A father of two children who attend school in a Pennsylvania district asked school board members why two books that include graphic illustrations of sex were in circulation in school libraries, causing an abrupt recess to the meeting, the National Review reports.
''I would like by a show of hands, each school board member, to indicate whether, by raising your hand yes, this looks like it's pornographic,'' Christopher Manos asked the board while presenting graphic depictions of people engaging in sex acts from the book ''Gender Queer: A Memoir.''
A legal adviser told the board not to answer or respond to Manos, and after a 15-minute recess, board President Chris McCune told the crowd: ''That book is not in our district. That book is not in a district in our county. That book is not in a district in our state. So, therefore, it's not really material to our board meetings.''
But West Chester Superintendent Robert Sokolowski, in a letter to parents obtained by the news outlet, said ''Gender Queer'' was in circulation in the libraries at Rustin and West Chester East high schools.
He said that he ''immediately pulled both copies to place the book through our administrative review process'' and that the board is not involved in selecting library books or developing reading lists.
''The process of how books are selected for placement in our libraries is one that we haven't examined in many years,'' he wrote. ''We are always looking for opportunities to grow, and we will be evaluating this process with the support of our school librarians. Again, our goal is to provide reading material that is engaging, relevant, and also appropriate.''
Manos told the National Review that the West Chester Area School District is a great school system but said he was concerned that children may be exposed to sexually explicit material.
''What type it is, is irrelevant,'' he added.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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