MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — School board members in Rutherford County on Thursday night voted to ban several books from its school libraries.
Those books are:
- "Beloved" by Toni Morrison
- "Queen of Shadows" by Sara J. Maas
- "Tower of Dawn" by Sara J. Maas
- "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi
- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
- "Wicked (The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West)"by Gregory Maquire
However, the board agreed to let one remain in school libraries.
- "Skin and Bones" by Sherry Shahan
This comes a month after the school board assured in a work session they would review each book before making a final decision.
Board members argued they should create a mature reading list. However, that would be a change to district policy — which can't go into effect until it's taken up at a separate policy committee meeting.
"I knew this was going to be a tough night, and it reminds me of the mask controversies," board chair Claire Maxwell said.
Earlier this week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee wrote a letter to the board Sept. 16, warning the members to not ban any books.
"Libraries are revered, protected places where students should be able to encounter a marketplace of ideas. If you continue banning books at this pace, RCS students will be shopping in a marketplace with nothing but empty shelves," the ACLU wrote in its letter.
Bethany Davison contributed to this report.
Here’s a story offering a great example of how a common cause, and a little creativity, can “intersect” to improve quality of life. Our South Nashville reporter Patsy Montesinos shares how some neighbors decided to take action, following the tragic death of a 77-year-old in a hit-and-run along Antioch Pike earlier this year. See how they used “tactical urbanism” to make the area a little safer for all.
- Rhori Johnston
