Eastport-South Manor college officers mentioned on Tuesday that the district has not moved to ban or censor any books from the classroom after the New York Civil Liberties Union questioned a call to do away with tons of of copies of 14 books — some which have been a supply of controversy in components of the nation.
Faculties Superintendent Joseph A. Steimel in a letter posted on the district’s web site on Tuesday wrote that the district solely “eliminated the worn or broken copies from our cabinets” and the books “stay in circulation and shall be changed as wanted.”
The district’s college board voted in July 2024 to declare “out of date” a number of books of their assortment together with a lot of which have been the topic of latest bans in different components of the nation or include themes of race and identification.
The motion was questioned by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which steered that a lot of titles haven’t been changed and lots of haven’t appeared in syllabuses since 2019, Newsday beforehand reported.
Steimel, in an announcement to Newsday, mentioned: “The district has by no means eliminated these things from the curriculum.”
“The district is dedicated to offering a various and sturdy literary expertise for our college students, making certain they’ve entry to a big selection of voices and views that mirror their experiences and broaden their understanding of the world,” he mentioned. “We commonly evaluation the bodily situation of the supplies in our collections with a view to guarantee our college students have entry to academic supplies that aren’t solely partaking but additionally properly maintained.”
Whereas the district supplied the NYCLU with details about a number of the books, Johanna Miller, director of the Schooling Coverage Heart on the New York Civil Liberties Union, in an announcement to Newsday referred to as for extra transparency and details about the opposite books.
“Transparency and entry to various concepts are basic to college students’ rights and a wholesome, democratic schooling system.” Miller added.
A few of the titles in query included acclaimed works akin to Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Have been Watching God” and Richard Wright’s “Black Boy.”
Relating to these books, the district in an e mail to Newsday on Tuesday, mentioned it maintained 65 copies for classroom use and one copy at present within the district’s library catalog of “The Bluest Eye”; 24 classroom copies of the “Their Eyes Have been Watching God” and 9 library copies; 31 copies of “Black Boy” for classroom use and one of their library.
Instructed concerning the district’s response, Miller mentioned they’re “inspired to study that three of the books labeled ‘out of date’ stay in circulation, we’re nonetheless ready for solutions concerning the remaining … books.”
The Eastport-South Manor district had greater than 2,700 college students enrolled within the 2023-24 college yr, together with about 450 Hispanic college students and roughly 50 Black college students, based on state knowledge.
Among the many 14 titles had been 11 literary works, a dictionary for kids, a handbook, and a literature textbook. Not less than 4 out of the 11 had been on PEN America’s index of e book bans from 2023-2024.
Based on PEN America “The Bluest Eye” is among the many mostly banned books within the nation, whereas Morrison’s “Music of Solomon,” “Their Eyes Have been Watching God” and “Go Ask Alice” by Beatrice Sparks have additionally been the topic of bans.
District officers have additionally famous previously to the NYCLU that they supposed to amend its July 2024 decision declaring the books out of date to make clear which works stay within the curriculum and go a separate decision to “surplus” objects that aren’t in good situation to be used.
Steimel mentioned on Tuesday the decision has not but been offered to the board “because the district is continuous to evaluation this matter in an effort to finest remove any confusion or misconceptions by the general public concerning the disposal of worn and used books.”
