The Baldwin County Board of Education (BCBE) is developing a new system to protect children from inappropriate material that lacks educational value.
After removing many publications from the shelves, BOE member Ken Bradley said there is still more work to be done. He said books covering school shootings, suicide and transgender issues are in school libraries due to a national effort by the American Library Association (ALA) and other groups.
While he said Baldwin County Schools isn't alone in having inappropriate materials, he wants to see a change by the Board of Education and school officials.
The schools with transgender-related books are Bay Minette Middle School, Baldwin County High School, Central Baldwin Middle School, Daphne Middle School, Delta Elementary School, Elberta High School, Fairhope Middle and High Schools, Foley Elementary, Middle and High Schools, Robertsdale Elementary and High Schools, Silverhill Elementary School, and Spanish Fort Middle and High Schools.
Bradley said the most disturbing materials were found in Daphne, Fairhope and Foley. Here is a list of some of the books Bradley discovered:
“Suicide Bombers: Foot Soldiers of the Terrorist Movement” by Elaine Landau describes how to recruit and train young individuals in a terrorist group and how to influence them to carry out suicide attacks.
“The Road to Martyrs’ Square: A Journey into the World of the Suicide Bomber” by Anne Marie Oliver and Paul F. Steinberg gives the account of a Hamas attempted suicide bomber who survived when his bomb failed to detonate on an Israeli bus.
“The Last Domino” by Adam Meyer is about a kid who looks up to his brother, who committed suicide.
“Endgame” by Nancy Garden takes the perspective of a bullied student who has fantasies about killing his bullies and eventually becomes a school shooter. Nancy Garden was best known for the lesbian novel, “Annie on My Mind.”
“Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas is about a “trans boy” who summons a ghost. The book was the first book on the New York Times Bestseller List by a transgender author featuring a transgender character.
“This is Where it Ends” by Marieke Nijkamp is about a school shooting in a fictional Alabama town. It features LGBT characters and details their personal struggles.
“Transgender Role Models and Pioneers” by Barbra Penne is a book to “inspire young transgender people.”
“Gender Dysphoria” by Rose McCarthy offers resources for children and teens dealing with gender dysphoria.
The school system's summary of the publication states, "It's a distressing condition that can cause mental anguish as people try to cope with their assigned gender not matching their innate sense of who they are."
Bradley said ALA model policies permit librarians "to place materials in the library that suit their political bent."
He is requesting a system-wide standard package for elementary, middle and high school materials. Librarians could request materials be added if they feel they are important to students.
Superintendent Eddie Tyler agreed with Bradley's concerns and hopes administrators will discuss policies and possible changes with him.
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