Tennessee's Knox County Schools have begun removing 48 books from school libraries, in compliance with the updated Age-Appropriate Materials Act, according to a statement from the school district. The revised Act, a series of laws that defines the content permitted within school libraries, was strengthened to exclude books containing sexual content and excessive violence, as per WATE.
An official review and subsequent list shared with Knox County educators on December 3, identified books deemed non-compliant with the new state law. Schools have been directed to purge these titles by the winter break. Sarah Searles, Supervisor of Library/Media Services with Knox County School, told WATE, "Knox County Schools is committed to complying with all state laws related to library collections," emphasizing the goal of continuing to provide materials that engage students and foster success.
District-wide policy votes conducted in response to the new law sparked dialogue about the removal process of these "explicit" books, with former board member Susan Horn articulating that the primary objective was to "make sure we are in compliance with state law," according to a WVLT report. The statewide move has stoked discussions about the marginalization of certain groups, including the LGBTQ+ community, with books such as Maia Kobabe's "Gender Queer" making the list.
Sherri Garrett, of Knox County's Moms for Liberty chapter, has stated her belief that parents should be more actively involved in their children's reading selections at school. Garrett told WBIR, "Years ago, we would never have allowed children to have content that is that graphic and that explicit, and I don't know, to be honest, I don't know what changed." Meanwhile, the Southern Poverty Law Center has categorized Moms for Liberty as an extremist group engaged in anti-student inclusion activities.
