The board’s action comes amid months of public outcry from community members who are divided over which books should be allowed in campus libraries.
The overview
At a March 20 meeting, the board of trustees voted to remove the young adult novel “The Haters” by Jesse Andrews from Lake Travis High School while keeping “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by the same author in response to a parent's grievance.
This was the second time that challenged library books have come before the board through a multilevel grievance process. In both instances, the books were challenged by Jodie Dover, who appealed three separate decisions of a district committee and two administrators to keep the books at their respective campuses.
Dozens of community members spoke during the public comment portion of the March 20 meeting to address the challenged books. Many community members and students urged the board to keep the books at Lake Travis High School, while several speakers said the books were sexually explicit and inappropriate for students.
What community members are saying
Students, parents and other community members have clashed over challenged books since December after the board voted for the first time to remove and transfer some books from campus libraries.
“The reality is that many high schoolers have to deal with these difficult and complex topics, so it’s important to have books in the library that reflect our lives and struggles,” said Rishika Sikka, a Lake Travis High School student, at a March 20 meeting.
Some parents and community members said the books were violating a state law banning sexually explicit content in schools and did not have any educational merit.
“What educational value do you see for those young children?” speaker Chris Vilven said. “This is not about banning books. This is about age-appropriate books.”
What board members are saying
School board President John Aoueille and Place 7 board member Keely Cano voted to remove both books from the high school due to concerns that they contained sexual content and obscene language.
“My judgment dictates that this book is not appropriate for inclusion in our libraries, but really, all of that is inconsequential because we have a legal requirement,” Cano said about House Bill 900.
Place 1 board member Phillip Davis and Place 2 board member Lauren White voted to keep both books in the library, stating “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” held literary value and allowed students to develop compassion for others.
Place 3 board member Erin Archer and Place 5 board member Kim Flasch voted to remove “The Haters” while voting to keep “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," as Flasch said “The Haters” was more graphic than the other novel. Both board members expressed concerns about the community’s division.
“I know there are a lot of people losing sleep over this, and we can't win in this situation,” Archer said.
The backstory
LTISD is one of many districts across the state that is grappling with how to enforce HB 900, a new state law banning public schools from having sexually explicit books.
The district launched an online form last spring allowing community members to challenge books and see books under review. If the complainant makes a formal challenge, the book will be reviewed by a reconsideration committee that may include staff, librarians, parents, community members, and middle and high school students.
Since January 2023, over 30 books have been challenged, nine of which have been completely removed or transferred to the staff book collection while many have been restricted to certain grade levels, according to district documents. District officials have also discussed efforts to increase parental involvement in what their students read through proposing a new library policy and updating library websites.
