Just before the commencement of school year, the school district pulled all books from its library shelves and classrooms which had been challenged by lawmakers, parents and other members of the community last year. The list of books includes the graphic novel version of Anne Frank’s Diary and even the Bible, officials said.
The controversial ban took place at the Keler Independent School District in Texas. A day before students started school, Jennifer Price, KISD’s executive director of curriculum and instruction instructed the school district’s principals and librarians to remove 41 books as they undergo a review.
“Attached is a list of all books that were challenged last year. By the end of today, I need all books pulled from the library and classrooms. Please collect these books and store them in a location. (book room, office, etc.),” wrote Price in an email according to VICE. “Once this has been completed, please email me a confirmation. We need to ensure this action is taken by the end of the day. I apologize for the late request.”
Per USA Today, the list included all editions of the Bible, Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ and Maia Kobabe’s ‘Gender Queer: A Memoir’. The decision came amid an upsurge in book bans in schools and libraries across the country. The American Library Association, which keeps track of book challenges and bans, revealed that challenges have doubled in 2021 since 2020.
Parents, politicians and community members have been challenging books at an increased rate as conservative lawmakers have expressed concerns about the topics that students are being taught in schools, including race, sexuality and gender identity. Per the Texas Tribune, some of the books that were removed have already been challenged and reviewed last year by a school district committee.
It was reportedly recommended to remain in school but a new policy which was approved by the school board earlier this month required them to be reviewed again. “Right now, Keller ISD’s administration is asking our campus staff and librarians to review books that were challenged last year to determine if they meet the requirements of the new policy,” read the statement.
“Books that meet the new guidelines will be returned to the libraries as soon as it is confirmed they comply with the new policy,” it added. Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees President Charles Randklev revealed, “Per the new policy, instructional materials previously challenged following the old policy, which was flawed and exposed children to pornographic material… will be re-evaluated.”