In the ongoing effort to protect Mat-Su children from obscene and sexually explicit books, the Mat-Su School Board has voted to remove seven titles from area schools with dozens more still under review.
So far, the school board has made final determinations on 35 out of 56 challenged books. In addition to the seven books that have been permanently removed, the board has voted to allow the school district administration to determine the age and location suitability of another 14 books. It has also remanded back to the district administration 14 other books for a final decision regarding obscenity status or restricted access.
Books that were removed were done so because the overwhelming majority of the school board believes they meet the state law definition for exposing minors to indecent material.
Before making determinations on any of the challenged books, the school board has waiting to hear formal recommendations from the Library Citizens Advisory Committee, an 11-member board that is tasked with reviewing all challenged books and recommending school board action. To date, the library committee has examined 35 books, with four more book reviews scheduled at its June 13 meeting.
Formed last spring, after many citizens raised concerns over sexually charged books that were easily available to children in various school libraries, the library committee is comprised of seven community members appointed by the school board, along with four school district employees. The chair is the district’s Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Justin Ainsworth.
The library committee’s main function is to “enable both citizens and educators to better understand the attitudes and opinions held in the school and community” and to examine library books to ensure schools are not disseminating sexually explicit material to minors in violation of Alaska statute.
The creation of the library committee initially stirred considerable controversy with many public union Mat-Su educators and librarians expressing vehement opposition to removing controversial books – claiming any such effort is akin to censorship. ACLU of Alaska also filed a lawsuit to oppose the book removals.
Many parents, however, are deeply concerned about the challenged books, which contain detailed descriptions of masturbation, anal and oral sex, sex toys, pole dancing, sex parties, dominatrix, foul language, descriptions of graphic and violent rape, gay teen sex encounters, gender transitioning characters and more.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
These books were mostly shelved in various middle and high schools throughout the Mat-Su, with the most titles coming from Valley Pathways, Career and Technical High, Wasilla High, Mat-Su Central, Burchell High, Palmer High, Su-Valley Jr./Sr. High and Glacier View.
At the May 22 school board meeting, members voted 6-1 to remove two more books deemed obscene, bringing the total to seven. School Board Member Ted Swanson, who has been publicly opposed to the library committee’s work from the start, was the only board member to vote, “no.”
The library committee meets the second Thursday of each month. The next meeting is June 13, 5-7 p.m., at the Mat-Su Borough Admin Building (501 North Gulkana Street, Palmer). It will be livestreamed on Big Cabbage Radio. Books to be reviewed at this meeting are: “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Tricks,” “Perfect,” and “Living Dead Girl.”
28 Comments
Encouraging story! We have a similar issue here in the Kenai/Soldotna public libraries and KPBSD schools. Many of the same titles as on MSBSD’s list, plus more. Excerpts have been read and graphic illustrations shown at city council meetings but those in charge are quite unwilling to do anything about it- in a supposedly “conservative” enclave of the state! Leftists hold all the little levers of local power and are adamant about corrupting kids and adults alike. Folks need to open their eyes and get involved pushing back against this crap.
Taking a lot of peoples time to review perverse bs! Who put this crap there? To remove a book and not remove the ass that placed it there is repeating the very actions that are digging the massive destruction which we presently find ourselves in! Deal with this garbage, we’re done with it!
It’s these sickening LGBTQ trying to groom your children without you knowing it.
YES these books are Disgusting
“Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut? I read that when I was a teen, and it didn’t scar me for life.
GET A SECOND DIAGNOSIS…
JOHN: Have you ever read “The Catcher in the Rye”? It’s one of the most iconic American novels ever. Do you think it should be banned?
Jeanette no I have not read that… And im sure some books get scrutinized by rigid standards that you or I may not agree with.
But do children need subjected to porn because some deviant? Let the children grow up without that stigma A Rabbi explains a bit of history… .https://media.gab.com/system/media_attachments/files/122/679/540/playable/fb96cd123f34003a.mp4
No I have not Jeanette my concern is porn and children.
In other news, a former president has been found guilty of 34 felonies, but Joel reports on books with naughty words.
You don’t get it Jeff, we’re voting for Trump, and trying to PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.
From this evi,l vial in your face school system
I would also recommend for the TDS patients… The word “found” is actually inappropriate in a case such as this.. When we say “found”.. that means we actually “found” ..Actually see something. It was a sham trial, but for the TDS patients.. It’s another one of Joey’s ice creams.
Protecting children by voting for the guy who has had three wives, cheated on the third numerous times, and paid a porn star to keep her quiet about an encounter. The one who was found liable for sexual assault and who bragged about grabbing some in sexual ways? Exactly how will that protect them? Especially the GIRLS??
A Davis. Having predators like leftist, schools,LGBTQ people. Preying on our children telling them you can be whoever you want to be. A Cat a Dog, It’s ok Johnny if you want to be a girl and get your junk cut off, so you can be a girl. All while hiding this from the parents of these children.
As an adult you can do whatever you want. Except when you push this crap in are faces or it’s illegal.
Trump is vile, evil, dishonest, a liar, a fornicater and adulterer….come on… your concerns are misplaced!
Butler, Trump’s “charges” are for another story. Stay focused.
Pay attention Jeff, the article at hand is about local school districts and what kids should and shouldn’t have available for them to read.
Sure are a few clowns posting their ignorance lately!
Trump wears no clothes. You: friend of, lobo and proud alaskan are overweighting the court challenges you present. They are all explainable, maybe not in 20 words, but with some back and forth and some study of the evidence of the case, it should sway you toward agreeing with the jurors and, by extension, the judicial system that the system work and justice was properly served.
You just don’t like the outcome.
The defense failed because Dummy Trump was in charge. The defense screwed up many times. They never had a counter narrative, that is, a different story line that better explained the evidence. Trump and one of the defense witnesses were openly contemptuous of the legal system and its players.
It’s up to you to think critically and accept the product of a still intact justice system.
Actually, Jeff.. Your TDS has prevented you from being able to “weigh” the actual evidence as presented. And, another point, Jeff.. The politically driven “judge” has prevented the defense from presenting quite a lot of evidence before the (biased) jury. We do not have a “product of a still intact justice system”… Unless of course, you side with a biased DOJ, and FBI.. But then, many of us have come to the realization that, there are many, such as Jeff, who side with the assaults on their political opponents, as long as the results are favorable to their political positions.. Anyone who has actually had an honest purview of this sham trial, is aware of the unconstitutional, and biased proceedings.. I have been very critical in my analysis of the facts presented, and the “facts” that the judge blocked, due to his politics.. Jeff is probably just fine with the financial supports to Biden, and his political allies, given by this judge, and his daughter.. Right ? .. Our U.S. Constitution still matters.
Lobo. I have the advantage of being able to confidently recognize and assess evidence and draw supportable conclusions. You don’t.
I love when you peasants keep squabbling with each other, remaining divided and do easy to manipulate and control. Keep it up. Out takeover of your country will be coming soon. Yes, you are all to blame for your own demise if you cannot learn to work together and unite. That’s ok though. More for me when you eliminate yourselves from the competition.
You guys are sad for being so obsessed with banning books and violating people’s First Amendment rights. All you are accomplishing is giving FREE publicity to these books and making more people interested in reading them.
The fact you are offended by basic horror novels, and so many award-winning books, many that have been best sellers for years, speaks volumes.
The Lovely Bones…Water for Elephants…Slaughterhouse…and several books specifically meant to educate our youths that are engaging in sex already how to protect themselves, how to avoid STDs, how to avoid being raped, how to resist peer pressure. You’re practically admitting you want your children to get raped by trying to shield them from these preventative measures. And the worst part is, its got NOTHING to do with YOU. YOU can already keep your child from reading books you disapprove of. This entire movement is to trample OTHER people’s rights to free speech.
A question for Proud Alaskan. Is the support by the Left for gender dysphoria a major ( more than half) reason for the intense hatred focused on the Left by the Right?
The left is hatred (called out) because of your sins. Gender dystopia are sick people they need help.
God created Man-boy, Women-girl, end end of story
Thanks for responding.
Jeff, I want to clarify something you stated that is misleading. You stated that there is “intense hatred focused on the Left by the Right…..” There is not intense of the people on the “Left.” In this case, the “Left” is actual the evil, including those possessed by evil. The evil’s actions and certain beliefs are what the “Right” hates. I know that the marching orders that you and the other trolls have are to get people stirred up, divide people, and attempt to start civil wars. Civil wars cannot happen in this country because many know what is going on. We will defend ourselves, though, if attacked. No hatred though – just feeling sorry for you and the others who have lost your souls to the devil himself. Praying for your eyes to open up to the plight that you have brought upon yourself.
Jeff, People on the “right” don’t have intense hatred for you and your kind. We understand that you are either a troll or someone that has fallen for the lies that the evil puts out there. Hatred has no place in our world.
We have the same disheartening problem in Fairbanks. The vast majority of public education librarians are full steam ahead regarding pushing this exact type of filth on our children. We would be much better off getting rid of all the librarians within the Fairbanks North Star Borough school system and simply utilize a safe source to guide us on purchasing additional material for the kids. Most of the problems in the libraries are centered around the ladies employed to oversee them. Getting rid of them would make for a much easier resolution.