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Public commenter alleges explicit material circulation at schools; district response noted
Summary
A public commenter accused district staff of promoting books with explicit sexual content during Literacy Week at several high schools and asked for staff removals and parental notification; the commenter said she had earlier raised concerns and that the district had agreed to remove some titles but that action was not fully implemented.
A public commenter, Jennifer Kelly, used the Volusia County School Board public-participation period on Feb. 11 to allege that school staff promoted books with explicit sexual content during Literacy Week events at New Smyrna Beach High and Deltona High schools.
Kelly displayed and read lengthy quoted passages she described as graphic sexual content from specific titles and said she had previously raised concerns and secured an agreement with district staff to remove certain titles from circulation (she said the district had agreed to remove The Kite Runner from shelf checkout but that the agreement was not fully kept). She urged the board to fire staff she characterized as acting improperly, to notify parents whose children were exposed without consent, and to discontinue promotional activities she called “hijacking” of Literacy Week.
Board chair Jamie Haynes read the meeting’s advisory notice and gave parents the option to remove children from listening during adult public comments. District staff indicated earlier follow-up had resulted in some targeted removals or course-level restrictions for specified titles in response to prior concerns; the commenter said the district had failed to uphold some agreed steps and asked for enforcement.
No board action or vote followed the comment. The district did not present a detailed public response during the meeting; board members directed staff to follow up as appropriate. Reporters and editors should treat graphic allegations as claims by a public commenter and verify whether titles remain available in school libraries or class syllabi before publishing explicit excerpts.
