A Parent Letter to the WCBOE on Obscene Materials Found in Wicomico Schools

May 23, 2023

Wicomico County Board of Education

2424 Northgate Drive, Suite 100

Salisbury, MD 21802

Re: Obscene Books in the Media Centers

Dear Wicomico County Board of Education Members:

You have been officially made aware that obscene books have been added to WCPS media centers without approval or screening, as Superintendent Micah Stauffer has admitted before the Wicomico County Council. This continues to happen, as the system is broken. Since the books have been illegitimately brought in, it should not require a legitimate process to remove them. This willful negligence in the selection of media materials is out of control.

The evidence of content in these books has been provided to you to make an informed decision. To refresh your memory, the evidence can be found here.

These books include:

Beyond Magenta

Me Earl, and the Dying Girl

Gender Queer

Monday’s Not Coming

Murder Trending

Queer Ducks (recently added to media centers)

Tricks

Since your recent modification to the WCBOE Selection and Review of Textbooks, Instructional Materials, and Media Materials Policy INS-SCH-PL-008, your intent is clear that you wish to surrender your full authority to administration to determine what’s appropriate for the content of our media centers, which is a classroom (according to the WCPS School Library Media Handbook). The old policy before it was modified contained a statement which has since been removed:

WCBOE Selection and Review of Textbooks, Instructional Materials, and Media Materials Policy INS-SCH-PL-008 stated: “WCBOE encourages the use of textbooks and materials which enlighten, inspire, encourage, instill hope and foster good decision making, as in comparison to those which discourage, convey a sense of futility or affirm negative or destructive character traits. These materials should also support the mission, vision, educational philosophy, beliefs and values endorsed by the Wicomico County Board of Education.

Why would this statement be removed? Because it is known fact that there are many materials throughout the school system that discourage, convey a sense of futility or affirm negative or destructive character traits as provided along with this letter, including the inappropriate, obscene, and subversive materials, which your recent modification to this policy was designed to permit such negative and destructive traits.

Is there a process for the removal of books? No. The Selection and Review of Textbooks and Media Resources Procedure INS-SCH-PR-016 is invalid, as it does not match the WCBOE Selection and Review of Textbooks, Instructional Materials, and Media Materials Policy INS-SCH-PL-008. For the record, this procedure was created by Superintendent Stauffer on October 22, 2022 just days before the November 8, 2022 election. By design, Staffer’s intent was to proactively subvert the authority of the newly elected board and further obstruct parents with a series of hoops to jump through; an elusive process purposely designed to fail. The Chief Academic Officer will hand-pick unidentified/shielded individuals for review of material, therefore rigging a desired outcome in order to insulate the Superintendent by serving as a virtual scapegoat. We are not playing this game, and you as elected officials are not hiding behind a bogus process to avoid making a responsible decision to remove highly inappropriate and obscene content in Wicomico County Public Schools. You are without excuse and ultimately responsible.

Your actions and recent policy modifications are resulting in multiple policy violations throughout the district. This includes, but not limited to: Wicomico County Board of Education Mission and Vision Policy, the Selection of Textbooks, Materials & Media Policy (before it was recently changed), WCBOE non-discriminatory statement, Political Solicitation in Schools Policy, School Board Governance Policy, Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy, Assessment Philosophy of the Wicomico County Board of Education, Religious Observance Policy, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy, Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Policy, Student Code of Conduct, Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect Policy, Acceptable Use of Technology Policy, etc. You are also violating federal and Maryland state obscenity laws that you care to exploit.

Retaining these books is a preservation of systemic perversion. You are being asked to immediately remove these books from the media centers for having obscene content, revisit and fix the WCBOE Selection and Review of Textbooks, Instructional Materials, and Media Materials Policy INS-SCH-PL-008 and its procedure. This does not require any action of administration but only yourselves. Once our media centers are cleaned up by the board and aligned with board policy and laws, a sound procedure can then be reasonably utilized for maintenance thereafter.

Thank you for your attention in this matter. I look forward to your response and course of action within 30 days.

-Wicomico Parent

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