A heated public comment period at the November Elizabethtown Area School District board meeting focused on the board’s prior interaction with student representatives and the board’s decision to remove several titles from required English curriculum.

Multiple speakers, including students and teachers’ union president Jim Safford, condemned board president Steven Lindemuth’s recent remarks to student reps Annika Walsh and Maggie Layman as disrespectful and called for a personal apology. "They deserve better than to be talked down to or have their integrity questioned," public commenter Alicia Runkel said. Several students—among them Sienna Tyson and a senior who identified himself as Jerub—defended the student representatives and described broad outreach the reps conducted to solicit student views.

Separately, community members expressed concern about the removal of titles from the ELA curriculum, including The Glass Castle, The Hate U Give and other works the board directed be removed from assigned curriculum. Board members and administration stated the books were removed from required classroom instruction but remain available in school libraries and not banned. A superintendent statement reiterated content‑rating categories the district used to guide curricular decisions and said families and students retain library access and choice.

Board members and supporters in the audience pushed back, calling some complaints political or overstated and defending the board’s actions as consistent with a desire for parental choice. The exchanges included calls for better communication between the board and the community and for the board to respond to constituent emails.

No formal policy reversal occurred; the board indicated it will continue to engage with community concerns and said several policy items will be revisited at upcoming committee meetings.