Image Credit: Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By Rebecca Scott] –
It’s no secret that conservative Tennesseans and that a few more conservative Representatives and Senators have been working to remove questionable and age-inappropriate materials from school libraries.
Protecting Tennessee’s children from the onslaught of LGBTQ+ materials being slipped into school libraries has been a fight that legislators, parents, and concerned citizens have been addressing across the country.
Now, in Knox County Schools, two books available in school libraries have been discovered and have caused a stir. The two titles that have drawn backlash are Gender Queer : A Memoir and Fun Home : A Family Tragicomic.
Leaders in KCS have decided to establish committees to review titles that may contain questionable material generally relating to sex, drugs, and violence.
These committees would cover elementary, middle, and high schools and would be made up of a range of school employees, as well as parents. Not only would they review sensitive material, they would also make recommendations for materials that school libraries need.
One student from West High School, Johnathan Knight, insisted that students already have access to explicit information through the internet and, therefore, argued against the banning of any books in school libraries.
Meanwhile, Sheri Supr from the Knox County chapter of Moms for Liberty argues that these committees shouldn’t even be necessary. “These books shouldn’t have to go through a review process, the principals should be able to make decisions based on what is obscene and what is not. We just want to make sure that they’re educational, and they are appropriate for the age.”
While proponents of explicit content maintain that these books promote awareness and inclusion, most conservatives argue that introducing students to this content through the school library systems is irresponsible and not in-keeping with educational goals and conservative values.
Knox County plans to establish their new committees this spring.
Rebecca Scott is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Rebecca at Rebecca@tennesseeconservativenews.com
