Against KDE guidance, Boyle County Schools removes books they say in compliance with SB 150

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - State officials said they disagree with the Boyle County School District’s decision to remove books from it’s libraries. Even as school leaders said they’re doing it in compliance with Senate Bill 150.

“It is an act of cowardice and it is an act of hatred,” said Willie Carver, and educator and LGBTQ advocate.

More than 100 books were removed from library shelves in Boyle County Schools over the past few months. Superintendent Mark Wade said they’ve done this in compliance with Senate Bill 150. The controversial bill that bans gender-affirming health care for minors and prohibits teachings on gender and sexuality in the classroom.

“It didn’t even occur to us that a school would try to do this because it’s so outside of what the bill is clearly about,” Carver said.

The Kentucky Department of Education agrees. As an educator and an LGBTQ advocate, Willie Carver said books on sex education to books portraying families with LGBTQ members have been taken off the shelves at the high school, as well as books like ‘Julian Is a Mermaid’, a picture book about a boy who wants to become a mermaid, have been taken off the shelves at the lower levels.

“If we were to see this spread to other schools, what we’re going to see in lots of schools is kids who sit in a room, eight hours a day, nine, 10 months out of the year, and they’re told ‘You don’t belong here. There’s no space for you.’ It’s like it’s illegal to exist.”

KDE Spokesperson Toni Tatman said in a statement that ‘SB 150 does not provide for the removal of library media resources from a school library.’

In response, Wade said ‘School libraries are instructional support entities within our school. As such, {they} operate differently than the public library system.’

Still, the books remain removed. And Carver fears this could have dangerous and potentially deadly, consequences.

“I think this can kill children. And I don’t say that lightly.”

According to the KDE, this is the only district to remove library books due to SB 150, so far.

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