A new Indiana state law is set to start January 1, 2024, and the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board was briefed Monday evening on how the local district plans to setup a system for handling requests for removal of library materials in the schools, under the new statute.
Executive Director of Elementary Education Danielle Fetters Thompson and Executive Director of Staff and Student Services Ryan Taylor, explained the new procedure by presenting an algorithm explaining the process, which is available at this link.
They also reviewed the written procedure, citing state law, which also included the form used to file such a request. Both are available at this link.
To be eligible to make a request to remove library materials, the requestor must be a parent of a child in the school system or a member of the community residing within the school district boundary. In order to ask for removal of school material, under the state law, the person making the request must show the material is either contains obscene matter or performance….or matter or performance harmful to minors.
In order to successfully ask for removal, one or both of these provisions of state law must apply. The statutory language going into more detail is part of the form and procedure.
Once the form is filed, the issue is to be discussed with the school librarian and building administrator. If the issue needs resolving after that, the building principal reviews the form to ensure it is complete and forwards the form to the superintendent.
Three central office administrators will, as a committee, review the request and issue a recommendation. If the person making the request is not satisfied at that point, an appeal is filed for a school board decision.
The procedures and form were fashioned by school administrators with help from attorney Chris Greisl.
Why would this policy permit community members to challenge books? This policy should limit challenges to parents and guardians. This policy is leaving the door open to groups like M4L and others to create havoc,
especially when the majority of the current school board has ties, admitted or not. Buckle up. Here comes another embarrassment for Fishers.
It’s a new requirement from a law that our state legislature passed this last year. They have no choice unfortunately, school districts across the state are all going through this same thing.
There is always a choice to follow state rules or push back on them as unconstitutional. Other states and school districts are standing up against bills pushed by groups like M4L and ADF and essentially want to ban books for certain intended audiences. Parents can have the right to decide what book their kids can borrow or read but not what other parents’ kids can read. I have a pretty good idea of what books will be attacked by M4L community members and the is the problem with this policy. I hope this whole IN policy backfires on them big time like RFRA. The Star I am sure will be watching how this all plays out but expect to see a repeat of HEPL