Lexington 1 board denies request to restrict The Hunger Games; book retained for middle school

At a public hearing Tuesday afternoon, the Lexington County School District One Board of Trustees voted to deny a complaint asking that Suzanne Collins’ novel The Hunger Games be restricted to high school use, instead upholding district and school committee recommendations to retain the book as a curricular and library resource for middle school students (grades 6–8).

The complaint, filed Dec. 11, 2024, by Mrs. Nancy Wheeler requested the district limit use of the novel to grades 9–12. District staff and a review committee examined the book and applicable district and state policies before the board meeting.

Dr. Erica Bissell, the district’s executive director of teaching and learning and the district committee representative, told the board the reviewers had read the book in its entirety and consulted Lexington 1 policies KECR and IJJ and peer-reviewed reviews. “After thorough review and discussion, the committee concluded that The Hunger Games is educationally suitable and aligns with the intended learning standards for which it is being used,” she said, adding the committee recommended retaining the book for middle school use while ensuring alternatives for families who opt out.

Several community members addressed the board during the public comment period. Eighth-grader Zoe Durand of Pleasant Hill Middle School told trustees removing the book would strip students of “important learning and opportunities,” saying, “The Hunger Game addresses serious topics like poverty and the danger of excessive control. It encourages us to think critically about society.” Two parents, Sarah Jorgensen and Natasha Durand, urged trustees not to let one person’s preference limit access for others. Jorgensen said, “I should not have the power to determine what other people's children are allowed to read.” Natasha Durand added, “Banning books doesn't protect children. It limits them.”

Board members asked district staff how parental opt-outs are communicated and implemented. Bissell described a multi-channel approach: teachers include options in syllabi and welcome letters, schools notify parents several weeks ahead when an anchor text will be used, classroom-library checkouts are governed through Destiny (the library system), and parents may place checkout flags. She said when a parent objects, the district provides an alternative text aligned to the same standards and that students who opt out are typically given supervised alternative instruction during any whole-class exposure to the text.

After public comment and trustee questions, a motion was offered to uphold the district-level committee recommendation to retain The Hunger Games for middle school use, thereby denying the relief requested by the complainant. The board voted to adopt that motion. The complainant was not present at the hearing but, board staff said, will receive a written determination within 15 days explaining how the district applied the applicable regulation and policies.

The district framed the hearing under State Board of Education Regulation 43‑1‑70 and Lexington 1 policies KEC/KECR and IJJ, which set uniform procedures for selection or reconsideration of instructional materials and procedures for public concerns.

Trustees emphasized that the decision did not remove parental rights: multiple board members pointed to the district’s opt-out procedures and said the board would continue to accept individual complaints for review. Dr. Bissell and Mary Gaskins, the district’s chief academic officer, reiterated that when materials are used as required curriculum, alternatives are provided and that the committees had weighed whether the book met age- and developmentally-appropriate criteria.

The board did not adopt any new district-wide restrictions or policy changes at the hearing. The formal written decision will be sent to the complainant and will explain how the board applied the State Board’s criteria in its review.