The ongoing controversy around sexually explicit library books available to children enrolled in the Fairbanks School District was a hot topic at the latest school board meeting.

During the Nov. 18 meeting, conservative Board Member Loa Carroll-Hubbard asked her fellow board members to help strengthen board policy to ensure that children do not have access to sexually charged materials in school libraries.

“What I’d like to see is to somehow specifically state that there should be no sexually explicit material in our libraries, period, whether we’re talking elementary school, middle school or high school age,” she said. “I don’t see any educational value in sexually explicit material, and I don’t see any limitation on this policy for that kind of material.”

She noted that there are roughly 500 books in Fairbanks school libraries that have stirred controversy due to their sexual nature, and that the board needs a clear policy in place to address these community concerns.

A number of her fellow board members wanted nothing to do with altering the policy, arguing that the current administrative regulations are perfectly acceptable.

Board member Meredith Maple addressed the issue by choosing to defend one of the controversial library books in question, “Looking For Alaska,” by John Green. The book includes graphic sexual scenes in which two teenagers are depicted engaging in multiple sexual acts.

She argued that the book was selected for children by competent educational professionals and librarians, and their judgement should be trusted.

“I trust our policies as they are written,” she said, adding that the district has “professionals that have been educated about what decisions should be in front of which audiences, what should be taught in a classroom, what should just be available for checkout and what shouldn’t be available in either of those places.”

Member Timothy Doran echoed this, saying he opposed any changes to the policy.

He claimed that trained librarians already provide “judicious considerations” of the books, and then asserted that students are already exposed “to a lot of different things” at home and on their devices anyway.

Carroll-Hubbard shot back, saying she was not comfortable with the current administrative regulation, which she said is too vague, as evidenced by continual reports of inappropriate books.

She said the current regulations do not protect impressionable children, who “can’t unsee” graphic depictions once they’ve been exposed to them, adding that parents should not be forced into a position where they must constantly monitor hundreds of objectionable books in Fairbanks school libraries.

“I think the majority of parents in our district want to have more parameters on this subject matter,” Carroll-Hubbard continued. “I’d like to see it tightened up.”

She noted that parents have to pro-actively opt children out of objectionable books, rather than opt in, imposing yet another burden for those who wish to protect their children.

Member Morgan Dulian jumped to defense of the current policy, saying she was “comfortable” with it, and repeating the claim that children are already exposed to sexually explicit materials through their internet devises.

“That’s where the threat is when it comes to our children,” she said. “I think that is our largest threat. Not necessarily in library books.”

She then went on to approvingly recount how she once read a sexually explicit book in her high school library that helped her understand a friend’s experiences.

“It was sexually explicit, however, it helped me understand how to support that person and her lived experience,” Dulian said. “I believe that we need to give young people access and not protect them from life complex and challenging issues because they are experiencing complex and challenging issues all the time, and the library can be a place where allies or even students who are experiencing things on their own have access to stories that help them cope.”

“I do trust the process,” she continued. “I’m going to try and remain focused on strengthening our schools and our educational outcomes for all students.”

Member Naomi Hewitt then chimed in briefly, saying she was “supportive of the policy as it is written.”

School Board President Robert Burgess agreed.

While the school board may be adamant about exposing children to these types of books, a growing number of Fairbanks families have pulled their children from the district for home education or private schooling.

Burgess, however, defended the “Looking For Alaska” library book, claiming most parents generally don’t read the whole book before objecting to it. He quoted the author’s defense of his novel, in which claims his is just trying to show how “emotionally intimate kissing can be a whole lot more fulfilling than emotionally empty oral sex.”

“Context matters,” Burgess added.

He then noted that he recently read a book called “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison. This book, which is shelved in Fairbanks school libraries, depicts graphic sex scenes, masturbation and child rape.

Burgess admitted the book was a hard read with “a lot of difficult passages that were very emotional and depicted traumatic events.” He then defended the author, who he said was really just trying to humanize characters so readers could understand “patterns of violence and internalized racism and systemic racisms that lead to additional harm.”

Burgess said the book helps people empathize with and understand others, claiming that it’s important not to get caught up with “a few pages or sometimes several pages that have content that are challenging or difficult.”

“I think we should err on the side of access rather than restriction because these stories matter, even if they are difficult,” he concluded. “Avoiding exposure to stories that depict real life challenges is asking our students to turn away, to not see it, and I don’t think it prepares them for the reality of the world to restrict them from access to these types of stories.”

While the school board may be adamant about exposing children to these types of books, a growing number of Fairbanks families have pulled their children from the district for home education or private schooling.

In fact, from 2003 to 2025 Fairbanks lost 3,340 students, dropping from 15,140 to roughly 11,800. In October, the district announced it had lost another 589 students this year, and now stands at 11,382.

This comes at a time when the district is struggling to teach basic academics. In January, the state reported that more than 65% of Fairbanks students are failing in math, reading and science.

EDUCATIONAL ALTERNATIVES IN ALASKA

— For parents interested in homeschool alternatives, there are a wide variety of state-funded correspondence programs which give parents control over their child’s education. Some of these programs are limited to certain school districts, but many of them allow students to enroll from anywhere in Alaska. Click here for details.

— The Fairbanks Borough is also home to a number of private schools. Click here for details.

— Alaska also allows parents to independently homeschool without state funds. Click here for details.

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