Superintendent clarifies EPS stance on eradicating books from libraries | Information

Enid Public Faculties Board of Training heard from members of the general public Monday night time,regarding an electronic mail despatched earlier this month from a district worker detailing books that wanted to be faraway from college library cabinets.

The response from college officers began even earlier than Monday night time’s particular assembly.

EPS Superintendent Darrell Floyd despatched out his personal electronic mail message to Enid Public Faculties workers clarifying a directive from a highschool administrator that ordered elimination of sure library books as “express.”

Floyd stated he had acquired a number of questions and telephone calls final week after Enid Excessive Faculty Assistant Principal Shannon Crowley despatched an electronic mail earlier this month to highschool workers titled eradicating “express library books – HB 4012.”

The reference was to Home Invoice 4012 launched this 12 months requiring college boards to approve a written coverage establishing the method to problem sure supplies within the media program, and supplies utilized by academics within the classroom. The invoice has not handed the Legislature.

The assistant principal’s electronic mail included an hooked up checklist of 44 books supplied by Linda Murphy, chair, OKGOP Committee on Training. The doc described the books as “extraordinarily express books that inform tales of detailed sexual actions, rape, pedophilia, incest, gay and even underage intercourse, that are being learn by college students. Different books are stuffed with gory violence, homicide, torture, suicide, self-mutilation and occultist/satanic rituals.”

The checklist hooked up to Crowley’s electronic mail included books reminiscent of “I Know Why the Caged Hen Sings,” “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Eclipse” (From the Twilight sequence), “Lord of the Flies,” “Of Mice and Males,” and “The Beautiful Bones.”

The doc described gadgets or passages within the books thought of offensive.

Floyd despatched out a follow-up electronic mail on Monday, Aug. 15, advising workers members to ignore “any earlier emails/directives which have been despatched out by directors stating {that a} checklist of books wanted to be instantly eliminated till reviewed. Completely different language ought to have been used.”

“The one guide (or books) that might have to be instantly eliminated is for those who discovered one which had egregiously sexually express and inappropriate content material, and I consider our librarians have completed that,” his electronic mail said. “That was actually the one factor we had been attempting to deal with initially. All different books that you’ve been utilizing within the library and/or in your classroom can proceed for use.”

Floyd’s electronic mail additionally included hyperlinks to the board’s coverage relating to library choice, detailed guidelines concerning the coverage and assessment procedures.

At Monday night time’s assembly, Floyd addressed the difficulty after seven members of the viewers spoke. Because the challenge of books was not on the agenda, board members couldn’t focus on it.

“Suffice it to say that we didn’t deal with this accurately,” he stated. “We should always have dealt with it in another way.”

Earlier than Floyd spoke, members of the viewers had their say.

Cathy Reed, who launched herself as a guardian, a former college librarian and a present librarian, was the primary viewers member to deal with the college board Monday night time.

“I consider we are able to belief people to make their very own choices about what they need to learn and consider,” she stated.

She additionally handed out intensive info from American Library Affiliation as regards to guide banning.

“I consider mother and father have the precise to information their very own youngsters in studying and never be making choices for different individuals’s youngsters,” she stated.

Former metropolis commissioner Ben Ezzell spoke concerning the legalities of the First Modification.

“We don’t get to override the US Structure and the Invoice of Rights and the First Modification, not right here in Enid and never down in Oklahoma Metropolis,” he stated.

Susan Shewey, a mom of three youngsters who attended Enid faculties and librarian at Taft Elementary college from 2008 to 2016, additionally addressed the board.

“Ten days in the past my telephone blew up with texts, calls and emails telling me that every one the Enid Public Faculties librarians had acquired a listing of 44 books that had been being banned,” she stated.

She labeled the unique checklist from Murphy, chairman of the OKGOP Committee on Training, as propaganda, with improper spelling and authors not listed.

She says it was inflammatory to create a unfavorable response.

Additionally throughout Monday’s assembly, Randy Lengthy was appointed to fill the vacant Workplace 6 seat.

The seat had been open since Kyle Whitehead resigned final month.

Three board members, Tony Turnbow, Matt Sampson and Chad Mantz, interviewed 4 candidates on Thursday and selected Randy Lengthy to fill the place. Lengthy, who was appointed unanimously, is an legal professional whose grown youngsters attended Enid Public Faculties.