By removing books, NEISD stifling ideas and freedoms

What a tragic moment at North East ISD as librarians, lovers and keepers of the written word, are forced to pull books from shelves for review and possible censorship.

Great books are expansive. They introduce ideas and worlds, give language to feelings and moments, offer insight and wisdom, spark our minds and hold steady our hearts. Language is freedom. Freedom of thought. Freedom of ideas. Freedom to write, read — and disagree.

Yes, some books can be uncomfortable and provocative, but this is also part of freedom, just as it is part of learning, and it is part of living in this diverse and rich world.

What to make, then, of North East ISD's decision to review more than 400 books on its school library shelves? To be clear, no parent or teacher wants children to read obscene or age-inappropriate material. But ideas and speech should not be chilled because of political pressure — and we have major concerns about political influence in this review.

As of Thursday, some 75 books had been flagged for removal or relocation by the second-largest district in San Antonio. But the district has only publicly identified four titles, all written by women, minority and/or LGBTQ authors:

• “In the Dream

House” by Carmen Maria Machado.

• “All Boys Aren't Blue” by George M. Johnson.

• “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison.

• “The Breakaways” by Catherine G. Johnson. In an email to parents, North East ISD Superintendent Sean Maika said he wanted to address “misinformation swirling throughout our community” about the district's book review. The review, he wrote, began last spring when he learned district libraries had “at least one book that was wholly inappropriate due to its depiction of race.”

He did not identify the book, but it was “The Story of Little Black Sambo,” a racist artifact that relies on caricatures and stereotypes of Black people.

That made him wonder about other books. And then came the October query from state Rep. Matt Krause, chairman of the House General Investigating Committee and aspiring attorney general, who has drawn attention to some 800 books he believes should be removed from school libraries for how they depict race and sexuality.

“Since we were already determining how best to review our library books, we used that list as a jumping off point,” Maika wrote to parents.

This is a puzzling jumping off point and one that ignores the political moment.

Krause's query is hardly a neutral or pure endeavor. It is overtly political. Krause has struggled to gain attention in a crowded GOP primary for attorney general. Many of the writers he is targeting are people of color, women and LGBTQ.

While other Texas districts rightfully shrugged off Krause's request, North East ISD has inexplicably given it credence.

There is an aura of fragility to this decision. The message Maika and trustees are sending to students and families is they can't handle these books. At the same time, many of these books reflect the reality and diversity of our world — LGBTQ youth often struggle with their identity, people of color have long lacked representation in media, teenagers can be both curious about and uncomfortable with sexuality. Roe v. Wade, very much on the ropes, legalized abortion. This review might potentially censor books, but it also marginalizes and dehumanizes readers who might see themselves in these works.

There are appropriate and transparent ways to review books or to rethink a work's merit — removing “The Story of Little Black Sambo” from school library shelves was the right decision because of its racism and lack of educational merit. Earlier this year, Seuss Enterprises pulled six of Dr. Seuss' books from publication due to offensive and racist imagery.

But even here — explicitly because of the racism — the works should be contextualized for adult audiences. We want people to learn how those works reflect a moment in time, and to understand why they are so painful, harmful and flawed.

To indulge Krause's review is to stand on a slippery slope, opening the door to endless complaints about one work or another, limiting speech and ideas. What a sad chapter North East ISD has written for itself.