Keller ISD tells school staff, librarians to pull and review books that don't meet guidelines
KELLER, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - What books are in your child's schools and libraries has been the center of controversy in many Texas school districts. Now, a day before the start of school for Keller ISD, more changes are being announced.
Last year, a book called "Gender Queer, a Memoir" which had sexually explicit images and themes, was found in one of Keller ISD's high school libraries.
"Some of the pictures that I saw beyond disturbing," parent Alison Groom said.
She couldn't believe it.
"Just to think that our kids have access to that.. I mean, it was pornography," she said.
It led to the district compiling a list of over 40 books that were challenged. The Bible and Anne Frank's Diary - The Graphic Adaption, included.
At last week's special school board meeting, trustees approved new policies. Campus staff and librarians are now being asked to pull and review all the books on the list despite previous recommendations that some be left on shelves.
They'll determine if they meet the requirements of new guidelines. These guidelines are relatively based on the Texas Education Agency's school library standards for removing and preventing obscene content released earlier this year.
Groom says while she doesn't understand why books like the Bible would be included in this, overall she's for it.
"I feel like they need to take the time to sort what's appropriate and what's not," she said. "Unfortunately, a lot of them are not."
Others are calling this a violation of children's constitutional rights. On Twitter, Laney Hawes says "I served on the committee for The Diary of Anne Frank Graphic Novel. The person who challenged the book didn't even show up to defend their position. But now the book is pulled."
"PEN America is a free expression and literary human rights organization," PEN America Director of Free Expression and Education Programs Jonathan Friedman said. "We are 100 years old. Very alarming to think that a district after having gotten input from so much of its community on this process on these books would now decide that"
Once all the books are reviewed, those that do meet guidelines will be returned to the libraries.
"I think it's a very controversial subject so I really think that I need to look into it," Keller ISD Parent Sheila Manning said. "Maybe there's a lot of information that we haven't read over."