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Resident urges school board to remove Alex Gino title from elementary purchase bundle
Summary
A longtime public commenter said the book You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P. should not have been included in an elementary school's purchase bundle and called it harmful; the board heard the public complaint during presentations from the audience.
A member of the public told the school board on Sept. 4 that a recently purchased children's title should not be on library shelves and urged the district to stop similar purchases.
Bruce Friedman, who said he has regularly attended board meetings over the past three years, described what he called a lack of oversight that allowed books he finds inappropriate to be included in purchase bundles used to stock a K-6 school. He named the title You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P., by Alex Gino and read passages he said were objectionable. Friedman said the book "never should have been purchased" and urged the board to "come up with a plan that prevents this from getting in the hands of our kids."
The comments were part of the meeting's presentations-from-the-audience segment; no board action or staff response specific to that title was recorded at the meeting.
Why it matters: Public concerns about instructional or library materials are a recurring issue for school boards and can prompt review of selection and purchase procedures. The board did not announce any immediate review or policy vote on Sept. 4.
Next steps: The board did not record a response or formal action about this specific title at the meeting.
