CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools began allowing check-outs in all their school libraries and media centers on Monday.
As previously reported, once SB 49, the controversial Parents' Bill of Rights Law, passed in the General Assembly when the Republican-controlled majority voted to override a veto by Gov. Cooper, CMS fast-tracked policy changes in order to comply with state law.
The new law codifies most rights parents already currently have in schools, but now gives them legal avenues to report if this isn't happening.
For example, it requires districts to inform parents about how to object to materials or curriculum topics, how to file a formal complaint, and how to opt their students out of surveys on topics the parents might find inappropriate.
The new law also led CMS to delay opening their media center for check-outs until Monday, Sept. 11, while they worked to comply with new policies surrounding materials that parents might find inappropriate.
WCNC Charlotte reached out to CMS about which books have been removed from shelves, if any, and which books were now under scrutiny due to parental objections. CMS confirmed that five book objections have been filed to date, all stemming from one school.
The books in question are:
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
- SOLD by Patricia McCormick
- Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
- Jack of Hearts by L.C. Rosen
- A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas
Author Patricia McCormick told WCNC Charlotte "it's sad, it's unfortunate" that parents want her book off school library shelves.
"At the time, child trafficking was not as understood as it is now," McCormick said. "I wanted to tell the story from the child's point of view so people could connect emotionally."
Her 2006 book SOLD depicts a harrowing account of sexual slavery.
"I can't tell you the hundreds of schools that have done fundraisers or social justice projects around the book," McCormick said. "[Students] care about their peers around the world."
According to Pen America, Tricks and SOLD are the third and six most banned books in the first half of the 2022-2023 school year, respectively.
McCormick says teachers and librarians who are trying to bring these books into classrooms and librarians need to be supported, adding "I'm in favor of civil conversation, but we need to turn down the rhetoric."
In a statement on L.C. Rosen's website, the author wrote while he understands there are strong opinions on both sides, he is "so sorry to see that - these things are daunting." Rosen adds "everyone – including me – wants what’s best for teenagers. It’s why I wrote the book to begin with. I knew it would be controversial, but I also knew it was needed."
Rosen goes on to say "putting blinders on and hoping your kids won’t know about sex just because a book like Jack of Hearts has been removed from the library isn’t going to help."
CMS also stated that books are not removed from shelves if an objection has been filed. However, a parent or guardian may restrict access to any book for their child by contacting their school's media coordinator.
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