Majority of public comments at Monday’s School Board meeting are in support of retaining challenged titles in library.
It’s likely that the two books that could be removed from King George County school libraries later this month have been on the shelves for a decade “without incident.”
Jacob Gerding, a county resident who works as a librarian in another school division, was one of at least 10 citizens—including one student—who spoke at Monday’s School Board meeting in support of retaining Sold by Patricia McCormick and tfn by Lauren Myracle in the libraries.
“As a librarian, I can tell you that these books meet selection criteria,” Gerding said.
Holly Roberts, a county resident, has appealed division superintendent Jesse Boyd’s decision to keep the two titles in circulation at the county middle and high school but require parents to give permission before students are allowed to check them out.
Her appeal means the five-member School Board now will decide at an August 19 meeting if the books should stay or be removed from the school division.
A number of citizens, including Kenneth Stroud, a member of the county Board of Supervisors, spoke at the last School Board meeting in July and said the books shouldn’t be in the school libraries.
Stroud named one of King George Middle School librarians as being responsible for putting the titles into circulation and said that she and “anybody in a leadership position who puts these books in our kids’ hands is leading our children to the wolves and handing them over and is cowardly.”
Several people who spoke on Monday said they were dismayed to hear the librarian called out by name.
“I was devastated to hear that a member of the school was called out and from what I understand, you didn’t stand up for her,” one woman, a grandmother of children in the school division, said to the Board members.
Parent Elizabeth Buckley said she was “really surprised, shocked, and saddened by all the fearmongering, the hate, the negative vitriol, the accusation” that she witnessed at the last School Board meeting.
Stroud spoke again on Monday, “as a citizen.” He said his comments at the last meeting were “misunderstood” and that “at no time did I mean any harm to the librarian.”
“I do stand between harm and children,” he continued.
Other parents said the Board needs to support parental rights by allowing individual parents to make decisions for their own children.
“If you’re taking these books out of school, you’re violating my right to choose for my child,” said Brian Metz.
Carrie Gonzalez, a parent and former School Board member, said the issue is a distraction.
“I can attest to the fact that there are issues that are way more pressing than this discussion,” she said.
Boyd took time to say, “On behalf of everyone, all 700-plus employees of King George Schools—we appreciate our librarians.”
Board Chair David Bush and James Madison district representative Cathy Hoover applauded this statement.
Hoover said she visited the King George Middle School library to observe the established process for checking out the restricted titles.
“In my opinion, it’s perfect,” she said. “It’s exactly as the public wants it. The parents have the choice. If the book is questionable, all you have to do is tell the librarian you are not OK with your child checking out that book. We are not banning any books or preventing children from reading books.”
Matthew Roles, the James Monroe district representative, said the Board is “responsible for the environment” that is created in the school division.
“I think what books are in the library contributes to the environment of the school,” he said.
Bush said School Board members will have read both books before they vote next month on whether they should stay in the school libraries.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
Email Adele
