Quilcene School Board Debates LGBTQ+ Book Ban Proposal
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The Quilcene School Board on October 16 once again discussed a proposal to remove books from the Quilcene School District Library that include LGBTQ+ content. This discussion has been ongoing since it was raised at the July board meeting.
The issue raised by board member Jim Hodgson concerns books purchased with a donation to the library by Olympic Pride in 2022 to buy books that give students access to stories and information that reflect LGBTQ+ identities and help them feel seen and supported.
The board approved the $500 donation and tasked the school librarian with selecting books that fit the purpose of the donation. Hodgson, who joined the board after this decision, has been reading the books the librarian selected and would like to see them removed from the school’s library because he believes they are inappropriate for school children.
There is no audio available from the October 16 meeting due to the Zoom call being “bombed” with inappropriate sexual material. No one has claimed responsibility for the Zoom bomb at this time, and written meeting minutes have not yet been posted.
According to the July 17 meeting minutes, Hodgson expressed concerns about books that bring up the topic of questioning gender to young children.
The meeting minutes said: “Mr. Hodgson referred to some parts of the books and felt that they are creating confusion in society and that these topics should be left to be discussed within families, not be part of the school district. He said library books are often used as supplemental materials for classrooms and that we should only have curriculum-based books available, and that that content doesn't have any value being in the school library.”
Book banning in schools is prohibited in Washington State
The timing of this discussion coincides with the passage of Washington House Bill 2331, which essentially prohibits school boards from banning books. As of June 6, 2024, under the new law, any concerns or objections regarding a book or educational material must be raised in writing by a parent or legal guardian of a current district student and submitted to the school principal. The complaint will then be reviewed by the certified teacher, school principal, district superintendent, and school board, in that sequence.
If the school board did decide to remove those books from its library, the Quilcene School District could lose a significant amount of funding from the state.
In an interview with the Beacon, Quilcene School Board President Jim Cooke said, “[Hodgson]'s thing is he's not really banning them because they're still accessible to the kids through the District Library organization.”
Regardless of the semantics of book banning versus relocation to a different library, many people are upset by the potential removal of books serving a protected class of students with at least 10 people, including teachers, parents, and librarians.
David Griffith, a community member in attendance at the meeting expressed concern that removing LGBTQ+ books from school libraries would send a message to students that their identity isn’t supported and could lead to an increase in bullying.
Sara Smith, a healthcare professional who grew up in Jefferson County, said that it was ok for everyone to have opinion, but that kids needed to feel accepted. She went on to say that books about other types of people help her in her role as a healthcare provider.
Alicia Johnsen, the former library director, said she resigned because the board micromanaged the library, and she wanted to foster a love of reading.
Tamara R. Rotz, director of the Jefferson County Library District, highlighted the role of librarians and the board in a statement sent to The Beacon.
“The recent attacks on the Quilcene School Library by members of the Quilcene School Board are, unfortunately, nothing new in the world of libraries. In my 20+ year career, I have seen this situation play out in many states and communities – and inevitably, it leads to: community division and rancor; students, teachers, and parents exhausted from fighting discriminatory comments and actions; school staff leaving; difficulty recruiting new staff; and, if lawsuits are filed, significant costs to the district and the books back on the shelves where they started,” Rotz stated.
She goes on to note that these types of challenges often succeed in raising the level of vitriol and discrimination, even if they start from fear of societal change, not from hatred and anger.
“It is very difficult to shift peoples’ perspectives while in a fear state,” she said. “Instead, energy is best focused on establishing and enforcing clear policies that align with state and federal laws to prevent the fears of a few loud voices from negatively impacting the community, schools, and others.”
The board could not agree on the resolution during the October 16 meeting, though they plan to discuss the proposal further after seeking legal advice.
The next board meeting will be November 18 at 6 PM.
