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Students and community members press board on controversial book and fentanyl concerns
Summary
Public commenters urged the board to remove a graphic assigned text and to expand prevention and enforcement against drugs in schools; trustees committed to confidential staff follow‑up and a public report if policy changes are recommended.
Several members of the public used the board’s public‑comment period to press the district on curriculum and student safety. Garrett Holt read graphic passages from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and urged the board to remove the book from the high‑school curriculum or allow opt‑outs, calling the material pornographic and inappropriate for students. Garrett asked the board to "act now by removing this disgusting [material] from my school's curriculum or allowing an option to opt out." (speaker 18)
A student, Isabelle Wert, spoke about her brother Jordan, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2020, and urged stronger prevention, clearer intervention protocols, and the board’s willingness to use suspension or expulsion when alternatives fail. "We are not asking you to abandon struggling students. We are asking you to protect all of them," she said, and requested more mental‑health prevention resources and proactive education.
Another speaker criticized a recent Club America event and guest speakers tied to Turning Point USA as promoting discriminatory rhetoric; trustees acknowledged the concerns and asked staff to follow up confidentially with the public speakers. Several trustees requested a public report or a future agenda item if staff research leads to recommended policy changes.
