3 Rivers board rejects complaint to remove 'Tricks' from high-school libraries, cites new state law

At its June 11 meeting, the 3 Rivers/Josephine County School District board voted to reject a complaint seeking removal of the novel Tricks by Ellen Hopkins from district high school libraries, saying the complaint was not filed by a parent or guardian as required under state legislation cited in the discussion (referred to in the meeting as Senate Bill 10 98).

The board’s action followed more than an hour of public comment. Supporters of keeping the book on shelves argued it has educational value and that district review processes should be respected. “I urge you to vote no and retain it, and honor the decision made by the review committee,” said Austin McNutt, a district teacher who told the board the committee that reviewed the book was made up of trained professionals and community members. Several parents and a submitted statement from an Oregon…