More than 100 books were removed from North East Independent School District’s libraries after officials reviewed 432 titles, all of which were labeled “inappropriate” by a Republican state lawmaker.
The district removed 110 books because of lack of reviews by publishers, poor professional reviews, outdated content or the book hadn’t been checked out recently, officials said. The books were replaced with a newer edition or a book that was “more positively reviewed” on a similar topic.
Eleven books were moved to a grade-level library that officials felt was more appropriate, and 311 books remained on the shelves, announced Esmeralda Muñoz, executive director of learning support services.
Aubrey Chancellor, the spokesperson for the district, could not provide the list of books that will be replacing the 110 books on Tuesday.
“It’s still a work in progress,” she said.
She said she would share the list as soon as it is available.
Amy Senia, a North East ISD alum and civil rights attorney, said the decision to remove the books by Superintendent Sean Maika and Anthony Jarrett, chief instructional officer, is a violation of the students’ First Amendment rights.
“Public schools in this country are not places of indoctrination. They are not places where the ideas children read about are determined by those people who are in power,” Senia said at a meeting Monday.
The book review began in December after state Rep. Matt Krause sent a letter to school districts asking them to investigate 850 books because circulating them may violate new state laws governing how sex and race are taught in the classroom.
Maika sent an email to the school community saying the books in North East ISD’s libraries will be reviewed for “vulgar and obscene material.”
Maika was concerned about two specific titles — “The Story of Little Black Sambo,” which was removed prior to the book review, and “Lawn Boy.” Maika said he was concerned “Lawn Boy” was not appropriate for elementary students to read — it was moved to the high school library.
The district was criticized widely for pulling copies of these books off their shelves before they were reviewed.
Maika later clarified that he had been concerned about the content of some books before Krause’s letter was sent out, but teachers, students, and other community members didn’t buy this explanation.
Community members criticized the district for responding to a lawmaker’s request that they weren’t required to respond to, removing the books off the shelf before properly reviewing them, and demanded a more transparent review process, including more detailed definitions of what words like “obscene” really mean.
At Monday night’s meeting, Maika reiterated that the administration was not challenging the books.
“Our current review of books is not a challenge. Instead, the administration reviewed the books consistent with its duty to ensure books are located in campus libraries where the content is age-appropriate for the students that that school serves,” Maika said. “We are not reviewing books on the basis of viewpoints or ideas that are expressed within those books.”
While the community outrage was not present at the meeting, Senia said she had spoken to students who were deeply offended by the district’s decisions.
“Children I spoke with ... felt discriminated against because the books were removed from the shelves. They felt betrayed. They felt excluded by the very people that the board and the district was supposed to protect,” she said.
One student told her, “Stop trying to get rid of us. I’m not a freak. Don’t erase me.”
She also voiced concerns about the plan moving forward, which was presented by library services.
“I’m concerned that this was presented by library services as a presentation, not as an action item,” Senia said. “I don’t understand how the board doesn’t get a vote and a say about how library services goes about this.”
The district is forming book review committees to bolster its normal channels of how to review books when a title has been challenged. Parents also will be able to see which library books their children are checking out through an electronic tool. Via this tool, parents may block their child from having access to books suited to an older audience, Muñoz said.
“Having certain books identified for older audiences without any further explanation of what that means or what criteria will be used stigmatizes not only the books but the children that want to read them and identify with them,” Senia said.
claire.bryan@express-news.net
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‘Vulgar and obscene’: North East ISD pulls 110 books from libraries - San Antonio Express-News
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