Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
Guidance Document Change: The guidance document "Model Policies Concerning Instructional Materials with Sexually Explicit Content" was developed in conjunction with stakeholders in order to comply with SB656 (2022).
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8/3/22  8:59 am
Commenter: Stephanie Tatel

Oppose
 

School divisions already have book challenge policies and procedures in place that give families the right and the means to challenge a text and require a school to provide an alternative.

This proposed policy so broadly defines "sexually explicit" that the result will surely be censorship based on political leanings.  The Tennessee case against "Maus" is an example of that (https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/02/the-inside-story-of-the-banning-of-maus-its-dumber-than-you-think/)   The history of the Holocaust cannot be told accurately without including the atrocities committed.  This is why the book is typically not taught until upper middle school when students are capable of understanding the context of such images and words.  

Our students are smarter and more capable than the writers of the policy believe. 

CommentID: 124720