Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for Shawnee Mission Board of Education to address leading up to the Nov. 7 election.
Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to Shawnee Mission district patrons.
Each day this week, we’ll publish the candidates’ responses to one question.
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
School boards, including Shawnee Misison’s, have in recent years been faced with requests from some parents to remove books and other materials from school libraries or classrooms, often because of the books’ sexual content. The American Library Association says many of the books most frequently targeted for challenges last year were those with LGTBQ themes or authors. As a board member, what principles and standards will you use to determine whether a book or other material should be removed from a school library or classroom?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
SM North area
Ron Occhiogrosso
As I made emphatically clear during the recent SM Post live forum, I firmly believe that school libraries SHOULD NOT, IN ANY WAY be a safe haven for sexually explicit materials. I have a copy of excerpts of books such as “Gender Queer” and “Let’s Talk About It” that, as I write this response, are found in high school libraries in the Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley and Olathe School Districts. The content is unbelievably scandalous. How on God’s green earth can anyone think that these books should be acceptable for underage, dependent children to view?
As a board member, the standards I WILL ALWAYS follow are those that have been taught to me — and countless millions of others — as the foundational Judeo-Christian heritage these United States of America were founded upon. Allowing students easy access to these sexually pornographic books is against the law. A cursory review of the site Comprehensive Sexuality Education clearly states that these materials are not legal. Why are they in many of our Johnson County high schools? And some other books are even found in middle schools.
And regarding books that contain LGTBQ themes or authors, while I think that none should be found on any public schools’ shelves, I would have to allow whatever is legally permissible under the law. And just because books of this nature are on the shelves of our local public libraries, well that does not mean they should be allowed in schools’ libraries.
Mario Garcia III
Our school district has a process in place for parents who don’t want their kids to read specific books in their libraries or books for specific class assignments. It’s important that we communicate this policy with parents and follow said process.
We should not allow others to dictate what your student can or can’t read. Our school librarians are professionals in our buildings and are supporting our students’ academic needs. Shawnee Mission parents have requested more books in the school community, like the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program — bringing age-appropriate books to kiddos in the area who aren’t yet in school.
We should encourage students to be readers!
SM South Area
Jessica Hembree (incumbent)
In my first term, despite pressure from a vocal minority, the board upheld policies protecting diverse library collections. But renewed attacks require continued vigilance. Our school libraries should provide diverse perspectives and experiences that reflect and expand students’ worldviews. With caring teacher guidance, students can thoughtfully engage with varied, age-appropriate materials to broaden understanding and develop empathy. Attempts to limit access often reflect adult discomfort, not actual harm. No individual’s views should dictate what every student can read. Our libraries should represent the full range of students’ identities, cultures and experiences.
Removing curated materials should only happen in rare circumstances after thorough review of educational purpose, not based on objections from a vocal few. As a board member, I will uphold librarians’ expertise in providing “mirror and window” books that open minds. Literature exposes students to realities beyond their own in a supportive context.
Age-appropriate books with LGBTQ themes or complex histories let students gain insight into others’ struggles and humanity. Avoiding “difficult” topics restricts learning, whereas inclusive libraries prepare students to navigate diversity in their community and world. With community partnership, I envision schools where caring teacher-librarians nurture a passion for reading across genres and experiences. Our libraries should spark curiosity, expand worldviews and foster engaged citizenship.
Mark Tallent
Did not provide the Post with a response.
SM Northwest area
Lynn McLarty
If a book contains pornographic text or pornographic images it has no place in a school library. While some of these books have LGBTQ themes or authors, what ALL of these books have in common is OBSCENITY and that is the ONLY issue of concern.
The books at issue (in these examples and regarding this book challenge topic, in general) contain obscene sexual illustrations, graphic nudity and sexual activities, violence including sexual abuse of minors, pedophilia, incest, suicidal ideation, self-harm, trafficking, prostitution, detailed directions on how to use sex meet-up apps, vulgar language and profanity as well as alcohol and drug abuse.
I encourage parents, grandparents and other concerned individuals to review these books on their own and judge for themselves whether they believe the content is acceptable for our students. I am convinced that most will come to the same conclusion that I have reached: the material is highly and obviously inappropriate.
Obscenity is not protected under First Amendment rights to free speech, and violations of federal obscenity laws are criminal offenses.Nearly every state has some form of harmful-to-minors law. Many of these laws limit distribution of sexually explicit material to minors. The majority of these laws have survived constitutional challenge. Also, SMSD has several board policies acknowledging both the right of parents to provide permission for minors to participate in certain activities, resources, etc., at school as well as protecting students from sexually-explicit resources online, so the real question is: why are these obscene books an exception?
I believe the schools, the Board of Education, and parents should all collaborate continually to help our students achieve at the highest possible levels. Infusing parents into the selection and approval process, as well as the review process is only going to yield better results for our kids.
Jamie Borgman (incumbent)
I oppose book banning. The district has a policy stating if a parent has a concern about a particular book, the district will review it in a timely manner.
The board of education has three roles: 1) evaluating, hiring/firing of the Superintendent; 2) budget and 3) policy.
It is important the board stays within its lane, especially in this area, which it has done to date.
At-Large area
David Westbrook
Schools are not the source of untoward materials that fall into the hands of our young people any more than are schools the cause of our society’s problems. I respectfully suggest it is far more dangerous for a seven-year-old to be unsupervised in looking at the screen on their cell phone than it is for them to be sitting supervised in a classroom or library of a Shawnee Mission school.
We need more books on library shelves, not less. I understand the curriculum development process in Shawnee Mission empowers parent participation. I favor such participation. There is a subtle but altogether powerful difference between the exercise of good judgment in the selection of appropriate school books and the imposition of censorship. I would not want a parent who removes a book from his or her own child’s education experience to censor that book from my child’s experience, particularly if respected educators have designated that book as appropriate reading in a broad school curriculum.
Some books and some stories in those books will expose our students to a variety of lived experiences. Shawnee Mission employs good teachers. Good teachers do not proselytize. Good teachers teach their students to be curious, to exercise reasoned judgment in making rational choices, to learn more and more about the world, not less. These qualities make for a well-rounded young person and heighten the potential for a well accomplished adult citizen.
Logan Austin
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Tomorrow, we will publish candidates’ responses to the next question:
Teacher and staff retention has been a concern for years in local schools, a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Districts continue to enter each new year with dozens of vacancies, most notably among special education teachers. Schools are also having trouble filling classified, non-teacher staff roles, like paras and custodians. What, if anything, can the school board do to help schools recruit and retain qualified staff?
