After Old Rochester Regional School Committee member Matthew Monteiro explained his December, 2022, request for review of 10 controversial books currently accessible in local public school libraries was motivated by a desire to achieve transparency, he presented a 16-minute argument for their inclusion during the committee’s March 15 public meeting.
Committee member Joseph Pires issued a brief rebuttal, followed by member Jason Chisholm’s comments confessing concern tempered by his recommendation that the vetting process remain in the hands of those selected to make such decisions.
The outcome was a series of votes that approved all 10 books under review: “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “Beyond Magenta,” “Flamer,” “Gender Queer,” “Lawn Boy,” “Let’s Talk About It,” “Out of Darkness,” “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” “The Bluest Eye,” and “The Hate U Give.”
Chisholm, Monteiro, ORR School Committee Chairperson Michelle Smith, Vice Chairperson Frances-Feliz Kearns and members Rosemary Bowman, Margaret McSweeny and James Muse voted to approve all 10 books under review. Committee member April Nye voted to approve all, except “Gender Queer.” Pires voted no on eight of the 10 books, voting to approve “The Hate U Give” while abstaining from voting on “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.”
Before arguments were made and votes taken, Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson summarized the process through which the School Committee’s previously adopted policies related to Policy I.J.R. “Reconsideration of Instructional Resources” was being challenged. The decisions, said Nelson, are good for three years before they become subject to further appeals.
“I do not agree that these books are obscene or problematic, and I support the representation of marginalized communities,” said Monteiro, prefacing the explanation for his request. “But my opinions are those of one individual. It is time that these books go through the process of review so that all can be satisfied that they have been evaluated, and people’s concerns can be addressed. … And, I expect the review process will be fair.”
Monteiro stressed that he was not part of the deliberation on the books by the Standards Committee but still sought further review by the School Committee at large for the sake of transparency.
“These books are not pornography, they’re accurate depictions of sexual experiences,” said Monteiro, stating that the remedy to pornography’s harms is education and accurate information rather than shielding learners. He argued against the idea that the books under review present harm to students by noting how long each of them have been on school library shelves, one dating back to 2008.
Referencing his master’s degree in clinical psychology, Monteiro said he has worked with children from ages 4-17 and adults of all ages but has never been sought for treatment of a person for exposure to a novel. Acknowledging people’s addiction to video games and/or pornography, Monteiro differentiated the books under review as novels with limited sexual content.
Comparing exposure to sex in the novels under review to the dangers of eating meat or playing contact sports, Monteiro rhetorically asked if sports should be banned and only vegan meals served in the school cafeteria. He said no one is required to read the books under review and argued that making the books under review unavailable to all students is not giving parents control but rather taking it away.
Monteiro also read passages from “The Canterbury Tales” and the Bible as examples of explicit, sexual content that has been in high school libraries for many years. He said that those books should be subjected to the same scrutiny as the novels up for committee review. He argued that other, more-modern books such as “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” “Game of Thrones” and some Stephen King novels warrant the same attention. Monteiro concluded that opposing viewpoints are politically motivated.
None of the books under review, he stated, were donated to the school libraries. Had any of them been donated, said Monteiro, it would have been vetted by the librarian. Monteiro’s final remarks drew applause from some audience members.
Upon conclusion of Monteiro’s lengthy statement, Smith introduced the 10 votes, the first to see if a motion would be made to keep “All Boys Aren’t Blue” in the library. After the motion was seconded, Pires thanked Monteiro for laying out what he said is the thinking process of some members of the committee but not himself.
“If you’re not horrified by what you just heard, I’m sorry. The majority does not feel the way Matt Monteiro feels,” said Pires, also drawing applause for his remarks. “I’m extremely disappointed because if you know me, I like to meet in the middle. I like to compromise, and the fact that no one on this board has even moved an inch … to adhere or understand or meet you halfway, how can we work this out? That’s never been on the table. It’s unfortunate that a parent’s rights are being superseded to protect their child’s innocence. That’s all I have to say.”
Acknowledging that opposing opinions on the matter have been heard extensively for months, Chisholm told the committee he was conflicted.
“Our society has become drastically oversexualized, and that’s not a new thing. I also recognize that we have people and a process in place, and we’ve selected the right people – one way or another these people have been selected based on credentials, experience and knowledge, and they are empowered to manage this process,” said Chisholm. “Now I can tell you as a parent, as a Christian, I do have some challenges with some of the content and some of the imagery within these books. But I can’t ignore that first point … we have people in place to manage the process.
“I find comfort in allowing those people to do their job for one simple reason: The moral compass and the expectations of my children are set by myself and my wife, no one else. If I have an issue with any of the content or the materials presented in these books, what’s on TV, what’s on social media, what some neighbors may say, I deal with it with my wife and my children directly. And I believe in the power of that.”
With that, Chisholm told the committee he would vote to approve.
Smith thanked the Standards Committee for its work on 13 books, 10 of which were voted upon March 15.
Pires told the School Committee, “We should raise some real concerns with the qualifications of the Standards Committee.” Smith asked for his suggestion in writing.
During Open Comment toward meeting’s end, Thomas Kearns of Mattapoisett articulated support of Monteiro’s contentions that were expressed at length earlier. Pires, whose opposing viewpoints were referenced in Kearns’ remarks, responded at which point Smith interrupted to restore the prescribed order (Open Comment is not a dialogue, etc.)
Vanessa Miller of Marion did not support the vote, saying her autistic son will repeat what he hears other students talking about and mimic the images in the books reviewed. She called the books amoral and disgusting and said common sense was lacking among the experts who managed the approval process.
Karen Thomas of Rochester asked why the book “Beyond Magenta,” recommended for ages 14 and up, is accessible in the ORR Junior High library. By implication, she defended Pires, recalling his statement from months ago that he is not in favor of banning books. “What we wanted was concern for 400 parents,” she said, pointing to a possible survey. She accused the committee of shutting down Pires’ request that the community be involved in the process.
Another resident asserted that the School Committee has willfully ignored its own policies that would vet book donations.
A student from Rochester spoke in favor of the books and told meeting attendees that if they are not in favor of the books, to keep their children away from them, something Monteiro stressed remains within parental purview. In an emotional plea, the student asserted that there are many books in the school library that are not being debated but are far more sexually explicit and asked for consistency from the controversial books’ critics.
In other business, the ORR School Committee unanimously voted to maintain the maximum allowable limit of 125 School Choice students for the 2023-24 academic year.
There are 103 total School-Choice students in 2022-23. Nelson anticipates 19 will graduate this June from ORR. He recommended modifying two of the caps so that Grade 7 will be allowed a maximum of 20 new School Choice students and in Grade 8 no more than five. Preference will be given to Grades 7, 8 and 9. As of March 15, ORR had already received 25 applications to fill slots presumably available for the 2023-24 academic year.
In separate votes, the School Committee approved a $75,468 grant from the Department of Early Education and Care for the ParentChild+ Program and a $10,000 Safe and Supportive Schools Grant for FY23. The ParentChild+ Program, done in collaboration with neighboring Wareham, brings literacy coaches into homes; the Safe and Supportive Schools Grant is a self-assessment tool that will identify needs and improve a particular area.
The School Committee approved a $421,000 budget transfer for repairs to the high school track, which will remain closed during the spring season. Nelson told the committee that ORR’s spring track-and-field practice time and schedules have been arranged with the cooperation of other area school districts.
Nelson also told the committee that Christine Gagnon, approved as ORR District treasurer in a prior meeting, has officially agreed to terms and has begun her employment.
Assistant High School Principal Vanessa Harvey reported acknowledgments to ORR’s state-champion DECA and indoor-track teams.
The School Committee approved a junior-class fundraiser to sell mattresses.
New Marion Town Administrator Geoff Gorman greeted the committee at the start of its meeting.
The Joint School Committee/Superintendents Union 55 is scheduled to meet on Thursday, March 30, at 6:30 pm at the ORR Junior High media room. The next meeting of the ORR School Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, at 6:30 pm.
ORR School Committee
By Mick Colageo