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Hundreds of public comments push Harford County school board to explain removal of 'Flamer' from libraries
Summary
Dozens of residents and educators urged the Harford County Board of Education to reinstate the book Flamer, saying the removal undermined librarians and denied students access to anti-bullying resources; some speakers said the final action was taken out of public view and asked the board to clarify its procedures.
Dozens of parents, educators and students used the public-comment period at Monday's Harford County Board of Education meeting to demand the return of the book Flamer to school libraries and to challenge the board's process for removing it.
Speakers said the book is an important resource on bullying and youth mental health and accused the board of circumventing the district's reconsideration procedures. "By prohibiting the distribution of Flamer by Harford County Public School Libraries, you have in fact banned it," said Maureen Wesner, a public commenter. Another resident asked the board to "please reinstate the book Flamer."
Why it matters: The removal has become a flash point in a larger debate about library selection, student mental health and transparency. Multiple speakers connected the book's absence to concerns about vulnerable students, with one virtual speaker citing suicide-prevention data and warning that removing such titles can silence at-risk students.
What the public said: Tarcy Thompson, who identified herself with the group Together We Will, cited the district's appeals and hearings procedure and said the board's "final action" should have been taken in a public meeting following a hearing. "From what I read, that vote needed to be held at the July 21 board meeting in front of all of us," she said, urging the board to explain why it did not do so.
Board members and supporters of the removal offered competing arguments. Board member Melissa Hahn defended her vote to remove the book, saying the material included what she described as explicit content that she found inappropriate for school libraries. "When you have content that has children ejaculating into a bottle, that's pornographic content that should not be in our schools," Hahn said during board comments.
Several retired educators and school librarians who addressed the board argued the district's reconsideration committee had recommended keeping the book. "All of my fellow citizens want the very best for our school children, but we have differing perspectives," said Candace Cammerer, who identified herself as a teacher and administrator for decades. "I don't understand why it was removed from all public school libraries."
What happens next: Multiple commenters asked for the board to revisit its process and promised to raise the matter again at a listening session scheduled for Sept. 30. The board did not vote on reversing the removal at Monday's meeting.
Quotes used above are from public comments and board remarks made during the Sept. 22, 2025 Harford County Board of Education meeting.
