On Monday, September 16, Billings school board members voted forward a policy adapted from the Montana School Boards Association that allows school librarians the discretion to select books they feel are age appropriate.
Parent Anne Ross voiced her support of this policy at Monday’s meeting.
“When we send our kids to public school and choose not to go to a charter school and choose not to homeschool, we trust the professionals and the accreditation standards, and we trust them to teach our children in the way that they are professionally qualified to do,” said Ross.
Noticeably absent from the Billings school board’s policy choice is a new state law that defines obscenity when it comes to materials for minors.
Lawmakers passed that definition last year in response to book challenges statewide. Book challenges often take issue with books that include sex, violence and LGBTQ themes.
On Monday night, parent Starr Emery said including the state’s definition in policy is necessary to guide librarians in their selections and ensure accountability.
“Here’s the thing guys. They don’t know. They don’t know. For all of their professional accountability, they cannot guarantee that the material they are providing is going to not violate that law,” said Emery. “But you guys can put a policy in place that provides clear directions so that we’re not dancing on that tight rope.”
The Billings school board kicked off a policy review after it declined to remove a graphic novel about an alien teacher from school libraries earlier this year.
While it is not mandatory for school districts to include the obscenity law in policy, some Billings school board members voiced concern that excluding that definition leaves the district open to legal action.
The policy without the obscenity definition passed the first of three readings Monday night. It heads next to the operations board, which meets in October.
