Fort Worth ISD shuts down libraries to review books

INTO THE WEEKEND. GOOD MORNING. IT’S WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16TH AND BRANDON TODD, I’M LAUREN PRINCIPLE. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US WITH FOURTH HIGHEST, E SAYS IT SHUT DOWN ALL SCHOOL LIBRARIES JUST AFTER THE START OF THE NEW YEAR, HANDFUL OF BOOKS OR TAKEN OFF THE SHELVES OVER THE SUMMER BECAUSE OF SOME SEXUAL AND VIOLENT CONTENT PAGE IS LIVE THIS MORNING IN FORT WORTH WITH A LOOK AT WHAT THE DISTRICT IS DOING NOW. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING TO YOU. OF THE SHELVES BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGAN. AND SINCE THEN WE’RE TOLD MORE THAN 100. OTHERS ARE NOW

BEING REVIEWED. NOW ONE OF THOSE THREE BOOKS IS TITLED GENDER QUEER DEPICTS GRAPHIC IMAGES TOO EXPLICIT TO SHOW ON TV. IT WAS ALSO DISPLAYED IN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS MOST ALL ARE SEXUAL IN NATURE. OTHERS ARE VIOLENT. NOW. THIS IS CAUSED SOME PARENTS TO SPEAK OUT AT A PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING, WHICH PROMPTED THE DISTRICT TO MAKE CHANGES. YOUR VOICES ARE BEING HEARD. DISTRICTS ARE RESPONDING THERE ARE SYSTEMS IN PLACE, AND THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET BETTER AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TERMS OF OUR PROCESS, AND WE’RE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO ADDRESS THAT IN A

TIMELY MANNER. MARY JANE BOWMAN, WHO WE JUST HEARD FROM, SAYS HOUSE BILL 900, REQUIRES PUBLISHERS TO PROVIDE A RATING FOR EACH BOOK. SO KIND OF LIKE A MOVIE. THEY

WILL RELY ON THAT, WHILE ALSO CHECKING EACH BOOK THEMSELVES. NOW THAT’S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY MEDIA SERVICES, BUT IT WASN’T HAPPENING. FORWARD CONFIRMED THE FOX FOUR THAT THAT PERSON IS NO LONGER IN THAT ROLE, BUT THEY DIDN’T SEE WHERE THEY WERE MOVED TO WITHIN THE DISTRICT. THE INTERIM DIRECTOR IS NOW SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE TO FILL THAT POSITION PERMANENTLY. UNTIL THEN,

THOUGH BRANDON AND LAUREN LIBRARIES WILL REMAIN CLOSED