YORK COUNTY, Pa. — The Central York School District continued discussion Monday night on a proposed library resource policy.
“This is now the seventh version," Superintendent Dr. Peter Aiken said during the discussion.
It stems from the pulling of two books- "Push" by Sapphire and "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Mass- from the high school library after a challenge form was submitted to the district. Current Republican school board candidate Faith Casale said via email she submitted that request.
Casale, who was out of town and not at Monday night’s meeting, wrote in part:
“I do not believe in banning books, we have over 16,000 books in our district. I do believe in age-appropriate and educationally appropriate materials being available in the school setting.”
Democratic school board candidates Amelia McMillan, Benjamin Walker, and Mike Stewart, who are against the removal of the books, say the materials are not the issue.
"It really is an issue about parental rights, which is doing what's best for the interest of your own child," McMillan said. "Not a school board candidate deciding that they're going to make the decision."
"What's been happening right now is a big correction from the administration's really large misstep of trying to ban these books, while not having a policy that was fit for that purpose," Walker said.
McMillan, Walker, and Stewart also voiced concern that Casale was the one who challenged the materials after another person came forward claiming responsibility when they were initially pulled in March.
York County’s Moms for Liberty chapter chair Rhonda Garman told PBS affiliate WITF she submitted the challenge to the books. Garman did not respond to a request for comment to clarify if she did submit her own challenge form.
During public comment, community members remained on two different pages.
"It’s un-American," One woman said. "These library resources promote diversity, equity, and inclusion for social and emotional indoctrination."
"I think it’s very interesting that some people are confusing this with indoctrination when they still do have a choice to stop their kid from reading that," a former student said.
The board ultimately approved Policy 109.1 to go for a final vote. It institutes a book rating system and gives parents the ability to keep their children from accessing certain materials.
“I fully support our administration's direction and proposal of a rating system as a way to make parents aware of their children’s reading options," Casale also wrote in her response.
Something both sides agree on.
“The fact that they're writing a policy right now to review, potentially pulling books out of the library, to me, that's a very positive thing," Stewart said.
The board will vote on whether to implement the new policy on June 20.