School Should Exercise Discretion with Books

To The Editor:

I agree with Sarah Kellen, who is concerned about her fourth grade daughter having access to “People of Pride, 25 Great LGBTQ Americans.” Along with Sarah’s daughter, my granddaughter is in the fourth grade at La Grange Elementary, and I would be concerned and upset if she brought home that book from the library. However, I also agree with Jeff Wick, who opines “Let’s not start banning books here.” Banning books is anathema for those who love to read.

I believe that the solution to this problem lies in the first sentence of the district’s legal policy related to library materials (which was wisely included by the reporter):

“A district possesses significant discretion to determine the content of its school libraries.”

If this statement is used as a guideline in the selection of books for the elementary school library, the likelihood of banning books in this community will be greatly reduced.

Library books for elementary schools are not mandated; they are chosen. There was a designated person, or a committee, who chose this book. They previewed it, they probably read the title several times, they weighed the merits of the book, and then they put it on a list of books to be paid for and ordered. And then, when it was delivered to the school, the choice was made to display it.

Superintendent Wagner stated that “the book is approved for school library use for 4th – 6th graders.” However, just because it is approved does not mean that it must be purchased and made available to students. (When I checked the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, I thankfully found no directive to teach the acronym LGBTQ, although I found a lot on teaching about great Americans.)

In both of the pieces written by Mr. Wick, he quoted Superintendent Wagner saying that he can’t remember a time when books were requested to be removed from the school library. That makes sense, because books with the acronym LGBTQ are a relatively recent phenomenon. Among the questions that the citizens of our community must address are these: Do we, or do we not, want our elementary students to have access to books in which every letter in the centerpiece acronym of the title stands for an explicit, controversial, sexually charged word? Do we really want to have forced conversations about deviant sexual behaviors with pre-pubescent children? Do we, or do we not, want to normalize an interest in the intimate preferences of great Americans?

I wish Mrs. Kellen well as she begins the process of challenging the selection of the book in question. I would also hope that in the future, the person or persons in charge of selecting library books wisely uses the “significant discretion” that is granted by this excellent school district, so that banning books will be less likely to emerge as a popular choice.

Mary S. Moore

Ellinger