Currently, more than 35,000 students in the third-largest land area in Tarrant County no longer have access to all versions of the Holy Bible, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Anne Frank’s Diary (The Graphic Adaptation), George by Alex Gino, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George Johnson, Weird Girl and What’s His Name by Meagen Brothers, and so many other notable titles.
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) delivered a letter to the Keller Independent School District (ISD) in Keller, Texas, to demand its Board of Trustees return more than 40 books to school libraries and classrooms. The sudden decision to pull the materials was made the day before the start of the school year and targeted books that were previously challenged.
Last year a reconsideration committee following Policy EF(Local), and Policy EFB(Local), returned the challenged materials to school shelves. The Committee stated, “The major criterion for the final decision on challenged [resources] is the appropriateness of the resource for its intended educational use.”
Since challenged materials were reviewed and returned last year, current reconsideration efforts have raised suspicion that the same books have been targeted again due to the diverse ideas they represent, thus violating students’ First Amendment rights and the district’s policies to establish “Respect for the diversity of its community through a culture of understanding and personalized learning opportunities.”
NCAC strongly encourages school administrators to return all books immediately and ensure students have access to materials pending the outcome of yet another formal review.
Read NCAC’s full letter to Keller ISD Board Trustees below. Click here for a full-screen view: