Division over websites continues in Katy
Parents, students on both sides speak to school board
A rift over the blocking of LGBTQ+ websites on the Katy Independent School District server continued to divide the district Monday night.
After the district’s removal of five books from high school libraries and the discovery that the district prevents students from accessing several LGBTQ+ websites, parents and students at Monday’s board of trustees meeting took to the podium in support of or opposition to the action.
Katy ISD blocks websites of organizations that serve LGBTQ+ children, including the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention nonprofit, through the district’s student internet, a Houston Chronicle analysis found.
The other sites apparently blocked by the district include the Montrose Center, a Houston nonprofit with youth services and support groups, and the Human Rights Campaign and Advocate, a news source focused on the LGBTQ+ community. A message from katyisd.org said the sites are listed under a blocked category called “Human Sexuality.”
Blocking the websites makes reaching critical and often lifesaving resources more difficult for LGBTQ+ students to access, advocates say. It also sends the message that they are not accepted or affirmed in their identities, according to advocates.
“When a student is on the verge of committing suicide, having access to resources in a suicide prevention lifeline like the Trevor Project is a matter of life or death,” Cameron Samuels, a senior at Seven Lakes High School, told the board. “The same applies to resources like the Montrose Center, and it is undoubtedly discriminatory that an internet filter category like this had existed in the first place.”
Supporters of the district’s actions have noted that other web
sites dedicated to suicide prevention are still accessible to students, negating the need for specific LGBTQ+ sites such as the Trevor Project. Advocates disagree, arguing that counseling resources unique to LGBTQ+ students are critical.
“It has been said that the administration does not see the need to include such sites because mental health resources are offered in alternative locations,” said Dr. Eliz Markowitz, a former Texas House candidate. “However, much like you would not recommend drug rehab to someone who suffers from anxiety, the resources on these sites are targeted to meet a specific need.”
The district also decided to remove five books parents said were inappropriate: “Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)” by L.C. Rosen, “Forever for a Year” and “The Nerdy and the Dirty” by B.T. Gottfred, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews and “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison.
“We’ve had activists use textbook censorship to silence others before, and they say that they’re advocates for students and families,” said Dr. Ryan Abt, who studies education and the intersection of gender and race. “They’re not. They want to limit materials in schools, who those materials represent and who those materials support.”
The district announced last week that it is launching areview of library books that may be considered “pervasively vulgar” after parents at the last board meeting complained about explicit language in some works available to students. Katy ISD is considering restructuring the book challenging process and encourages parents to use its new online portal to file complaints over material.
Those in support of the district’s decision spoke out in favor of the action and requested that the board maintain its determination.
“I hope this is a permanent removal and (the books) will not return to our children’s library bookshelves ever again,” said Mary Ellen Cuzela, a substitute teacher for Katy ISD. Calling the books “vulgar” and “obscene,” Cuzela also implored the district to cut ties with the American Library Association, which she blames for disseminating controversial literature to schools.
“Do not be fooled by the books’ approval by these associations or the awards,” agreed Karen Perez. “I’m glad you’re removing certain books and revamping this process, but many librarians are spoon-fed the material and training by the ALA.”
Some supporters dismissed the notion that blocking the websites and removing the books is censorship. “I strongly oppose censorship, and I cherish our First Amendment rights,” said Claudia Turcott. “I am simply against the school library making porn available to minors, and I object to my tax dollars supporting that endeavor.”
In October, a complaint filed by a community member over socalled critical race theory and “Marxism” being depicted in a graphic novel prompted the district to temporarily pull all copies of it from school libraries and postpone an event with award-winning Black author Jerry Craft. The district reinstated the books and rescheduled Craft’s speaking engagement after a review.
In November 2017, the school system temporarily pulled “The Hate U Give” from its libraries after a parent complained about its language at a board meeting. The book was allowed back into the district’s high school libraries but with required parental approval.