ORR district complaint on controversial library books revived

MATTAPOISETT — Several book titles available at Old Rochester Regional School District libraries are back under scrutiny after a complaint questioning their appropriateness was filed to have them put under official review. This comes after an initial complaint was filed about the same books in September and later rescinded, but not before sparking a divisive public discourse within the district, with some community members defending the selections — many of which deal with issues of sexuality and gender — and others protesting their inclusion in schools, often citing sexual explicitness of content.

As stated at the Dec. 14 ORR School Committee meeting, the request for review challenges the following titles: "Gender Queer: A Memoir," "Lawn Boy," "All Boys Aren't Blue," "Out of Darkness," "The Hate U Give," "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," "The Bluest Eye," "Beyond Magenta, "Flamer," and "Let's Talk About It." The titles named are the same ones provided by current ORR High School student Alina Cusolito when interviewed by The Standard-Times about the original complaint filed in the fall, with the exception of "Let's Talk About it," which was not mentioned at that time. The books named that do not deal with topics of gender and/or sexuality all address issues around race/racism, such as "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas, about the fictionalized deadly police shooting of an unarmed Black teen.

"With regards to books in our library, we have a clear policy and procedure which we will continue to follow regards to books placed on library shelves," said ORR School Committee Chair Michelle Smith during her report to the committee after outlining the district's policy drafting process. "In regards to parents being concerned about their student accessing books that they deem inappropriate in any way I'd redirect them to the building principal."

Catch up on background:Controversial book conversation heats up at Old Rochester Regional

Chair calls for community members to 'be respectful;' MASC consult upcoming

As far as any upcoming public discourse around the books, Smith said the committee was not planning to hold any future public hearings on the topic, noting that the committee "generally only holds public hearings for the adoption of its budget as required by Mass. General Laws ... and to discuss annual enrollment and school choice."

"At this time, there is a strong need to ensure we (School Committee members) are all working as a unified team with the superintendent of schools," Smith said, noting she'd asked for a Massachusetts Association of School Committees representative to speak to the chairs of the district's several school committees "about how we can ensure that this is happening in our communities."

"Until this is done, I would like to remind community members to be respectful and mindful of others. I cannot stress enough the importance of our work. We must move forward not by setting our own agendas, (but by) working together for the achievement and success of all students academically, emotionally, socially and physically."

The committee voted to draft written communication to be delivered to district families regarding library books and policies.

Go further back:ORR has been asked to ban several books on gender, race issues. Here's what we know.

ORR official: Many feeling unheard

In unrelated discussion later on during subcommittee reports, ORR School Committee member Joe Pires, who also sits on the district's Equity Subcommittee, suggested "maybe we need to reshape our equity and make it more well-rounded," before sharing feedback he'd reportedly collected from school community members over the preceding month and a half. "One student who happened to be a minority felt like racism wasn't an issue until now. And is it because we're raising more awareness? I don't know," Pires said. Other comments read by Pires included a female student's who reportedly said "she no longer feels safe in the girls' bathroom because biological males are allowed to use them;" and a parent's who reportedly said "they feel that their white student is made to feel inferior or basically made to feel ashamed of being white."

"This has been within the last six or seven weeks and I think it all has to stem from ... maybe the book incident, whatever, but it's opened up another can of worms, I guess," Pires said. "I'd like to see it (the Equity Subcommittee) address all of these, and if we can bring it up and talk about it ... to work to some common goal so that everyone is represented and felt like they're heard."

"I just wanted to mention that I had addressed this committee at the beginning of the year about the racial incidents that my son had experienced on the second and third day of school, and a third incident happened this year, Oct 25," responded ORR School Committee member and Chair of the Equity Subcommittee Frances Feliz Kearns, who is a Black woman. "We do have a lot of work to do in this district and we need to make sure that we're protecting the students who are most vulnerable, so I welcome that discussion at our next equity subcommittee meeting."

The next Equity Subcommittee meeting is currently scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 17, according to the ORR meeting calendar.

What does ORR policy say?

The following is taken directly from the district's policy manual, available online on the district website:

When a problem concerning instructional resources in a school arises, the disposition of the problem will be made in a reasonable period of time using District adopted procedures.

In accordance with the statement of philosophy, no questioned materials shall be removed from the school pending a final decision. Pending the outcome of the request for reconsideration, however, access to questioned materials can be denied to the students of the parents making the complaint, if they so desire.

If the decision of the School Committee is that the questioned instructional resource be retained, the District will not convene a Review Committee relative to the same complaint for a period of three years.  If a substantially different point of view is advanced, it will be investigated.  (The period of three years does not apply in this instance).

If an individual or a group undertakes action to keep material from the shelves by checking it out and failing to return it, or by taking turns in keeping it checked out so that it is not available for student use, the Superintendent shall request, in writing, the return of the material.  If it is not returned within thirty (30) days, a bill for the current replacement cost of the item shall be rendered to the party holding the item.

After the School Committee has adopted new materials or approved certain methods, that decision will not be reconsidered for a period of three years beginning with the end of the school year when the adoption is made.

On another page in the policy manual, under "Re-evaluation (Weeding) of Library Resources," it is stated that: "This procedure is not to be used as a convenient or expedient means to remove materials presumed to be controversial or likely to be disapproved by segments of the community.  Materials are not to be proscribed or removed because of actual or potential partisan or doctrinal disapproval, nor because of the origin, background or views of those contributing to their creation."