The Federal government has found that Georgia’s school districts’ removal of Black and LGBTQ characters has created a “hostile environment” for students which violated their civil rights.
On Friday, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights released a letter stating the findings of its investigation into Forsyth County Schools after dozens of books were removed after parents complained of books with sexual and LGBTQ content.
To support students affected by this removal, Forsyth County Schools has agreed to conduct a school climate survey and provide support measures for those students.
Parent and community members from the Forsyth Coalition for Education have welcomed the resolution “because we believe that while a book on a shelf hurts nobody, students were hurt by having hateful and intolerant views validated by the book removal.”
“The OCR’s finding will cause our school district, and other school systems around the country, to think twice before acquiescing to pressure from pro-censorship groups targeting our libraries,” said coalition member Becky Woomer. “This finding gives people in places like Missouri and Florida, where state legislatures are making it easier to take books off shelves, a real leg to stand on in pushing back.”
Because of Georgia’s ruling, a Texas school district is also being looked at by the Office for Civil Rights for removing books with LGBT content last year.
The conclusion of this case, which was brought about by a complaint made by the Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, may decide whether or not it is discriminatory to leave children out of textbook illustrations.
If the ACLU’s case is upheld, more LGBTQ-themed books may be offered in libraries around the country.
The Georgia decision may not influence all states, but it should serve as a reminder to school districts that removing books from library shelves without following the proper procedures could have consequences. It may be considered a violation of civil rights laws when schools deny students access to literature that addresses their identity issues.
As part of the Education Department’s investigation into the Forsyth district, documents, interviews, and board meeting records were thoroughly examined after a complaint was made that the book removals created a racially and sexually hostile environment for students.
Before the removals, parents in Forsyth had voiced concerns about titles in school libraries that contained sexually explicit material. Initially, several parents objected to books with LGBTQ themes and asked that libraries separate and label them appropriately.
In the end, the district permanently removed eight books and temporarily removed two more. Four of the books are currently only available in high schools.
Per the resolution agreement, the Forsyth district must post a statement explaining the decisions it made on last year’s book removals for middle and high school students.
Additionally, the statement must clarify that the books were not pulled because of the sex, gender, race, or sexual orientation of their characters and it must include “an acknowledgment that the environment surrounding the removal of books may have impacted students.”
Along with stating that the district will take “appropriate action” to address harassment, the statement must also tell students about how to report discrimination and harassment in accordance with federal law. The statement must be turned in to the Education Department by June 31 for evaluation.
The district is also required to conduct a “school climate survey” at middle and high schools before the end of the first semester of the next academic year, as per the agreement. A working committee must also be formed by the district to review the survey’s results and offer suggestions on how to lessen instances of harassment in schools.
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