Bill Would Ban 'Highly Sexual' Material From PA School Libraries

HARRISBURG, PA — Legislation has been introduced in the Pennsylvania state legislature that would allow officials to remove material deemed "highly sexual" from school libraries. It's the latest controversy over where the power of censorship should lie and what role which levels of govermnents should play in adjudicating related disagreements.

Proponents of the bill say that it closes a loophole in existing law that gives libraries larger leeway to contain certain materials which are otherwise illegal to be exposed to minors.

"Under our current criminal law, no one may publicly exhibit or provide to a minor legally obscene materials," State Rep. Barbara Gleim, the sponsor of the bill, wrote in a co-sponsorship memorandum. "This can include materials which are so shocking as to qualify as sexual bestiality, sadomasochistic abuse, and patently offensive representations or descriptions of ultimate sexual activity."

Gleim says that the exemption that currently exists for elementary and high school libraries to contain such materials should be removed from the law.

She added that the bill would not ban sexual subject matter "which, when taken as a whole, has serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value."

The proposal comes as several school districts wrestle with lawsuits and a push from the Republican legislature to allow parents to have greater control over what is taught in individual districts. A highly publicized case at Central Bucks School District in Bucks County resulted in a new library policy that allows parents to challenge books with sexual or "inappropriate" material, and the book is then reviewed by a district committee.

In December, the legislature passed a "cirriculum transparency" bill that would require school districts to allow parents to readily access information online regarding their child's curriculum, but it was vetoed by Gov. Wolf.