Several months after pulling books from libraries due to sexually explicit content, the Cobb County School District announced Thursday it has removed 13 more from circulation.
They include acclaimed “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said at a Cobb Board of Education work session Thursday that the 13 books were removed after being found to contain sexually explicit and graphic content.
He said the removals were part of a continuing effort to review books and other materials in district libraries and curriculum offerings.
“We are declining to provide access to materials with sexually explicit content in the same way we decline to provide access to rated-R movies and—in compliance with federal law—use internet filters to prevent students from accessing websites with adult content on school district computers,” Ragsdale said, reading from prepared remarks.
“We make no judgment on whether these books have any literary merit or whether some parents do not object to their children being exposed to lewd, vulgar, or sexually graphic content. There are many rated R movies that are award-winning films; however, it would be inappropriate to provide children with unrestricted access to them in a public school.”
Rowling’s 2012 novel “Casual Vacancy” was among those removed in the latest review.
According to Compass Book Ratings, the book has “many sexual references” as well as mentions of pornography and mature discussions of sex, as well as descriptions of sexual activity and scenes of abuse, rape and incest.
The district has come under criticism by some parents and others for removing books with literary merit, but Ragsdale was adamant—as he has been in announcing previous removals—that exposure to such content is a matter best left for parents.
“Cobb parents can decide if and when their children are allowed to view content in their homes that is not appropriate for unrestricted access in our schools,” he said.
The other books removed include the following titles:
- “Laid: Young People’s Experiences with Sex in an Easy-Access Culture,” edited by Shannon Boodram
- “Crank,” by Ellen Hopkins
- “Tricks,” by Ellen Hopkins
- “Push,” by Sapphire
- “Milk and Honey,” by Rupi Kaur
- “It Starts with Us,” by Colleen Hoover
- “The Infinite Moment of Us,” by Lauren Myracle
- “Identical,” by Ellen Hopkins
- “Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson
- “Juliet Takes a Breath,” by Gabby Rivera
- “Monday’s Not Coming,” by Tiffany Jackson
- “City of Thieves,” by David Benioff
Those books were added to another seven that have been pulled in the last year, including in April and August 2023.
Those decisions have been criticized by parents and others claiming they’re book bans.
At a later school board meeting Thursday, parent Sharon Hudson—who calls herself a conservative Republican—blasted Ragsdale’s latest removals as another example of his “authoritarian rule” while wearing a shirt that said “Read Banned Books.”
She other accused him of removing some books because they have themes featuring minority and LGBTQ students.
Another parent read from a previously removed book, “Flamer,” calling it inappropriate. But as she did so, the district’s live-stream was paused due to what board attorney Suzann Wilcox said were federal regulations due to indecent content.
At the work session Thursday afternoon, Ragsdale defended the latest removals, saying they weren’t taken lightly.
“This is a very surgical process. These are twenty works out of the over one million books in the District’s media centers.
Our team’s mission—a mission it performs exceptionally well—is teaching, not parenting.”
Related:
- East Cobb schools show gains in 2024 Milestones tests
- Cobb Youth Leadership announces 2024-25 class members
- Cobb school bus safety reminders for motorists and students
- Cobb school board adopts millage rate for FY 2025
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