After conservative activists sent a “call for action” to object to controversial material found in the shelves of the South High School Library, the Board of Education heard public input from both sides of the issue on Tuesday night. But not until some action had already been taken.
Board President Mary Lynne Donohue opened the public input session by acknowledging those gathered, saying that “I am assuming that many folks here…are here with respect to the issue of certain books in the library. Before we start I want to share with you the following: Over this past weekend concerns were raised regarding controversial books contained within the South High School library. Following the process outlined within board policy AG2555 (from the District Administrative Guidelines Manual) pertaining to the procedures for reconsideration of materials included in the library collection, Principal Formolo has decided to remove three books – “Fun Home”, “Gender Queer” and “Are You My Mother?” – from the school library’s collection.”
The first two were listed as “graphic novels” and contained images depicting sex acts. The other two books which were objected to, but weren’t removed, were not named.
During the next hour or so of input from community members, some who spoke defended the presence of controversial material, and others condemned it. Some questioned what else might be found in other school district libraries, or if those removed materials will reappear.
But one area father summed up the feelings of perhaps the majority of those sounding out by telling those gathered at the board meeting that “This isn’t about ‘We don’t like gays! I have a son who is gay. I understand the struggles. But I don’t understand about how having a book in the school portraying oral sex helps that community in and of itself. That’s what I don’t get.”
No further action on the subject was taken by the school board, which typically responds to any input in the days following a meeting. And while the activists may not have gotten everything they wanted, Sheboygan Area School District Board members got plenty of opinions to consider going forward.
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