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Pastor urges Randolph County to move children’s book 'Call Me Max' out of children’s section; library staff decisions criticized
Summary
During public comment, Pastor Jonathan Burris criticized the Randolph County Library’s decision to place Call Me Max in the children’s collection and urged the commission to remove it from the children's room to an adult section.
During the public comment period, Jonathan Burris, pastor and teacher at Sophia Baptist Church, urged Randolph County commissioners to remove the children’s book Call Me Max from the children’s section of the county library.
Burris criticized the library director Ross Holt’s justification for the book’s placement and said that public recommendations from other libraries and library journals did not address controversies the book has raised in some states. He argued the book’s subject — transgender identity — was inappropriate for children ages 5–7 and used psychological and legal references to support his view, mentioning psychologists Lawrence Kohlberg and Erik Erikson and the 2006 Adam Walsh Child Protection Act when describing “grooming” concerns.
Burris asked that Call Me Max and similar materials be moved to an adult section and requested staff training on “methods and dangers of grooming” for employees who recommend such books for young readers. He said the petition represents a concern by “citizens” and concluded, “We will be watching.”
The commission received Burris’s remarks as public comment; the transcript records no board action in response and staff did not announce any immediate follow‑up. The library director’s name was cited in the comment but did not speak during the meeting.
