"Lawn Boy" And An Anonymous Email: Parents' Concerns Highlighted At Ramsey Board Meeting

RAMSEY, NJ — Books with sexual themes in the school library, and a letter sent to some Ramsey families, dominated discussion at the district school board meeting on Tuesday.

Parents claimed the Ramsey HS librarian promoted books like "Lawn Boy" and the graphic novel "Gender Queer," which discuss or depict sexuality at a young age. And an anonymous person (or people) sent an email to a number of families, as NorthJersey.com reports, opposing the state's sexual education curriculum and the fact "Lawn Boy" was on the shelves at the RHS library.

The email, sent April 21, was signed "Ramsey Parents Union," according to NorthJersey.com. School officials told the news outlet they are unaware of such a group.

The Board of Education meeting video is available here. Discussion about the letter and books begins at about 41 minutes, 40 seconds in.

Ellen O’Keefe was the first resident who brought up the letter.

“I’m deeply disappointed that someone sent a letter to the community and didn’t use his or her real name,” said O’Keefe, director of the Glen Rock Public Library and a former Ramsey librarian. “I’m here to support the right to read for everyone.”

Parent Shonna McAleer said she wanted to clarify why some parents are against certain books being in the library.

“I think most parents are not upset that these are books about gay people," McAleer said. That’s not the point. The point is, they are books that are talking about children as young as ten years old engaging in sexual activities.”

Parent Allison Nordman said the librarian "went out of her way" to recommend Jonathan Evison's "Lawn Boy" to students. Nordman said the book is "graphic, vulgar, and explicit."

Elaine Jones, who said her daughters graduated from Ramsey in 2013, said she had the “right to expect public schools to teach for the good of the community, not teach just what a select group of parents demands.”

Jones said the point of books like “To Kill a Mockingbird” are uncomfortable for a reason. Jones gave the example of the character Atticus Finch explaining to his daughter Scout why she cannot use a racial slur.

“Isn’t this a message that all students need to hear?” Jones asked.

She suggested that concerned parents explore what their students are learning.

“Don’t take someone else’s word for what’s happening in your child’s education," Jones said.

Superintendent Dr. Matthew J. Murphy told families the district did not give out email addresses to the anonymous sender, NorthJersey.com reported.

Murphy asked parents to be calm, and to discuss any books they are concerned about with their student's teacher.

"We find this accusation particularly troubling coming during School Library Month when we are celebrating and highlighting their role in providing safe spaces, defending intellectual freedom, and promoting key competencies such as critical thinking and empathy," Murphy said in a letter, as reported by NorthJersey.com.