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CMS committee keeps 2 challenged books in high school library

A CMS parent objected to the books found in an Ardrey Kell Library due to their content.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Central Media Advisory Committee decided the fate of two books challenged within the district. 

A CMS parent objected to the books available at Ardrey Kell High School due to their content. 

The North Carolina Parent's Bill of Rights made it easier for parents to object to books they think are inappropriate. It also gives them a uniform appeals process to get them taken out of schools.

"A parent would go online to the CMS Parent Bill of Rights website," Kim Ray, the Central Media Advisory Committee's co-chair said. "And they would complete a form and raise an objection to a library book or a curriculum book." 

The CMAC committee only deals with library objections. 

A CMS policy, which now aligns with the Parent's Bill of Rights, would first require the school's School Media Advisory Committee to review the book. 

The school would have 20 days to review the book and decide whether to keep the book, restrict it, or remove it. 

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"So the parent, we always tell them, they can -- we will restrict access to the title for your child," Ray said. "And if that's not enough for them, and they want it to be removed, which is their right, they can appeal it to this team." 

In the Monday meeting, the books "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult and “Sold” by Patricia McCormick were being reviewed by the CMAC as part of the appeals process. 

CMAC is made up of CMS media specialists, curriculum specialists, and parents. 

Members had stacks of book next to them with sticky notes lodged into the crevices of the books under review.  The members were all assigned homework before they got together. 

"The team will read the book, read reviews, read the concerns from the parent, read the notes from the school-based team," Ray said. 

The first book under review was Nineteen Minutes. 

During the meeting, they first talked about the concerns raised about the book. 

“There are a lot of adult themes topics such as abortion," one CMAC member said. "How to -- by the teen, searching online -- how to cause an abortion. Violence related to the school shootings, extreme bullying.”  

After the committee reviewed the concerns they talked about its merits.

"Would I want my boys to read this?" Ray asked the group. "With our belief systems and the way we raise our children in the house, it has taken me a while to grapple this. I think, yes.”

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Ray went on about why she thought, despite the challenging themes in the book, some kids should have access to the book without restriction. 

"I think it's very important for kids to understand and learn what leads to some of these things in the book that were traumatizing for the antagonists," Ray said. 

The committee had three choices to decide on the books. 

  • Retain in school School/District Collections
  • Remove from School Collection
  • Remove from District Collections

After the discussion, the verdict was to allow the book in high schools only. 

The same decision was made for the book, “Sold”. 

"I expected those decisions," Brooke Weiss, Mecklenburg County chapter chair for Moms For Liberty, said.

Weiss is the CMS parent who made the appeals, in addition to seven other books, to the advisory committee. 

"Every parent should be able to make the decision that they made in there today," Weiss said. "Every parent should be able to decide on an individual basis which books their kids have access to."

Moms for Liberty has a resource guide on their website called “A Guide to Defending Your Child” It advises parents to ask schools “Are there any books that contain gender ideology or sexual orientation themes in the elementary and/or middle schools? Can any child check these books out?” 

It also tells parents to ask what books are required or recommended by teachers to read or assign to students. It tells parents to request a list of the books.  

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"Most parents do not have the time to dig in the way that I have," Weiss said. "But that doesn't mean that they want their children reading about the sex, slave trade or, you know, reading books that have granted graphic and explicit sexual content."

Moms for Liberty, and its individual members, have been the source of other book challenges across North Carolina.

"I take a lot of hits, people say a lot of really ugly stuff about me," Weiss said. "Not every parent wants to come forward and deal with that. So half of the stuff that I know about, I know about because other parents come to me. "

After the CMAC decision, parents have the ability to appeal to the superintendent. 

"I don't intend on further appealing those books.," Weiss said. 

The seven other books appealed by Weiss are coming up for discussion at another CMAC meeting. 

"There are some pretty serious issues with those books," Weiss said. "So I am absolutely hoping for a specific outcome. Like I said, I've not asked for books to be removed. I do think it's really important for a book like that, if they decide to keep it, to be separated out from from all of the other books, because [in] my opinion that book has absolutely no business being in an educational setting." 

Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on FacebookX and Instagram. 

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