Senator Charles Perry told the Lubbock ISD board to remove books from school libraries that he described as obscene, vulgar, and derogatory. Perry spoke at the June 25 trustee meeting and provided excerpts of a particular book to board members without naming the book and author.
Concerns Over Book Content
Superintendent Kathy Rollo said she shared the same concerns as Perry, stating that the books in question were not something she would want her own child to read. However, Rollo added that it is against the law for her to remove books without following the proper process.
Another speaker, Anne Ivey, took issue with the book ‘Kingdom of the Cursed,’ describing it as containing dark content, including animal cruelty, death, and explicit sexual activities. Ivey questioned whether such content was suitable for school libraries.
Review Process
Lubbock ISD has a special committee, the Student Library Advisory Committee (SLAC), which reviews and pulls books off the shelf when needed. Rollo explained that the district stopped ordering new books for a year and a half while the review process was underway.
Perry expressed concerns that the current process is not effective in removing objectionable books and suggested that the Legislature may need to revise state law to address the issue. He plans to meet with district officials again in the coming weeks to discuss possible solutions.
Original reporting: Lubbock Lights — read the source article.
