Shouting matches broke out, the audience traded barbs with the board and the president threatened to remove the public multiple times at the Redlands school board meeting Tuesday. The board passed a book removal policy and a ban on obscene material in classrooms.
The board room was packed with critics and supporters of the policies. Critics chanted “shame” and supporters responded with “U-S-A” when the board entered the chambers.
One policy will allow the board to appoint a committee when there’s a complaint that a book is pornographic. The committee will create a rubric to decide how to determine whether to remove a book. And the ban will remove “obscene material” from school curriculum, although it doesn’t give a definition. They voted 3 to 2 for both policies.
Critics say the policies are an attempt to censor what students learn. Trisha Keeling with Together for Redlands, a group that’s opposed, said the vague wording of the ban will come at a cost.
“Leaving this undefined creates chaos for teachers, librarians and families, and it strips students of the opportunity to think critically for themselves,” said Keeling.
Meanwhile, board member Candy Olson—who’s a Christian conservative and proposed the policies—applauded her colleagues for passing them. Now, the district will negotiate with the teacher’s union to determine how the policies will be implemented.