Kent School District Librarian Is Ready to Defend LGBTQ Books ‘Even More Now’

A Kent School District librarian is defending several books that have been challenged for their content.

Gavin Downing has been an educator since 2006 and a trained and licensed librarian for about a decade. He worked as a librarian at Cedar Heights Middle School in Kent for nearly four years, where he is trusted to keep the library’s collection of books openly accessible to students.

Recently, the Cedar Heights Middle School library and the books Downing had curated for the collection became the subject of controversy after a student allegedly raised an issue with a book containing sexually explicit scenes and scenarios.

“Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)”, by Lev AC Rosen, “If I Was Your Girl”, by Meredith Russo, and – less publicly – “All Boys Aren’t Blue”, by George Matthew Johnson were all books which have been temporarily removed from the library and subject to further review by the district. The CHMS director reportedly removed the books after concerns were raised.

The books in question have all been cited as being sexually explicit, but they also all notably feature LGBTQ characters and themes. This raises fears within the community that the school administration may intentionally or unintentionally suppress literary representation of already marginalized groups.

There is legal precedent prohibiting the removal of books for religious, ideological or political reasons after the 1982 Supreme Court case – Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico. In summary, the case decided that books could be removed for non-discriminatory reasons such as “vulgarity” or “pedagogical inadequacy,” but school administrators challenging a book should explain why, taken in its together, literature lacks literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

Downing said the precedent set by Board v. Pico in 1982 further establishes that public school libraries represent a bastion of freedom of expression in which a diversity of opinions, worldviews and experiences are available for students to explore, learn and be challenged. .

As part of her education, Downing had taken graduate courses in subjects such as library collection development and library ethics – courses that help future librarians make responsible and informed decisions about books to add to the public collection or books to remove.

According to Downing, many factors and moving parts go into book preservation decisions. When deciding which books to add to the library, Downing said he needed to do extensive checking and research, including reading reviews and summaries. He accepts student suggestions because he believes that student requests for literature are worth meeting.

“[As librarians] we are trained and use our knowledge,” Downing said. “What we select is generally in line with best practice.”

Downing said the removal or “weeding” of books from the library is done for a variety of reasons, including being in a worn condition, not being checked enough by students, and inaccuracies – which occur usually in Kent Reporters non-fiction in which fact or research may be out of date.

Curious about the forbidden

Downing maintains a shelf in the library to display a variety of the most commonly banned books in the United States, a symbol of his disbelief in the censorship of literature.

“These books usually go very quickly,” he said, as students are naturally curious about what’s forbidden.

Of the books in the library that have been publicly challenged and one that has been privately censored, Downing said they are among the most carefully and diligently vetted in the entire library.

He said he felt it was important for his school library to include literature that shows LGBTQ representation and addresses the issues and themes faced by these characters, as many students openly identify as doing part of the LGBTQ community in Cedar Heights Middle. The school – as well as many who are not open about it.

“I’m ready to defend it,” Downing said. “Even more now than before.”

The first book to be challenged is called “Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)”, by Lev AC Rosen. This book features a 17-year-old gay protagonist who writes a sex advice column and deals with “very mature topics, very frankly,” according to Downing.

The story’s main character explores sexuality in what Downing described as an “authentic way”. He said the sexually curious main character learns about sex in a way that many young people do: hearing rumors, media portrayals and experimentation.

Downing and the book’s reviewers have noted that the book includes medically accurate depictions of sex, but also stresses the importance of consent and safe practices and reinforces the choice not to have sex.

The second book, “If I Were Your Daughter” by Meredith Russo, introduces a transgender character and explores the issues the character experiences, including sexual assault and suicidal themes.

Downing said he thought the well-reviewed book was an important addition to the school library because there are transgender students within the Cedar Heights Middle School community.

The first two books mentioned were publicly part of the Kent School Board’s decision to formally review both books, but Downing said the third was more privately censored.

Downing said he commissioned George Matthew Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” a series of “memoir-manifesto” essays following Johnson’s journey as a queer black man.

He ordered this book, but when the package containing this book and others arrived, Downing said someone had gone through the package and removed the book without telling him. Later, he saw the book on a school administrator’s desk.

Downing said that since the books debate arose within the wider Kent community he felt support from some colleagues regarding his role and choice in selecting certain books for the library, but he is aware that others “clearly don’t”.

“I wasn’t respected for my expertise from the start,” Downing said.

Downing challenged this notion that the books are in question simply because of their sexually explicit content. He pointed to many other books that could fit the same definition, whether it’s Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” books, or Jay Asher’s popular “Thirteen Reasons Why.” Downing argues that sexually explicit content is present in commonly read literature, ranging from biology textbooks to the Bible.

Ultimately, Downing said he believes the decision on what a student should read is ultimately up to that student.

“I believe you have the right, if you don’t like it, put it down,” Downing said. “You are the best person to decide.”

He said the themes, situations and scenarios that parents may want to prevent their students from experiencing are exactly what they need to be exposed to in order to be able to cope with, adapt to or endure the negative life experiences that no parent cannot protect their children. no matter how many books their children are not allowed to read.

“I don’t think those are conflicting views,” Downing said. “Providing these different perspectives is there to help protect.”

school district

The Kent School District statement said these books would still be available to students while the literature is being reviewed by the curriculum materials committee. KSD said that when selecting course materials, staff are cautioned to carefully preview such materials and give due consideration to the maturity level of students; relevance of language; prejudice against race, gender, ethnicity or other social groups; the degree of violence, nudity or sexual explicitness; and other sensitive issues.

“While there has been media coverage and public discussion focused on the adults involved and policy and procedure, as a district our primary concern is with the student at the heart of the matter,” the superintendent said. Acting Israel Vela in the written statement. “Now we are going through the process and ultimately I trust my staff, our curriculum materials committee and our school board to meet the book challenges and follow the board’s policies and procedures to make the decision. which is in the best interest of all our students.”