Chino Valley School Board votes to create panel with power to ban books it deems "sexually inappropriate"
The Chino Valley School Board voted to create a panel with the power to ban books that it deems "sexually inappropriate material."
Described as a book ban by some, those in favor claim they want to get rid of pornography in schools. Some parents said the books that some are concerned about are not even in Chino Valley Unified libraries and that the criteria for banking books would be too broad.
"Never in history have the good guys been the ones trying to ban books," said one speaker.
Many against the idea of a book ban think this is just another push by conservative megachurch pastors who have helped elect conservative majority boards in districts across the state.
"We don't want our young kids to be affected, to be brainwashed," father Kenneth Zhao said.
Zhao also serves as a pastor at a Chinese community church. He claimed that one of his family friend's kid found a sexually inappropriate book in their school library.
"What they're trying to push in the schools is profane," Kathy Linde, who was at the board meeting, said.
The Chino Valley Unified School Board is already locked in a legal battle with the state over its gender notification policy. Board President Sonja Shaw said it will cost the district no money because a law firm is representing them pro bono.
However, the co-founder of Our Schools USA, which fights for education equality, begs to differ.
"Your political crusade is costing the district money," said co-founder Kristi Hirst. "Money not being spent on educating our students, and you're about to invite another lawsuit we will have to pay for later tonight."
After much discussion, there was still a big divide between what place controversial literature has on campus.
Huntington Beach considered a similar library review board.
