FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — A controversial book will remain off the shelves at Flagler County Schools for now.
The book “All Boys Aren’t Blue” sparked a protest and counter protest last month after a school board member filed a complaint saying it violated obscenity laws.
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The superintendent has now put out a memo saying it would not go back on school shelves, but three others will.
The book author called the decision ridiculous. They said the book is meant for those 14 and up and those readers should have access to it if they want it.
The superintendent said it will not be back until there’s a clear process for students to check out sensitive material.
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Flagler County Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt sent out a memo explaining her decision to keep the book “All Boys Aren’t Blue” off bookshelves in the district’s libraries.
In a prepared statement, Mittelstadt writes, “We would need to create a procedure within our school media centers that have age-appropriate locations for sensitive matters within our school buildings.”
The 2020 memoir by author George M. Johnson explores growing up Black and queer. It came under review last month when school board member Jill Woolbright filed a complaint over what she felt was obscene content in it.
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Woolbright said in a statement that reads in part, “Everyone should be happy given time, as the great news that has come out of this decision is that new protocols and procedures are being created for our Media Centers.”
Amazon and the New York and Chicago public libraries named “All Boys Aren’t Blue” the book of the year in 2020.
“All students should have access to this particular book,” Johnson said. “We should all be learning about experiences that aren’t like are own.”
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Johnson said the book is geared toward people 14 and older.
“It is what it is: A Black queer story, and people
just have issues with anything that doesn’t center specifically … on people who are heterosexual, cis and white,” they said.
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Johnson plans to work with the ACLU to challenge the decision.
The district’s Media Review Committee stated it felt the book should be in the high school media centers once families are made aware of the district’s opt-out policy.
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