To the Editor:

At the May 2nd BOE meeting teachers and library media specialists alike spoke to the board, urging them to listen to the expert advice of the panel whom (after reviewing the requests to remove the books Flamer and Blankets from the NHS library) unanimously recommended to keep the books in circulation.

In spite of these clear messages, alongside well put together arguments from high school aged students, members of the board appeared to be on the fence about which way they would vote. In fact, board member Donald Ramsey seemed more worried he would be labeled a “book banner” if he voted to ban a book than he worried about the advice of those who are experts in their field.

He was concerned that a student would grab one of the books from the shelf, flip through it and then be scarred by one of the few images which could be considered problematic when taken out of context.

Here is just a short list of images my sons have been exposed to at both NMS and NHS:

*Hand drawn images of erect penises. Some of which were clearly ejaculating fluid.

*Pornography air dropped onto their cell phones while on the bus.

*Students engaged in oral sex in the bathrooms.

*Racial slurs shouted in the hallway.

*Curse words shouted, written, texted, in the hallway and classroom.

None of these were sought out by them. All of these were thrust upon them simply by walking in the hallways or riding the district’s transportation to school.

These books, which have been defended time and again by literary experts as NOT pornographic, are not harming children. These books are NOT part of any of the curriculum. These books are NOT being read aloud to students. These books are NOT available to anyone under the age of 14 (because, let’s be honest here, there is not a large population of 13-year-olds in high school).

These books are simply sitting on a shelf, waiting to be checked out. Students hear, see, and have access to much worse without needing to look for it in the library.

As [Assistant Superintendent]Anne Uberti pointed out, this is just the beginning of a long list of books which people are trying to remove from our school libraries. The hours spent discussing just these two books could be saved if the BOE would simply trust the expertise of the educators who were hired to make these decisions.

The BOE should make the wise decision; admit that they are not the experts in this case. Set aside their pride and politics and listen to the teachers. Follow the advice of those who have done the work and have actual knowledge about literature and content.

Carrie Grummons

Newtown