By DAVID BOYLE
Like bears coming out from hibernation, mama and papa bears showed up at the Anchorage School Board on Feb. 22 to defend their children and grandchildren from pornographic books that are being found more frequently in school libraries.
A veteran who has two children in Anchorage schools, testified about the board shutting down fellow parent Jay McDonald reading from “Let’s Talk About It.” The board had stopped McDonald earlier this month from reading from “Let’s Talk About It,” giving no reason for suppressing his right of free speech.
“This board’s 5-2 vote to censor speech is a slap in the face of one of the most important constitutional rights afforded to all citizens,” the veteran said.
He then questioned if the board could not handle the testimony, then members have no right being part of the conversation. He also said worried what would happen to students if they are not allowed to speak up in class when they disagree with the teacher or a book. He asked if a student would be able to have a different opinion than the “institutionally approved lesson plan or textbook?” Would students merely censor themselves because they feel marginalized?
McDonald, who previously read from the book, “Let’s Talk About It”, and read to the board a passage from “This Book Is Gay” in October, said the district’s response to him was, “We never let kids see that book, it’s just for the staff.”
Why are the State of Alaska and the Municipality of Anchorage taxpayer funding pornographic books for school staff that they believe are not appropriate for the children? Does the staff read these books in their break rooms? Or are these books selected by staff for children to read?
“The policy that ASD has under their diversity, equity, and inclusion push, that they’ve been transitioning kids in school and hiding it from parents — first they were telling me that it was not happening, and the materials I was asking for don’t exist,” McDonald said to the board Tuesday.
Another parent testified, “This material is actually illegal according to Alaska Statute AS 61.11.128.” He wondered how the district was going to control access to the pornographic books. “That’s like keeping cocaine in your house and telling kids, “Do not touch.”
One parent asked the board, “Why would staff need access to a sexually explicit material when it is obviously not appropriate for our children in the school”?
Robert from Utqiagvik has two students in the district schools. He asked why there were different pronouns on the district’s “Plan to Address Title IX Gender Issues.” He also objected that parents were not consulted on that student’s gender identity form.
John Cunningham, who also testified, believes that culture belongs to the family. He stressed that the family needed to be notified about questionable or possibly pornographic books. The family has the responsibility and right to control the child’s education.
Referring to a pornographic book, Cunningham further stated, “I figure anyone who would hurt a kid in that way shouldn’t be working in this kind of field. And these kids didn’t sign up to be pawns in this culture war.”
He continued: “I’m not here to address a specific piece of material, I’m just trying to tell you, you can be on the side that’s trying to get this in kids’ hands, and whether or not you’re doing it on purpose, I don’t know, but to do so without the family’s input, without the parents tracking it, doesn’t seem right.”
A mother with two young boys spoke in defense of all children. She asked, “My biggest concern is how can I protect them. You guys cannot have my children and they will not be subject to this,” as she showed two of the pornographic books.
A teacher testified that she found the books “positively defiling.” She wondered why the staff needed these books in a public school setting.
Another former teacher and military instructor said it was a great mystery to him why we are teaching elementary age children about sex at all. He noted that this is where perversion starts that winds people up in prison.
That former teacher said, “You put the wrong material out there and you just bred a molester, you just bred a rapist. That’s where it starts. Our children are better than this.”
After the concerned parents voiced their serious concerns, Celeste Hodge Growden, the CEO of Alaska Black Caucus, addressed honesty and integrity. She said Jay McDonald had actually checked out the book from the Loussac Library, not the ASD school libraries.
She implied that the book was not even in the ASD school libraries.
Growden said, “I learned this book was never accessible to students.” But it was available to students. Until it wasn’t, suddenly.
McDonald said he cannot check books out from the school libraries, which is why he got it from the Loussac. He said she is arguing irrelevant details to avoid the real issues.
She then attacked Jay McDonald’s testimony as “baseless allegations.” She further wanted him to apologize to the board or walk back his “misinformation.”
Growden then that several articles have “misinformation” and implied that these articles have led to personal attacks and threats against teachers, librarians, the school board, administrative staff, and even bomb threats.
It is unclear how Growden knew about alleged attacks on various board and ASD staff. There is no substantiation about the source of the alleged bomb threats.
Parents stood up for children, unlike the National Education Association, which believes, “Teachers and school library media specialists must have the right to select and use materials and techniques without censorship or legislative interference.” (NEA Today magazine).
The culture wars have begun. Only active parents, grandparents and other citizens can determine the outcome.
David Boyle is the education writer for Must Read Alaska.
