Dearborn board returns to book policy after meeting halted Monday – Detroit News
Days after a Dearborn board of education meeting was halted amid outcry over how the district reviews school library books, tempers again flared during a session Thursday night, with some urging more restrictions and others appealing for inclusion.
More than 600 people packed Stout Middle School in the city, with dozens speaking for hours to continue the public comments portion cut short Monday after the audience became unruly and over concerns about the crowd size.
Following parents’ complaints about sexualized or violent content in literature available in the schools, the district recently announced it was temporarily removing a group of books from circulation and student access while the process for reviewing materials was revised.
“These are not borderline controversial materials but outright infectious diseases on young developing minds,” Ziad Abdulmalik said.
The six titles restricted and undergoing a review in Dearborn schools are: “Push,” by Sapphire; “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold; “Eleanor & Park,” by Rainbow Rowell; “Red, White & Royal Blue,” by Casey McQuiston; “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson; and “This Book is Gay,” by Juno Dawson.
Some who spoke Thursday said the controversy was not about reading but outside interests intentionally sparking divisions.
“We all know this is about erasing our LGBTQ students and staff,” said Mary Kay Kubicek, a Dearborn resident and educator.
Critics who support removing the books have cited depictions of sex, abuse or other topics they believe youths should not be exposed to.
Ross Groover, a district consultant, and board members have said Dearborn’s decisions about reading material were not book bans. Books identified as removed from circulation would not disappear, Groover said. Describing the district guidelines, she said books are selected based on publisher recommendations for age levels as well as approved review sources such as School Library Journal.
“Parents can opt their students out of any and all media materials,” Groover said.
The district announced earlier this month “a more formal structure to review the age-appropriateness of materials, especially for issues such as sexually explicit or violent content” amid its nearly 500,000 physical books.
The district of about 20,100 students has created a digital form for parents to limit specific book titles their children can access and “employees are conducting complete inventories to ensure the catalog reflects what books are actually on the shelves and that missing titles are removed from the list,” officials said.
Meanwhile, the district’s media specialists are reviewing school collections, removing books that students no longer use, are out-of-date or found to be not age appropriate, according to the release.
Parents still concerned about a specific book in a school can pursue removal through a challenge process, which starts with requesting a re-evaluation.
But the inclusion of titles some parents and residents consider explicit and inappropriate prompted such outcry that hundreds packed the first meeting on Monday, sometimes clashing with board members about the chance to share their opinions.
Many who voiced their views demanded administrators heed parents’ concerns.
“Schools are no place to teach children about the complexity of sexuality, gender identification or sexually explicit material,” Mike Hacham said Thursday.
The day before the reconvened meeting, the district warned it was “not a town hall or other open forum. The purpose of the meeting is to allow the Board to conduct the business of the district.”
Large posters were prohibited, and metal detectors greeted guests at the building entrance.
“We don’t want a repeat of Monday,” Superintendent Glenn Maleyko said as the meeting launched. “We want people to be here to express their opinion. We want to hear it.”
Parent Hassan Aoun of Dearborn was among the first to comment at the meeting Thursday.
“We’re out here for the kids,” he said. … “This is not funny. We have to address this issue. These books, the graphics –they’re inappropriate.”
Others disagreed, arguing the restrictions veered toward censorship, limited expression and denied students a chance to see alternative perspectives.
“Burning LGBT books isn’t going to stop anyone from being gay,” Jackson Wagner said. “It will just make them miserable and alienated and the consequences might be fatal.”
Some accused the district and board of ignoring laws about obscene material in schools as well as the parents whose tax dollars pay their salaries.
“You will be held to atonement by your own higher power but your higher power is us,” said Ann Clark of Dearborn.
The event also drew Republican Michigan Attorney General candidate Matt DePerno, GOP Secretary of State candidate Kristina Karamo and state Rep. Matt Maddock of Milford.
“We the parents of America are tired of the schools turning into social and political machines instead of higher learning,” Karamo told the board.
Moves to curb or bar books have proliferated nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic, alarming library professionals and free speech advocates.
Last month, the American Library Association reported 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, compared to 729 in all of 2021.
Books banned in the last year typically focus on a LGBTQ+ protagonist or a protagonist of color, according to a report by PEN America, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting free expression.
Dearborn has joined other school districts in Michigan that have banned or temporarily restricted access to books pending an investigation, the group’s index of school book bans found.
“Following trends around the country, just because objections are raised, you’re seeing (school) boards jump without necessarily considering the diversity of the students they serve or how removing books imperils families who might have relied on that service,” said Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America.
Some objectors have been circulating lists of books to target without reading them, he said. “That’s why we see the same books targeted in multiple districts.”
The American Library Association report in September found that more than 70% of the restriction attempts this year targeted multiple titles. “In the past, the vast majority of challenges to library resources only sought to remove or restrict a single book,” the group said.
“There’s a difference between isolated instances of one or a few parents being concerned about a particular book. What we’re seeing now is an organized movement with citizens encouraging parents to turn out,” Friedman said. “There’s no shortage of rhetoric against LGBTQ individuals, in particular.”
Deborah Mikula, executive director of the Michigan Library Association, noted policies in Dearborn Public Schools and other districts on reviewing titles “really align solidly with statewide and national models.”
School librarians or media specialists “are totally committed information professionals. They curate collections so students see themselves. They have to choose subjects that reflect diverse experiences. That’s their role and they take that very seriously,” Mikula said.
“Specific books might not be the best fit for one person but the perfect for the other. But no individual or group should make sweeping decisions that take that decision away. … We need to give students the space to think critically and prepare for the real world and engage in civil discourse. That is the value of libraries.”
Per district rules, materials are gathered based age appropriateness, which according to publisher recommendations means up to age 10 for elementary, 10-13 at the middle school level, 13-17 in high school.
“Dearborn Public Schools believes that media materials containing graphic and/or gratuitous violence, sexual content, expletives, or hate speech, and without literary or educational merit should not be included in our school media centers,” the guidelines state.
Parents, staff or students who believe the offerings fail to meet that standard can pursue book challenge procedures, which start with an initial review process.
“Each parent or guardian has the right to determine the appropriateness of library resources for their children and should afford the same right to other families,” the district’s updated Guidelines for the Selection and Review of Media Materials state.
Those who commented Thursday night often stressed they were not embracing bigotry or pushing an agenda.
“These books are obviously inappropriate,” Rola Makki said. “… They’re disgusting.”
Some gave fiery speeches amid jeers and outbursts from the audience, calling out what they saw as anti-LGBTQ stances.
“You hate gay people and it’s obvious because look at how you behave when one gay person speaks,” Brian Stone said as attendees stood up and shouted at him.
American Federation of Teachers union officials active in the Dearborn community released a statement before the meeting Thursday addressing the issue.“Dearborn educators are committed to providing a quality education to every single student and ensuring our classrooms are safe, inclusive environments for all, including our LGBTQ students and their families. No matter what we look like or where we come from, we believe all children should have the freedom to learn, be themselves and pursue their dreams,” they said.
“We are concerned because the love that parents have for their children is being exploited with false narratives to divide our community for political reasons, while spreading intolerance toward the LGBTQ community and pitting parents against educators. As we have before, we need to stand together as a united community to care for one another.
“We enthusiastically encourage parents to be active participants in their child’s reading journey. Read with your child. Know what they’re reading. Encourage them to read as much as possible and explore different perspectives and stories.”
Before the meeting ending Thursday, the school board thanked attendees and stressed their input was heard.
“With this subject, we’re trying to do every possible to empower the parents… but within the law,” member Hussein Berry said.
Colleague Irene Watts added: “Everyone here cares about your child, teachers care about your children. And I think the additional dialogue that we have will make us stronger.”