KENT, Wash. — The Kent School District board tabled a vote Wednesday on whether to remove a book from the Cedar Heights Middle School Library.
Earlier in the school year, a student’s parent/guardian made an objection concerning the book “Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)” by L.C. Rosen, which features a 17-year-old gay protagonist who is a junior in high school.
The book was pulled from school library shelves, but is now back in circulation, pending the board’s vote on its removal.
The district’s Instructional Materials Committee previously voted 12-3 to recommend removing the book from the middle school’s library.
The school’s principal, Erika Hanson, is also in support of removing the book.
“As the principal, I support the community challenge and the removal of ‘Jack of Hearts’ from the Cedar Heights Library,” said Hanson. “The graphic nature of sexual content, profanity, exposure to drugs, alcohol and risky decision-making behaviors in the book ‘Jack of Hearts (and other parts)’ outweighs literary merit.”
Gavin Downing, the teacher-librarian at Cedar Heights, has continued to support the book’s inclusion in the school’s library.
“A book may be removed if it is educationally unsuitable, or if it is harmful to minors … and at this time, the book has not been found to be harmful to minors, even in Texas, where this book has faced intense challenges,” said Downing. “I would ask the IMC to look at the evidence, as well as consider the needs and First Amendment rights of all students, and dismiss the book challenge to allow the book to remain on the library shelf, for students to check it out or leave it there at their own discretion.”
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Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, the School Library Division of the Washington Library Association also released a statement in support of Downing and the book’s inclusion:
“When books are removed it decreases understanding, breaks down discourse, and tells people who identify with the characters found within that they do not belong in our communal spaces. Libraries are magical because they contain stories for each and every one of us … We respectfully ask that the parents, administrators, school boards, and communities support the Teacher Librarian and respect the autonomy of each student and their family to make their own choices about what to read.”
Downing’s appeal of the IMC’s decision will be discussed during the Kent School Board’s meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Both Downing and the individual who challenged the book have been invited to present to the board during the meeting.
The ACLU has said they are following the situation after they were contacted by students, parents and constituents of the Kent School District.
“Banning books runs counter to the District’s nondiscrimination policy and is harmful to students,” said the ACLU in a letter to the district’s board of directors. “We plan to continue monitoring this situation and will determine how to proceed following the June 8, 2022 board meeting. A prompt correction to the decision to remove this book is necessary.”
After nearly five hours and many speakers at Wednesday’s meeting, the Kent School District motioned to table the vote until their next meeting on June 22.
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