Abilene ISD trustees approve Slack chair and accept committee recommendations on challenged books after hours of public comment

Abilene ISD trustees on Monday evening approved the Slack committee's leadership and recommendations on challenged library materials after a packed public-comment period in which parents, librarians and community members urged both caution and change.

The board voted unanimously, 7-0, to appoint Eric Lemons as chair of the districtSlack review committee and to approve two related actions: a procurement list of titles recommended by the Slack for possible campus purchases and the Slack's recommendations resolving the district's formal book challenges.

Why it matters: The Slack process was created under Senate Bill 13 to give districts a locally controlled review process for challenged materials. The decisions made by the Slack and approved by the board determine what students may access in campus and district libraries and how contested titles are treated going forward.

Public comment dominated the meeting. Thirty speakers were scheduled and the board reduced speaking time to one minute per person because of demand. Supporters of librarians described professional standards and the districtstaffwork to follow law and policy when challenges arrive. Others urged removal of material they described as profane or indecent.

Riley Rodriguez, a candidate for Texas state Senate, said during public comment, "Bad guys ban books," framing the issue as a civil-liberties concern rather than a neutral cataloging question.

Librarians and Slack members described the review steps the committee followed. "We received challenges to 27 books on October 15 and one more on October 17," Abilene High librarian Kate Stover said, noting the Slack assigned at least four readers to each challenged title and temporarily removed challenged items from student access while reviews were under way.

What the Slack recommended and what the board approved

- Procurement list: The Slack presented elementary, middle and high school purchase lists compiled by campus librarians and reviewed via TitleWave. The board approved the list; purchases remain optional for individual campuses.

- Challenge dispositions: Of the challenged titles reviewed at the Slack's Nov. 17 meeting, the committee recommended retaining a group of high-school titles in their existing locations (with one title reclassified to "Upper High" for 11th- and 12th-graders), recommended deletion of seven titles from the district catalog, and pushed two titles forward for additional review at a Dec. 15 Slack meeting so the remaining 90-day SB 13 review timeline can be met. The board adopted those recommendations by a 7-0 roll call.

Procedural clarifications and next steps

Lindsay Williamson, the districtexecutive director who presented Slack business, told trustees that challenged books are removed from student access and campus shelves during review but remain in the vendor catalog until a board action permanently deletes them. She said the district has requested an "under review" tag from the vendor and is currently marking items as lost to prevent student checkout.

Williamson explained the Slack's voting options: retain in place, retain but move/reclassify, remove from collection, or abstain and request more review time. If any voting Slack member abstains on a title, the committee set that title for further consideration at a future meeting.

Board reaction

Trustees praised the time and thought Slack members invested in the process and emphasized that the Slack was created to reflect community values under SB 13. Multiple trustees thanked Slack members, campus librarians and parents for their engagement.

What was decided (formal actions taken)

- Eric Lemons was approved as Slack chair on a 7-0 board vote. - The procurement list recommended by the Slack was approved (7-0). - The Slack's recommendations on challenged materials (retain, reclassify, remove, or send for further review) were approved by the board (7-0). Seven titles were identified for permanent removal pending catalog deletion; two titles will be reviewed again at the Dec. 15 Slack meeting, with recommendations to return to the board by Jan. 12 to meet SB 13 timelines.

The board did not immediately restore any removed titles; staff said permanently deleted books require a formal board action to be removed from the district catalog. The Slack and staff said they intended to finish review of the remaining challenged titles within the SB 13 90-day window.

The meeting record also includes a detailed public record of who spoke and the Slack's vote tallies; the board's roll-call votes were unanimous on the motions taken.