MSBSD school board votes to remove two more books from school libraries

Books in school libraries were again the main item during last week’s Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) school board meeting as the board voted to remove two more books.

In a 7-to-1 vote, the school board voted in favor of the Library Citizens’ Advisory Committee (LCAC) recommendations to remove “Call Me by Your Name,” by author Andre Aciman and “Verity” by Colleen Hoover, from school library shelves during the March 20 school board meeting.

The LCAC had voted in an earlier meeting that the two books met the Alaska State standards for obscenity, though the vote was not unanimous as two members had abstained from voting.

“My understanding is that ten of the books were removed from libraries last year, after the 56 (challenged) books were first brought forward. One of the books that you have removed was on that list, it’s already been removed from the catalogue by the librarians themselves last year when this was first brought forward…Why is this happening? I’ve been to meetings where people on the committee have asked if they really have to read the books that aren’t even in the libraries anymore in the school district,” Jeanne Troschynski commented, then said that groups protesting the books is tantamount to a form of bullying.

“Intimidating, harassing people that have different opinions. They have every right to their opinions, follow the tenants of their church. I do not object to that. I really believe that everybody should believe what they believe. But this behavior really needs to be toned down.”

Mary Richardson remarked that she has done some math and said that the MSBSD has spent roughly $3,000 per LCAC meeting, and after seven months, it was running upwards of $21,000 to remove one copy of one book from one high school library.

“Dr. Trani was quoted recently as saying that the district is facing a $40 million deficit. $21,000, a conservative estimate…I just have to shake my head,” she said during public comments before the board voted, adding that the issue would only be dragged out with the pending lawsuit and likely appeals.

“I just want people to realize that when they say, ‘oh, I don’t want my taxpayer money to go towards having books I don’t approve of in the library,’ you escape what a library is. It’s free and equal access to information for everyone. You’re taking taxpayer money is going towards people engaging in censorship,” Robinson told the board.

When it came time to discuss the LCAC’s recommendation, school board member Ted Swanson again raised the issue of the unanimous vote of the books by the committee as being criminally obscene.

“It seems the votes aren’t actually unanimous. The vote was 9 to 0, with two abstaining for ‘Verity’ and 8 to 0, with three abstaining for ‘Call Me by Your Name.’ It’s a little disingenuous to call it unanimous when not every member voted.”

Member Swanson raised a similar issue last month when the MSBSD school board voted in favor of removing “It Ends with Us” by Colleen Hoover, as recommended by the LCAC. He said then that book should be returned to the committee for a second vote after two members of that committee abstained from voting and a third member did not record a vote, suggesting that if a book is to be removed and found criminally obscene, it should have a unanimous vote. His amendment did not receive a second and therefore no discussion or vote was held, and the amendment failed. The school board ultimately voted 7 to 1 to accept the Library Committee’s recommendations and forward to the school district administration as requested.

“For the future, I’d personally like to see that the vote spelled out in this action item for the public to see without having to go digging, so everyone is aware what we’re calling unanimous.” During a previous meeting, the LCAC made a motion that every member must vote.

He made a motion to move “Call Me by Your Name” from the ‘to be removed’ category and instead be remanded to MSBSD administration for review, but again did not receive a second to even have a discussion about the voting process from the LCAC, and the school board swiftly moved to a vote, which was approved 7 to 1to approve the LCAC’s recommendation to remove the books. Member Swanson was the sole dissenting vote.

The next meeting of the MSBSD school board will be held April 3, 2024 at 6:00 pm at the MSBSD Administration Building in Palmer.