Resident urges board to form citizen review committee over library and family-life materials

Kathy Meckley, a Franklin County resident, addressed the board on Oct. 13 to urge the creation of a community committee to review library and family-life materials that she said introduce topics she considers age-inappropriate.

Meckley testified that the middle school reading programthemes include “social justice” with focus areas listed as identity, empathy and advocacy. She said some titles and components of the family-life curriculum introduce LGBTQ topics at young ages and expressed concern about media-center selections and students gaining access to materials.

Meckley asked the board to establish a citizen review committee to read materials cover-to-cover rather than relying on synopses. The resident said media specialists previously indicated they do not read every book cover-to-cover before placing items on shelves and that prior board statements promising more oversight had not prevented ongoing purchases of material she considers objectionable.

The board heard Meckleys comments during the public comment portion of the meeting; no action was taken at that time. The board has in the past directed media specialists and staff to review selections and to follow existing policies; Meckley requested a broader community role in that review process.