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Board upholds committee restrictions on two titles, adds parental-permission checkout rule
Summary
The board upheld a committee decision to restrict The Handmaid's Tale to high-school grades with parental permission and voted to require parental permission for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl for high-school checkout after appeals of committee rulings.
The Tooele Board of Education reviewed two appealed library challenges and voted on restricted access for both titles.
After committee review and an appeal by a constituent, the board voted to uphold the committee’s recommendation for The Handmaid’s Tale (the novel) by restricting checkout to high-school students and requiring parental permission for check-out. Board member Scott moved the motion; Elizabeth seconded. The board recorded that the committee had previously recommended restriction and that the board’s vote maintained that restriction.
Separately, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl underwent committee review where the committee majority had voted to retain the book for high-school library shelves. Following an appeal, the board voted to restrict that title to high-school students only and require parental permission for checkout. The motion (moved by Valerie, seconded by Scott) cited community standards as the reason for parental-permission restriction.
Board members clarified the procedure: these appeals had been through the district review process; the board’s public vote is the final step under state law when an appeal reaches the board. The decisions apply to high-school collections; availability in other libraries or future acquisitions remain subject to standard collection-development processes.
The board did not adopt a blanket change to selection policy; members urged consistent application of the appeals process and clearer communication with parents about how to request restrictions, retentions or removals.
