VIERA, Fla. – A Brevard County school board meeting Tuesday night got a little heated between board members and those who spoke out against the district’s removal of books from libraries because they are “inappropriate.”
One commentator compared the school board to racists and Nazis.
“Controlling information and who has access to that information is not about protecting people, it’s about controlling them,” Rachele Jolley said. “Do you really want to be on the same list: book banners, slave masters, Hitler, Brevard Public Schools?”
In the last two years, the school district’s book review committee has made recommendations for three dozen books — either to remove them totally or setting a grade limit to reading them.
Now, the district said librarians, or media specialists, have removed books from their libraries on their own.
The district issued a statement about what some board members called misinformation about the action.
“Brevard Public Schools was made aware of a book list circulating on social media that inaccurately claims there’s a long list of newly removed books from BPS libraries. The majority of books in question were moved from one elementary school library to a neighboring middle school library. School-based decisions do not impact district-wide libraries. School media specialists have the responsibility and authority to remove titles from their school,” the statement said.
School board members gave their own emotionally-charged comments on the issue at the Tuesday meeting.
Jennifer Jenkins supported the speakers.
“What is being shared on the internet is not false,” Jenkins said. “It was given to them as a public record.”
Matt Susin followed Jenkins.
“The issue is, is that they continued to spread the misinformation,” he said. “And that’s just disgusting.”
Board Chair Megan Wright said she believes the book review committee’s recommendations have been a good thing for students.
“I think it’s a fair expectation for any parent to assume that a book that’s picked up in one of our libraries is safe for their children,” Wright said.