Parents divided over library books some see as ‘vulgar’

GUILFORD — Some parents brought their concerns to the Board of Education regarding books they called “pornographic,” “vulgar,” and “inappropriate” available in the school and e-book libraries, calling for some form of parental notification.

The public forum on March 13 occurred after the BOE received 29 emails in the previous two weeks expressing concerns about a book ban, referring to complaints on social media, and two emails criticizing some books, according to the chair.

Titles that parents brought up at the meeting included “The Lawn Boy,” “Flamer,” “It’s Perfectly Normal” and “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.” These books are among the 50 most banned books in America.

Gloria Gibney, a resident, took issue with “The Lawn Boy,” a novel about a Mexican-American boy on a journey of self-discovery.

Gibney said the characters in the book “are addicted to porn, gambling on sports games, doing drugs, bankrupt employers and (using) language that is vulgar” — instead of being a book that offers guidance or solutions for those in the same shoes.

Gibney cited an array of expletives and derogatory slang terms in the book’s 300-plus pages and what she called “disgusting pornography.”

“I love Guilford,” she said. “The last few years, I’ve become disillusioned of what’s happening, and I’ve become aware of the questionable books that have just been referenced to … so I decided to investigate.” BOE Chair Kathleen Balestracci said neither the board nor the school administration has received any request to remove any books, noting current policy recognizes students’ free access to books and the board is “disinclined” to amend it, given its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“However, should Guilford Public Schools receive any specific request for a reconsideration of any specific texts, the board will hear and carefully consider the request” in accordance with BOE’s policy and procedure, Balestracci said.

Christ Esposito, a parent of two young daughters, said he doesn’t support or oppose a ban on any books. Still, he wants the transparency and the opportunity to know when his kids check those books out from the library so he can “have a controlled conversation with them when they’re confused by that subject matter.”

“We have music that has ratings on it, we have video games that have ratings on it, we have movies that have ratings on it for a reason,” Esposito said. “It’s because of the audience and what they can take in as an individual.”

Esposito criticized two books in particular: “Flamer,” a book by Mike Curato, a book about a half-Filipino teenage boy who is bullied at a boy scout summer camp which has a scene involving masturbation and ejaculation, and “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.”

Of the latter, he said the book was different from the PG-13 movie version he saw, as it included “vulgar” language. He wondered if a 14-year-old should be reading it and if they would fully understand the book without parental guidance.

On the other hand, Nan Ellman defended the books. While the graphic novel, “Flamer,” features sexual topics, she said the book offers great lessons to kids, pointing to when the main character walked away when he felt uncomfortable during a sexual game.

Ellman also recommended “It’s Perfectly Normal” as a great book about puberty she bought to talk to her kids. Acknowledging cartoon depictions of nudity in the book, Ellman said, “they’re clearly not salacious; they’re educational.”

Paula Pasieka, a library paraprofessional at Baldwin Middle School, said nothing would motivate students to read a book more than telling them not to read that book, pointing out the importance of examining these books completely, without personal bias.

“It is very easy to select quotes and soundbites that can be taken out of context to intentionally incite and inflame public opinion and to forward personal agendas,” she said.

Regarding complaint emails, the board chair said she has seen some comments attacking school librarians on social media and felt “appalled.”

“These professional educators conduct their jobs with great care and expertise, and vicious attacks on their character or job performance based on the presence of particular books in our school libraries are unjustified and undeserved,” Balestracci said.

Most books targeted have main characters in the LGBTQ community or people of color.

Lisa Kelly, a parent of two, said every child deserves to see themselves in the books they read and to have their identities affirmed. She called the book removal attempt “a national right-wing movement.”

Bob Harrington, a parent, said he’s also concerned about the book access for his children, but it’s bigger than that. He said these books, particularly about the LGBTQ community, will save lives. He said those kids’ safety is worth “the extra effort” from parents.

“There are children out there who will kill themselves if they don’t have access to understand that they’re normal, there’s nothing wrong with them,” Harrington said.

“If I have to pay a little extra attention to what my son is doing to give them a chance to come into contact with that information that they can’t get elsewhere, that they may have to get without their parents knowing because their parents will do something to them, then so be it,” he added.

Conversations about book banning in public school libraries have occurred nationwide and locally, including towns Westport and Greenwich. Connecticut libraries also saw a rise in removal requests in 2021.

Guilford was also a battleground in the past years against critical race theory, a concept some described as the district’s “indoctrination” of their children. The schools repeatedly denied that the theory was being taught.

The school district faced a lawsuit last year by three parents accusing that their children faced bullying and retaliation because of their parents’ political views and that it adopted a “radical racist agenda.”