NEWARK – Complaints about library books and subsequent discussion of potentially adding an “older teen” section to Worcester County Public Schools libraries is a cause for concern among some members of the community.
Following a contentious school board meeting last week, during which many people shared concerns with explicit library books and a Pocomoke High School senior emotionally asked the board to fight for students, the Maryland Association of School Librarians has issued an advocacy alert and a group of local residents has banded together to defend schools.
“I formed Worcester United after attending the November board of education meeting,” Berlin resident Tom Simon said this week. “There was an emotional, heartbreaking speech at the end by a student representative. I was so upset after leaving that meeting, I made a Facebook post about it the next day and then many of my friends spoke out about these issues facing our public schools. That’s when we formed Worcester United to start organizing to defend our schools, teachers and students.”
During the public comment portion of last week’s school board meeting, numerous citizens shared their thoughts. While some thanked the school system for the wonderful experiences their children were having in local schools, others expressed frustration that nothing was being done about the “sexually explicit” books in school libraries. Newark resident Pat Barbely said she’d attended several school board meetings to voice her concerns but nothing had been done to address them.
“I and many other parents have requested the board remove the sexually explicit books in our school libraries,” she said. “Books like ‘All Boys Aren’t Blue’ which is the story of a young male child who is taken advantage of by an older male family member. The child is then in an incestuous relationship with his cousin which propels him into numerous sexual encounters, all of which is graphically detailed in the book.”
What a complete bunch of BS. I was there to watch the teen rep to the board throw his little hissey fit. The reality is that Worcester county bought porn for students to read and the parents are pissed. It aint that hard Lou. Pull that crap out of the schools. We don’t pay taxes to be ignored.
Remember The WOKE GO BROKE !!!
Our highly-educated and HIGHLY-PAID BY TAXPAYERS superiors are more invested in the pornographic books than helping the abused child.
OLder teens are LEGAL for Sex ( 18 -19 ) !!!! Solved
Not too many 18 and 19 years old still in school.