Cache County board upholds review committees, keeps The Kite Runner in high school libraries

The Cache County School Board voted unanimously Thursday to uphold the decisions of two internal review committees that recommended keeping Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner accessible in the district’s high school libraries.

The decision followed more than an hour of public comment from parents, students and teachers both for and against the book, legal references to Utah’s sensitive-materials statute, and a board review that included reading the book and examining committee checklists. A statement issued in absentia by board president Terry Rhodes and read at the meeting concluded that, even though the text mentions sexual violence, “it is not described or depicted in a way that violates Utah Code 76-10-1227.” The board also recorded a procedural finding that the district did not convene the objective-review committee before the subjective-review committee and recommended corrective action.

Why it matters: The case illustrates tensions between parents seeking greater control over materials available to minors and educators who say certain titles have literary and instructional value. It also prompted the board to direct the district to tighten compliance with its own review procedures and state rules.

Public comment was dominated by parents, students and educators defending the book’s presence as a tool for learning and empathy. Katie Child, identified as a parent of four district students, said, “I speak tonight in support of keeping The Kite Runner on our high school library shelves.” Julianne Duffin, another parent, urged the board not to remove books that “address tough issues” and said removing them “denies students the opportunity to learn, question and grow.” Students and teachers from Ridgeline and Skyview high schools described classroom experience with the book; Ridgeline sophomore Amy Waite said the novel “displays the effects of cowardice and cruelty” and argued that removing it would “blind ourselves.”

Several speakers argued the book violates Utah’s statutory standard for sensitive material. Pamela Budge read the statute’s definition aloud at the meeting and urged removal on that basis. Hillary Prietas argued the book “violated number 2 four times, and number 3 two times” under the district checklist used in the objective review, referring to categories in the state rule about sexual content and explicit description.

Board members who spoke said they had examined the statute, read committee reports and read the book themselves. Board member Bridal Chambers said the panel and board concluded the passage(s) in question did not “appeal to the prurient interest in minors” when taken in context and that the committees found the book has serious literary, artistic or political value. Chambers added the district will take steps through its Teaching and Learning department to correct the sequence of committee review.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to uphold the review committees’ decision on The Kite Runner: moved by Bridal Chambers, seconded by Alan Grunig; vote: unanimous (tally: yes 7, no 0, abstain 0, absent 0). Outcome: approved. - Motion to approve the CTE health science curriculum (separate agenda item): moved by Jeff Nielsen, seconded by Bridal Chambers; vote: unanimous (tally: yes 7, no 0, abstain 0, absent 0). Outcome: approved. - Motion to approve the consent agenda (multiple routine items): moved by Randall Bagley, seconded (name not specified in audio); vote: unanimous (tally: yes 7, no 0, abstain 0, absent 0). Outcome: approved.

Board follow-up: The board recorded a required corrective action after finding the objective-review committee was not convened before the subjective-review committee as required by state rules. Board members said the Teaching and Learning department will implement the corrective steps and the board will monitor compliance.

Meeting context and scope: The district reported 13 people signed up to speak during public input; of those, the majority urged retention of the book, while several parents and advocates cited the statutory standard as reason for removal. The discussion drew multiple district staff, principals and community members and ran into the board’s subsequent agenda items.