Oklahoma attorney general’s office reviewing 54 school library books for alleged obscenity
The Oklahoma Attorney General's office is reviewing dozens of school library books to determine if they violate state law on obscene materials.
A spokeswoman for Attorney General John O'Connor confirmed Tuesday that his office is reviewing 54 books after the state's top prosecutor received complaints from "several concerned individuals" about the titles.
O'Connor spokeswoman Rachel Roberts did not give details about who expressed concerns, what the review entails, when it might be complete or what happens if some books are found to be "obscene." Online news outlet The Frontier was the first to report on the review.
"The books in question are from all different counties and are being reviewed to determine if they violate the state’s obscenity law," Roberts said in an email.
Related: Could Oklahoma be the next battleground for the book banning debate?
State law defines "obscene material" as any representation, performance, depiction or description of sexual conduct that the average person would find to be "patently offensive" and taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, educational, political or scientific value.
The list of titles the attorney general's office is reviewing includes popular fiction, award-winning classic literature, graphic novels and books with LGBTQ themes. Also included are books that have been challenged in Bixby and Bristow Public Schools.
State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said the State Department of Education would like to know more about the complaints O'Connor says he's received about school library materials.
“Parents should have a say in the books that their children have access to, and local school boards are required to have a process in place to review books in school libraries," she said. "Before AG O’Connor begins arresting teachers and librarians, we hope he would share the complaints he’s received over the last year."
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O'Connor's review comes as some Republican state lawmakers have school libraries in their crosshairs.
School libraries across the nation have become the latest battleground for the culture wars as some parents try to rid the media centers of books they view as indecent or inappropriate. Library collections are specifically curated to include a diverse range of ideas and opinions.
So far this legislative session, Republicans in the Legislature have advanced at least one bill related to school library books. Numerous other bills have been filed to limit what books can be on shelves or that would give parents more opportunities to challenge school reading materials.
A bill from Rep. Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle, would update the state's definition of "obscene material" to include certain printed or digital materials that would be "harmful to minors." In a recent legislative committee hearing, she said she believed current obscenity laws apply only to materials for adults.
The bill appears to go hand-in-hand with Conley's House Bill 4012 that would establish a detailed process for school districts to go through when someone challenges a book in a school library or classroom.
The state's standards for school accreditation require school boards to approve a written policy governing library collections and the reconsideration of school library materials.
"Every public school in Oklahoma is required to have school board-approved policies guiding how library materials should be selected and how a parent may request reconsideration of a title from the library," Oklahoma Library Association President Cherity Pennington said in a recent opinion piece.
The attorney general's office reports it is reviewing the following books:
"A is for Activism," by Innosanto Nagara
"The Every Body Book: The LGBTQ+ Inclusive Guide for Kids about Sex, Gender, Bodies, and Families," by Rachel E. Simon
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower," by Stephen Chbosky
"Gender Queer: A Memoir," by Maia Kobabe
"Lawn Boy," by Jonathan Evison
"Forever," by Judy Blume
"Queer: A Graphic History," by Meg-John Barker and Julie Scheele
"Be Gay, Do Comics!" by The Nib
"Two Boys Kissing," by David Levithan
"Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts)," by L.C. Rosen
"The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison
"Bad For You," by Abbi Glines
"Before I Fall," by Lauren Oliver
"George," by Alex Gino
"Speak," by Laurie Halse Anderson
"Between Shades of Gray," by Ruta Sepetys
"For Black Girls Like Me," by Mariama Lockington
"You Should See Me In a Crown," by Leah Johnson
"On Thin Ice," by Michael Northrop
"The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein," by Kiersten White
"Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana’s Story," by Marissa Meyer
"House of Furies," by Madeleine Roux
"I Was Here," by Gayle Forman
"Hold Me Closer," by Will Grayson
"Whatever," Michel Houellebecq
"Dear Evan Hansen," by Val Emmich and Steven Levenson
"The Lovely Bones," by Alice Sebold
"Symptoms of Being Human," by Jeff Garvin
"Whale Talk," by Chris Crutcher
"Red White & Royal Blue," by Casey McQuiston
"Zenobia," by Morten Dürr
"Mastiff," by Tamora Pierce
"Two Can Keep a Secret," by Karen McManus
"Burned," by Ellen Hopkins
"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," by Alvin Schwartz
"Infandous," by Elana Arnold
"Broken Things," by Lauren Oliver
"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," by Sherman Alexie
"All American Boys," by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds
"The Hate U Give," by Angie Thomas
"Thirteen Reasons Why," by Jay Asher
"Looking for Alaska," by John Green
"Bless Me, Ultima," by Rudolfo Anaya
"Brave New World," by Aldous Huxley
"Crank," by Ellen Hopkins
"The Chocolate War," by Robert Cormier
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," by Maya Angelou
"Lord of Flies," by William Golding
"Bridge to Terabithia," by Katherine Paterson
"Of Mice and Men," by John Steinbeck
"A Court of Frost and Starlight," by Sarah Maas
"Suicide Notes," by Michael Thomas Ford
"By the Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead," by Julie Anne Peters
"Milk and Honey," by Rupi Kaur
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma AG reviewing school library books for possible obscenity
