School Librarians Display Challenged Books!

We know there are many fantastic librarians who want to share their love for reading with young students and do so in a way that does not violate a child’s innocence or parental rights.  Unfortunately, there are librarians and groups that are promoting sexually explicit and LGBTQ+ themed content.

This month we learned that educators at Cosby High School in Chesterfield, Virginia, posted outside the library — for all the students to see — a poster displaying books available in some library and academic settings that are most frequently challenged nationwide, along with a QR Code that redirected students to a website where they could obtain those challenged books. The poster included Gender Queer and Lawn Boy.

After concerned parents called the Superintendent of Chesterfield Public Schools, the poster was immediately removed, but the message from school librarians and educators was made clear – they don’t care about the rights of parents to guard their children from graphic, sexually explicit, and hyper-sexualized materials.

These librarians and educators essentially thumbed their noses at parents as well as state law (Va. Code § 22.1-16.8), which pursuant to legislation passed in 2022 (SB 656), established a model policy requirement so parents receive prior notice and an opportunity to review sexually explicit materials being used in student instruction.

The poster was created by the American Library Association (ALA), which provides a variety of resources and advocacy tools for librarians, including librarians who are members of the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the ALA. 

Among the various resources created by the ALA is one titled “Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries,” which is intended to instruct school librarians on ways to effectively indoctrinate students using LGBTQ+ themed books and materials. In addition to that, the ALA also has the following statement on its “Fight Censorship” webpage: “With the unprecedented surge in local and statewide book challenges, ALA offers this clearinghouse of resources to assist library workers and advocates in responding to and supporting others facing those challenges.”

Are your school librarians a member of the AASL or receiving guidance and materials like this from the ALA?

This deliberate undermining of parental rights and their commitment to pushing LGBTQ+ and sexually explicit content will only get worse UNLESS parents, like those parents of Cosby High School students, stand up to voice their concerns.

Tell your school administrators and school boards that you are watching, and that you expect them to respect your fundamental right as a parent to direct the education of your child.