explicit materials unless the teacher contacts the parent.

Wingate said he favored including library books in the board’s policy, stating he wants people to know the board is taking concrete action about the issue.

Allen said censoring books is an important conversation, one that should be given adequate time for discussion, something that may not be possible with the state requiring the board to have a policy by Jan.1.

“Children are innocent until bombarded with things that take their innocence,” Sheads said. “I don’t want to apologize to someone [that they] had to read a book; I want to say you’re welcome for not having to read that here.”

Board members decided to have Wingate draft a policy for the board regarding sexually explicit materials including library books.

The draft will also be vetted by the board’s lawyer. Wingate and Sheads said the books need to come out of the library and said they’re bad for children.

“I can’t imagine anyone would want to take the school board to [court] over keeping materials out of schools,” Sheads said. “Let’s take this [policy] and beat it out until it’s a nice piece of shiny metal to hang on the wall to say we’re protecting these children.”

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