Groups seek legislation to punish NC public schools for books that some call ‘obscene’
Some lawmakers and conservative groups are promoting legislation that would allow North Carolina parents to seek penalties against public schools for having books that the parents consider to be obscene.
Legislation will soon be introduced to remove exemptions that public schools have from the state’s obscenity laws, according to Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of the N.C. Values Coalition. She said Wednesday the legislation would also set statewide criteria for how materials would be selected for classrooms and school libraries.
“This bill creates a criteria,” state Rep. Jeff Zenger, a Forsyth County Republican, at a news conference held in Raleigh’s Freedom Park. “It sets up with penalties, and it helps us to control that inappropriate material with our children.”
A copy of the legislation wasn’t available Wednesday. But Mary Summa, general counsel for the N.C. Values Coalition, said the bill would include elements from legislation that was scheduled to be heard last year before it was pulled from the state House Education Committee.
Last year’s bill would have made it easier to prosecute librarians and allowed parents to receive damages if they feel their rights have been violated, The News & Observer previously reported.
‘Terrifying’ to be a school librarian
It’s a “terrifying” time to be a school librarian, according to Kristi Sartain, president of the North Carolina School Library Media Association. Sartain said Wednesday that the group would likely oppose the bill.
“Do they actually think school librarians are providing obscene materials to students?” Sartain said in an interview Wednesday. “Why do they not trust us?”
Like many states, North Carolina exempts schools from obscenity laws.
Speakers have shown up at school board meetings across the nation complaining about books they say are sexually explicit, have vulgar language or are otherwise not age appropriate for students.
Critics have cited books such as “Gender Queer,” which has illustrations of people having sex. Another frequently cited book is “Melissa,” a story about a 10-year-old transgender girl who struggles to come out to her family, friends and classmates.
“These books are adult agendas, and this really sexual material is not only harmful and damaging to our young minds, but we have to ask ourselves why are we pushing these kinds of books in our schools?” Wake County school board member Cheryl Caulfield said at the news conference.
Make schools ‘spiritually’ safe
The Moore County school system ordered elementary school principals to remove books containing gay parents to comply with local policies and the state’s Parents’ Bill of Rights law. That action led to local groups filing a federal Title IX complaint against the district this week.
State Rep, Ken Fontenot, a Wilson County Republican, charged Wednesday that the books being challenged would violate obscenity laws and potentially child pornography laws if they were handed to children outside of schools.
“The bottom line is our schools should be safe not only physically but morally, intellectually and spiritually, and they currently are not,” Fontenot said. “This law will accomplish it. I support this law with all of my heart.”
