Book Banned By Harford County Education Board, Parents Speak Out About Decision

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — There's an empty spot on the school library shelf where the award-winning illustrated novel "Flamer" by Mike Curato used to sit.

The book was banned by the Harford County Board of Education during a closed-door session in late June, even after some lobbied to keep the book. Some teachers and parents spoke out Monday against the school board's decision while some were in favor of the ban, reported WJZ.

The novel at the center of this controversy is about a teenage boy who "navigates friendships, deals with bullies and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about)," according to the author. The main character, Aiden Navarro, is away at camp and about to enter high school when he "finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance."

"This was the first formal appeal under the newly finalized book review procedure — a process nearly two years in the making, developed with input from staff, board members and members of the public," Harford County Board of Education President Aaron Poynton said in a statement. "The decision we made will likely set a precedent for future challenges, and we recognize the importance of clarity."

A parent filed a request for review for "Flamer" last fall and it was reviewed by the Library Materials Reconsideration Committee in accordance with the school district's new process. In May, the committee decided that the book could stay in middle and high school libraries, and the superintendent agreed.

But that parent then appealed to the Board of Education, which ended up voting 5-3, with one voting member abstaining, to ultimately remove the book.

Poynton defended the board's decision to ban "Flamer" from schools in the district, saying during the meeting that the book is filled with "pervasively vulgar language."

"If I were to read excerpts aloud during a Board meeting, I would be fined by the FCC," Poynton said. "This language is not suitable for younger children in schools."

During the school board meeting, some parents spoke out in favor of the book's ban, including one person who said, "The job of the public schools is to teach our students what they need to know to be literate, not to train up radicals to protest and find their voice," WJZ reported.

"It's sexually explicit, and it has tons of vulgar language in it," said Suzie Scott, from the group Moms for Liberty. "It's just not the kind of thing that is appropriate for your average middle school or high school student…There's only so much shelf space in a school library, and we want to curate the best school library possible."

"With all of the wholesome books available, why is it that we choose books that are extremely filthy and inappropriate for kids?" an unnamed member of Mom's for Liberty added.

Members of the advocacy group Together We Will - Harford County led a protest before the county school board meeting Monday in opposition of the book ban. In a statement, the group said the decision to ban the book "threatens student rights."

"In the school system, parents can opt out of any book that they want for their child. There is already plenty of support or protection for any parent who doesn't want their child to read a book," said Delane Lewis, president of Together We Will. "What we have is the Board of Education stepping in front of parents and telling them what they should or shouldn't have their children read."

"This isn't an attempt to protect students. It is an opportunity for you to stomp on the students who are already vulnerable," said Dr. Kurt Doan, president of the Upper Chesapeake Pride Foundation.

"I think it's just really important for all kids regardless of how they identify, regardless of their background to have access to things that give them other perspectives," Leslie Thompson, a parent of students in the school system, said at the meeting, according to WBAL. "If there are parents that don't want their children to read those books or have access to those types of things, then that's perfectly fine. But under no circumstances should another parent impose their beliefs or ideologies onto everyone else in the school district. It's reprehensible."

Last year, the Maryland Freedom to Read Act set down rules for school libraries that included creating policies to review objections to materials at each school district. The act specifically states that "materials may not be excluded from a school library media program solely because of the origin, background or view of the individual who created the material" and that "materials may not be excluded or removed from the catalogue of a school library program because of partisan, ideological or religious disapproval."

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