Put Sexually Explicit Books In Restricted Area, Great Valley Mom Asks

PHILADELPHIA, PA —A Great Valley School District parent has filed an amended complaintin U.S. District Court here seeking a temporary restraining order against sexually explicit material in library books.

Fenicia Redman asked the judge to issue a temporary order to place five books listed in the amended complaint in a restricted area and only allow students 18 and older to access the books.

Redman said she has witnesses who will testify at trial about the effects of sexually explicit material on children’s mental, emotional and physical health.

As a result of the amended complaint being filed, U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quinones denied a request from defendants to dismiss the first complaint.

The judge said since Redman has filed an amended complaint the previous requests to dismiss the case is “denied as moot.”

Redman requested the district put these books in a restricted area.

• Tantric Sex: a manual describing sex acts
• Gender Queer: A graphic book of sex acts, written by Maia Korabe
• Fun Home: a graphic novel of scenes of women having sex
• PUSH: a young girl is raped by her father, written by Alison Bechtel
• All Boys Aren't Blue: a young adult nonfiction memoir, by George Matthew about sexual encounters

The complaint also stated that her child has been harassed and bullied at school since she began appealing to remove the books.

Defense reacts

The attorneys representing the defendants have filed requests to dismiss the amended complaint stating that it does not pertain to their clients.

• Brian E. Elias, Blue Bell, an attorney representing the school district officials and school board members, said the new complaint fails to meet the legal standard and does not contain factual allegations. He wrote that Redman did not produce any facts related to the defendants named in the lawsuit.
• Attorney Rufus A. Jennings, a Philadlephia lawyer representing East Whiteland Detective Patricia Doyle, said the allegations in the new complaint do not pertain to the police.
• Attorney Michael Pullano, a Wayne layer representing Assistant District Attorney Leslie Pike said the complaint does not pertain to the prosecutor.

Other defendants named in the suit are Attorney General and Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro and Gov. Tom Wolf.

The amended complaint

• Redman said that her child has been harassed and bullied at school since she began appealing to remove the books.
• Redman presented over 30 pages of content in the books in question.
• Since the original complaint was filed, Redman she has been censored by the school board.
• Redman said when she attended a recent school board meeting to speak about an other issue concerning abortions she was asked to leave the meeting.