VERONA — If 2023 was the yr that Augusta County Public Faculties took up the problem about gender impartial loos in faculties, 2024 would be the yr it offers with reviewing, and probably banning, books.
E-book challenges and bans have been a difficulty at faculties across the nation, and it began to creep into Augusta County Faculties final yr as one resident specifically, Jeremy Nance, challenged a number of books.
Nance instructed the board in December that he would e-mail them about his issues over a e book by writer Ellen Hopkins, “An identical.” The younger grownup e book, which has appeared on a number of “better of” lists, offers with mature topic issues, together with sexual abuse and drug use.
“An identical” appeared on PEN America’s checklist of most banned books final yr. PEN America advocates to defend free expression on the subject of literature.
On the December assembly one other resident, Invoice Shirley, spoke throughout delegations, telling the board members that he was there to talk in opposition to all “sexually specific and pornographic supplies in our faculty libraries,” saying these supplies “corrupt and pervert our thought processes.” He provided no proof that any sexually specific books have been at school libraries.
The brand new chair of the Augusta County Faculty Board, David Shiflett, mentioned Thursday night time he needs to handle that subject this yr, probably as quickly as subsequent month.
“We have to do one thing with our libraries and ensure that the supplies which are in our libraries are age applicable for the scholars which have entry to them,” Shiflett mentioned.
He needs the varsity board to assessment the insurance policies and technique of reviewing books. He requested that, on the February assembly, the dialogue to be a part of the agenda. He requested Superintendent Eric Bond to supply the board with the insurance policies which are in place.
“I believe that is one thing we have to handle,” Shiflett mentioned.
Shiflett, who represents the Center River District, was elected chair Thursday night time. That vote went easily, with a unanimous 7-0 choice in favor of Shiflett taking the function. Final yr’s chair, Nick Collins, was voted off the board within the November election.
The vote for vice chair was slightly extra rocky. Tim Swortzel and Mike Lawson have been each nominated. Swortzel, who represents the Wayne District, finally received with a 3-2 vote. Swortzel and Lawson abstained.
Lawson is a part of a extra conservative motion on the board, together with Pastures District consultant Tim Simmons and newly elected North River consultant Sharon Griffin. All three campaigned on parental rights, the identical challenge Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin campaigned on throughout his 2021 victory. The difficulty relies on the idea of some on the far proper that folks have been faraway from the choices faculties are making for his or her youngsters.
Simmons and Griffin each voted for Lawson, however the extra veteran members of the board — John Ward, Donna Wells and Shiflett — voted for Swortzel. In November, Swortzel survived a problem from one other parental rights advocate, Mykell Alleman, with 54.66% of the vote.
Conservative teams have labored to ban books underneath the guise of parental rights. PEN America launched examine final yr that confirmed at the very least 5,894 e book bans in public faculties from July 2021 to June 2023.
First Give attention to Kids is a bipartisan advocacy group devoted to creating youngsters and households the precedence in federal coverage and price range selections
“E-book bans contain overriding selections made by lecturers or librarians about books,” the group wrote on its web site.
A survey by the American Library Association confirmed that 71% of voters oppose efforts to have books faraway from their public libraries, together with a majority of Democrats (75%), independents (58%), and Republicans (70%).
The survey mentioned that almost all dad and mom have a excessive stage of confidence in librarians making good selections on which books are age-appropriate.
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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The Information Chief. Story concepts and ideas at all times welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and observe him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com
