A Virginia school superintendent who recently announced the removal of controversial books in school libraries said the objectionable content was axed after a parental complaint.
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Mark Taylor, superintendent of Spotsylvania County Schools (SCPS), said the 14 books contained sexually-explicit material under Virginia state law. A law signed last year by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin requires parental notifications if and when books will be assigned with graphic material.
Taylor, a longtime attorney who has spent much of his career working in government before taking on the superintendent role last year, told CBN News that, while critics claim the books are being “banned,” he said the issue is about making sure schools are safe.
“There’s only a tiny percentage [of books that] are of any concern,” he said. “And the concern is about ensuring that our libraries, our school libraries are safe spaces.”
Taylor added, “There are a few books that are potentially problematic, and, in fact, found to be problematic.”
Watch him explain the book ordeal:
He further discussed the 2022 law enacted by Youngkin, explaining the district’s look at 14 books was made in accordance with its specifications.
“Law enacted in Virginia last year … requires parental notification and parental choice in advance of exposure to students of sexually explicit materials and sexually explicit materials are carefully defined,” Taylor said. “They use a well-established state definition, and it’s about what you would expect of sexually explicit … pictures, photographs, description of sex.”
But the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Virginia sent a letter to the Spotsylvania County Public School Board Friday purporting Taylor “manufactured a crisis” over the books and through a memo he sent last month on the matter.
“Contrary to the representations made in the memo, the removal of these 14 books and adoption of the proposed policy is neither required by nor consistent with the stated intent of Virginia Code section 22.1-16.8,” the letter read, in part. “Senate Bill 656, which codified the law, contained an enactment clause clarifying ‘[t]hat the provisions of this act shall not be construed as requiring or providing for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.'”
The ACLU of Virginia said the “automatic removal” of challenged books constitutes “censorship that contradicts the Law’s express limitations,” and urged the board to return the removed books to libraries.
In a statement provided to CBN News, Taylor defended the rights of parents to protect their children and affirmed his belief the district is following the law.
“I am a big proponent of civil liberties,” Taylor said in the statement. “I am particularly concerned about the civil liberties of parents and their right to choose whether or not their children are exposed to sexually explicit materials in contravention of Virginia law.”
He continued, “SCPS is following state law and standing up for parental rights. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of the children entrusted to us.”
In Taylor’s interview with CBN News — which unfolded before the ACLU of Virginia’s letter and his response — Taylor said one of the problems with books coming into school libraries over the years is that many texts were simply purchased based on “short summary reviews.”
This means some of the context and controversial details inside the books might not have been known at the time of purchase. Taylor said the Virginia law is “about making parents aware so that they can make an informed choice about their child.”
As CBN News previously reported, the 14 books recently stripped from libraries were taken out after a local mother complained about the materials. Here is a list of those books:
- All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George Johnson
- Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
- Dime by E. R. Frank
- Sold by Patricia McCormick
- Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- America by E. R. Frank
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
- Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Watch the interview for more information on the controversy.
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