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Parents and advocates urge Conroe ISD to restore appeals process after book removals
Summary
Multiple public commenters criticized recent book challenges and library removals, and a parent legal appeal citing SB 13 asked the board to consider the appeal at its next open meeting, arguing the district’s counsel misinterpreted the statute.
Several Conroe ISD residents used the board’s public‑comment period to press trustees on recent book challenges and library‑catalog removals, questioning the district’s processes and calling for clearer appeal rights.
"I remember when I started to receive email updates from my children's library checkouts... then I started slowly hearing about various books being challenged and removed," Virginia Arens told the board, describing how teachers and libraries have had to purge materials and describing concerns about an "AI model" being used to review texts. Arens asked how the removals affect students’ analytical and critical thinking skills and whether outside influences are dictating curriculum choices.
Mark Brooks separately told trustees he filed an appeal under SB 13 (Tex. Educ. Code §33.027) seeking review of the board’s earlier unanimous vote to remove a particular graphic novel from school libraries. Brooks said he filed an appeal on May 5 and that the board’s general counsel replied that the appeal would not be heard because the material was no longer in the library catalog. Brooks cited the statute and local policy EFB to argue that an appeal addresses "an action taken by the district in response to a written challenge" and therefore should be heard even when the material has been removed.
Board members did not make a final ruling on the appeal at the meeting; Brooks and other speakers urged trustees to place the appeal on a future agenda and to clarify the district’s appeal procedures. Several speakers also framed the issue as broader than single titles: they said removal of books by marginalized authors harms students who need to see themselves in school materials.
Why it matters: The comments and the formal SB 13 appeal highlight tension over local oversight of library materials, how appeals are interpreted under state law, and how districts implement challenge and removal processes. Trustees may need to clarify policy (EFB) and procedure to ensure appeals are treated consistently with state statute.
