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Public speaker challenges district library retention of explicit memoir
Summary
A member of the public criticized the district’s decision to retain the memoir 'Jesus Land' in the district library collection after a policy change; the speaker read explicit passages and urged the board to reverse the retention decision.
A public commenter, Carrie Schmidt, told the board she reviewed the district library listing and found the memoir Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres labeled as "retained" following a policy change. Schmidt read passages from the book containing explicit sexual content and said she had requested a review in May 2024.
Schmidt told the board: "By your policy change, you are enabling and supporting the grooming and exposure of [explicit material] to minors." She urged the board to reconsider the retention decision and asked whether they were willing to change course.
The board did not take an immediate action on the comment during the meeting; the matter was heard during the public-comments portion of the agenda. The speaker said the retained status on the district library web page indicates the superintendent reviewed the title under the new policy and decided to keep it in collection.
No formal motion or vote on the book’s status was recorded in the meeting minutes provided; calls for administrative follow-up were not recorded on the public record during the comment.
