Newport‑Mesa board denies appeal to remove 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' from high school libraries

The Newport‑Mesa Unified School District Board denied an appeal to remove The Perks of Being a Wallflower from high‑school libraries in a 5–1 vote at its July 24, 2024 meeting, after hearing five‑minute presentations, extensive public comment and a report from a district review committee that recommended keeping the title in grades 9–12.

The appellant, Wendy Lease, told the board she had read the book in full and read an extended passage she described as evidence that the book is "pervasively vulgar," urged the trustees to remove or relocate the title from school libraries and argued the review committee process lacked transparency. The board heard teachers, alumni and students who urged the opposite: that the book provides important context and support for students. Recent Newport Harbor graduate Riley Shea told the board the book helped her in a period of severe depression, saying the novel "saved my life." Several teachers described professional selection processes and the value of optional library titles for student readers.

Dr. Mike Sciacca, administrative director of secondary education, described the review process required under board policy and administrative regulation 1312.2. He said he convened an ad hoc book review committee that included secondary classroom teachers, a special‑education teacher, a community member, a site administrator, a district administrator and the district librarian; the committee met twice, reviewed professional tools (Horn Book, Booklist, Accelerated Reader, School Library Journal) and voted 6–1 to recommend retention of the title for high‑school libraries. "The committee recommended by a vote of 6 to 1 the retention of the book Perks of Being a Wallflower within our 9 through 12 libraries," Sciacca said in his presentation.

Trustees debated the matter in public session. Trustee Barto said she found parts of the book "salacious" and signaled she would vote to uphold the appeal; several other trustees, including Trustee Ersoylu and Trustee Anderson, pointed to the student testimony, the committee process and the book's grade‑level recommendation and opposed removal. Trustee Murphy moved to deny the appeal; Trustee Ersoylu seconded the motion. The roll call produced five votes to deny (Trustees Crane, Ersoylu, Murphy, Pearson and Anderson), one vote in favor of removal (Trustee Barto) and one absence. The board characterized the decision as a denial of the appeal to remove the book.

Board members and staff framed their decision around process and context: the committee's holistic review of the whole work, the book‑selection tools consulted, and the status of the title as an optional high‑school library resource rather than required classroom material. The board cited precedent and legal authority in public comment, referencing the Island Trees school‑library decisions discussed in appellant materials.

The board's vote leaves the title available in grades 9–12 libraries; the appellant and members of the public were informed of the outcome at the meeting. The board moved on to other agenda items after the vote.