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Date: 5/31/2023
LUDLOW — Members of the community packed the Harris Brook Elementary School cafetorium to listen to and participate in the discussion as the School Committee addressed a proposed library policy at its May 23 meeting.
According to School Committee member Joao Dias, the policy’s proponent, it is designed to get rid of inappropriate materials from the school district library, however, others pushed back, questioning the motives behind the proposal and whether any change is needed at all.
The policy was proposed before the committee’s last meeting on May 9 and distributed to the public and posted online afterward, but the May 23 meeting represented the first discussion since then.
The draft policy, available on the School Committee website, proposes more definitions and limitations on types of books allowed in each school but would continue the current process of allowing parents and teachers to vote on allowed materials.
The proposed policy states that no materials in the elementary school libraries should contain explicit written description of sexual acts or nude intimate parts, implied written description of nude intimate parts, visual or visually implied depictions of sexual acts or simulations of such acts and visual depictions of nude intimate parts or implied nudity.
The middle school and high school restrictions become somewhat more lax based on education purposes.
The public comment portion at the beginning of the meeting featured approximately 30 Ludlow Public Schools staff members or school parents expressing their opinions for or against the proposed policy.
Those in favor argued that they didn’t want books that described sexual acts, use of drugs or acts of rape to be allowed in the schools’ libraries.
Those against the policy argued that the proposed policy was part of the “right-wing agenda” of the committee and restricted students the access to information.
After most speakers had expressed their opinion during the more than one-hour discussion, other community members screamed their opinions at each other from the crowd.
Ludlow High School librarian Jamison Hedin explained the “logistical problems” with the proposed policy.
She said, “All four of the current librarians in the system who have years of experience are united in our opposition to the policy. We have read it carefully; we have discussed it amongst ourselves at length. We already have a collection development policy in place with our building principals reviewing our selections.”
Hedin added that this policy has been in place for at least her 15 years at Ludlow High School and said it has been working.
Dias then explained his proposed policy along with his thought process as to why he brought the proposal forward.
He said, “I did as much research as I could, and I found out that absolutely nothing has changed. The last time this policy was reviewed or updated was in 2017. Most of the members on the policy are no longer on the School Committee.”
The first paragraph of the proposed policy describes the objectives of the policy along with definitions of sexual acts, intimate parts, implied nudity and more.
The proposed policy mentions the responsibility for selection which states, “the legal responsibility and authority for the selection and purchase of library materials is vested in the School Committee, who may delegate such authority to the superintendent, principal or other designee.”
It gives the School Committee decision-making powers when acquiring new print and digital materials for the district’s libraries.
Dias said he thinks the current policy puts the town at risk for a civil lawsuit and exposes anyone who takes part in this to state and federal prosecution.
“So, what is the risk for doing nothing? We have continued complaints from parents, possible lawsuits from parents. The current policy leaves a lot of the decision-making to a librarian. If that librarian makes the wrong decision on a book and that is a decision you don’t like, you will probably sue her or him. That is what is going on,” Dias said.
In 2022, parents sued the Ludlow School Committee and several school administrators over the district’s alleged failure to disclose to parents information about their children’s gender identities.
School Committee member Jeff Stratton said there is no problem with the current policy because it is the same parents who complain about it, and no one uses the policy to its fullest potential.
The current policy allows parents to challenge a book and be notified of every single book that is checked out of the library.
According to Stratton, only two books have been challenged in the last five years.
“I don’t think this is a widespread problem. I don’t think the current policy isn’t working, I think it is not being used.”
School Committee member Ron Saloio argued, “This is not book banning, this is making the best possible decision with the limited resources and put the best books in the library for the educational purposes of our district. Book banning, if a child came into the school with a Penthouse, Playboy or pornographic book, the teacher is going to take. That is book banning.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts sent an email to the School Committee to express the organization’s concerns and urging them to voted down the proposed policy.
Senior and Managing Attorney Ruth Bourquin said, “The proposed policy raises numerous legal issues, including free expression, vagueness and discrimination, and we urge the School Committee to reject it at the earliest opportunity.”
She went on to explain issues with the proposed policy such as the right to free speech, the right to receive information free of censorship and regulations that impact free expression in the context of school libraries.
The letter also offered legal background including mentioning a similar situation ACLU is dealing with at another school.
Borquin said, “We are also aware that the proposed policy is a nearly verbatim copy of a policy proposed in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a district renowned for anti-LGBTQ+ bias and facing litigation by the American Civil Liberties Union as a result.”
The School Committee will meet on June 13 to vote on the proposed library policy.