Central Bucks Library Policy Would Remove Books With Sexual Content

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A proposed policy would remove books with "explicit written descriptions" or any visual depiction of sexual acts from all Central Bucks School District libraries.

The district board of directors called a special meeting for Thursday night, to review policies on library and classroom materials. Advocates in Central Bucks and around the nation are challenging books that describe masturbation and sexual activity, including rape and incest.

At a March board meeting, speakers in public comment read scenes from Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," Maia Kobabe's "Gender Queer," George Matthew Johnson's "All Boys Aren't Blue," and Susan Kuklin's "Beyond Magenta," among others.

Two of these books were written by authors of color, and three reckon with LGBTQ+ identity. At that board meeting, several residents insisted that the only goal was to purge "child pornography" and sexually explicit material from school libraries.

The proposed library policy 109.2 says that books in any library, from elementary to high school, cannot contain "visual or visually implied depictions of sexual acts or simulations of such acts, or explicit written descriptions of sexual acts."

Under the proposed policy, there are additional restrictions on books in elementary and middle school building libraries.

In addition, this proposed policy says all new material recommended for school libraries "shall have been read and reviewed by the District-level library supervisor or individual(s) designated by that supervisor."

For parents, the district "shall make the selection process of library materials readily available for parental review, with a list of all library materials posted on-line on the District’s website, and the content of all materials available for direct review during reasonable hours specified for such review."

Also, the board is considering re-implementing Policy 109.1, which covers age-appropriate standards for both textbooks and resource materials.

This policy says the superintendent shall not recommend textbooks or research materials with "visual or visually implied depictions of sexual acts or simulations of such acts."

The policy allows for visual depictions of nudity for science and health instruction, sexual education for middle-high school students, education about how to avoid and report molestation, or content related to classic art.

Policy 109.1 limits explicit written descriptions of sexual acts at all grade levels, "except for the purposes of teaching students to avoid and report molestation." There are additional restrictions on written sexual content for elementary and middle school students.

The board will also consider clarifying language in Policies 109 and 119, according to Thursday night's agenda.

The policy meeting is Thursday at 6 p.m. at the district's educational services center at 16 Welden Drive, Doylestown. The district said there will be "up to one half-hour for Public Comment" and an hour for the meeting.

The Central Bucks superintendent and Board of Directors president sent out a letter on Wednesday detailing some issues in the district; specifically, a week of protests at Lenape Middle School and the removal of all LGBTQ+ pride flags from district classrooms. The letter did not address Thursday's meeting.