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Rockingham County school board removes several contested books, retains others after content-review votes
Summary
The Rockingham County Public Schools board voted Sept. 8 to remove several supplementary titles after content-review committee recommendations and debate; some classics were retained. Votes were split on multiple titles, and board members cited specific page passages in support of removal.
The Rockingham County Public Schools Board of Education voted Sept. 8 on recommendations from its content review committee, approving the removal of several supplementary titles and retaining others after debate over whether they contain material the committee defines as “explicit content.”
Miss Cave, a board member who moved to remove multiple titles, said the books contain passages that meet the district’s definition of explicit material and read specific page ranges into the record. "****** content can be found in several different instances on page 39, 40, and 75," Cave said while urging removal of Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler. The board heard similar, page-specific citations for Out of Darkness, Go Ask Alice and The Bluest Eye during the discussion.
Dr. Shiflett, the superintendent, presented the content review committee’s recommendations under RCPS policy (IIAB/IIABB/IIABA references) and explained the committee’s role in evaluating supplementary materials. He noted the committee had reviewed materials and made recommendations about whether titles should remain in school inventories.
In successive motions, the board voted to remove several titles (each motion moved by Miss Cave and seconded by a board colleague). The vote counts recorded in the meeting were typically 4–1 in favor of removal for the titles challenged, while other titles were retained by unanimous votes of 5–0. For example, motions to remove Out of Darkness and Go Ask Alice passed 4–1 after the board heard page-by-page references to objectionable material; the board voted to retain Beloved and Slaughterhouse-Five unanimously.
Board members emphasized that some removals followed the content review committee’s determinations under district policy, while other objectionable-material concerns proceed via a school-level review process that can escalate to the committee if the school cannot resolve them. Miss Burgoyne asked for clarity on how sequels and related titles are handled; Mr. Cross noted parents had raised concerns about sequels still on shelves after initial removals and urged a policy review.
Chair Hurston reflected on the board’s recent year of content reviews and said the process had been difficult for the community and for the board. "We don’t get a chance to do over, but we do get opportunities to do better," Hurston said, urging more collaboration with librarians and teachers in future reviews.
The board’s recorded motions identified specific page ranges and applied the district’s established policy for deselection of supplementary material. The content review committee’s policy citations were noted during the meeting; the board’s actions will change which titles remain in school inventories, and district staff indicated they will follow established procedures for deselection and re-shelving where applicable.
The meeting moved on to other business after the votes; further appeals or school-level challenges may follow the procedures outlined in RCPS policy. The board is expected to continue oversight of the content-review process and may revisit policy language in coming meetings.
