Virginia Public School Books Contain Images Too Pornographic for Television
Former Governor Terry McAuliffe vetoed a bill to block sexually explicit books in schools
Virginia television stations have refused to run an advertisement displaying pornographic books in public school libraries, even though the books can still be viewed by schoolchildren.
Independent Women's Voice, a conservative women's advocacy group in Virginia, created the ad and bought airtime late at night to reveal the existence of the books. However, they were rebuffed from airing the announcement by ABC, CBS and NBC. The networks said federal law prohibits them from showing pornographic images. But the books, which contain pornographic images and descriptions of sex and pedophilia, are still available in school libraries.
The battle between parents and public schools over programs has been a delicate issue in the country, especially in Virginia during the gdial elections. Critics have attacked Democratic candidate and former governor Terry McAuliffe for allowing sexually explicit material in schools and calling parents' concerns about teaching critical breed theory a "racist dog whistle."
Parents expressed outrage at the permissive stance that the state, its school board and localities have taken with respect to pornographic reading materials in schools. In September, a mother from Virginia confronted the Fairfax County School Board for allowing pornographic books in school libraries. She read excerpts and showed images from the books, one
of which showed a fourth-grade boy practicing oral sex on an adult man.
The board then removed the books from the school system pending further review. But books, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer and Jonathan Evison's Lawn Boy, are still available in school catalogs in neighboring counties such as Loudoun County, Arlington County, Alexandria County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
McAuliffe in 2016 vetoed a bill that would have prevented students from having to see this sexually explicit material in schools. The Beloved Bill, which is named after a parent who objected to the sexually explicit content of Toni Morrison's novel of the same name, would have allowed parents to revisit and not engage in sexually explicit books that could be shown to their children.
McAuliffe at the time called the bill "unnecessary" and said the issue would be resolved by the Virginia Board of Education. In 2017, however, the Council of State rejected a similar proposal to allow students not to engage in sexually explicit reading material.
Asked during a recent governors' debate about opposition to the bill, McAuliffe defended his decision and said parents should not have the final say on the reading materials allowed in schools.
"I'm not going to let parents go into schools and actually pull out books and make their own decision," McAuliffe said. "So, yes, I stopped the bill. I don't think parents should tell schools what they should teach."
Victoria Coley, vice president of communications at Independent Women's Voice, called the existence
of federally banned pornography on school shelves "shocking."
"It's shocking that the images, and even some words, that federal law prohibits TV stations from sharing with adults are the same images shared with Virginia students without any responsibility," Coley said.
Parents' frustration with the country's schools has provoked negative reactions, sometimes from high-ranking elected officials. The Washington Free Beacon reported last week that the country's largest school board association collaborated with the White House before sending a letter asking the FBI to investigate the parents as "domestic terrorists."
Independent Women's Voice, a conservative women's advocacy group in Virginia, created the ad and bought airtime late at night to reveal the existence of the books. However, they were rebuffed from airing the announcement by ABC, CBS and NBC. The networks said federal law prohibits them from showing pornographic images. But the books, which contain pornographic images and descriptions of sex and pedophilia, are still available in school libraries.
The battle between parents and public schools over programs has been a delicate issue in the country, especially in Virginia during the gdial elections. Critics have attacked Democratic candidate and former governor Terry McAuliffe for allowing sexually explicit material in schools and calling parents' concerns about teaching critical breed theory a "racist dog whistle."
Parents expressed outrage at the permissive stance that the state, its school board and localities have taken with respect to pornographic reading materials in schools. In September, a mother from Virginia confronted the Fairfax County School Board for allowing pornographic books in school libraries. She read excerpts and showed images from the books, one
of which showed a fourth-grade boy practicing oral sex on an adult man.
The board then removed the books from the school system pending further review. But books, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer and Jonathan Evison's Lawn Boy, are still available in school catalogs in neighboring counties such as Loudoun County, Arlington County, Alexandria County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
McAuliffe in 2016 vetoed a bill that would have prevented students from having to see this sexually explicit material in schools. The Beloved Bill, which is named after a parent who objected to the sexually explicit content of Toni Morrison's novel of the same name, would have allowed parents to revisit and not engage in sexually explicit books that could be shown to their children.
McAuliffe at the time called the bill "unnecessary" and said the issue would be resolved by the Virginia Board of Education. In 2017, however, the Council of State rejected a similar proposal to allow students not to engage in sexually explicit reading material.
Asked during a recent governors' debate about opposition to the bill, McAuliffe defended his decision and said parents should not have the final say on the reading materials allowed in schools.
"I'm not going to let parents go into schools and actually pull out books and make their own decision," McAuliffe said. "So, yes, I stopped the bill. I don't think parents should tell schools what they should teach."
Victoria Coley, vice president of communications at Independent Women's Voice, called the existence
of federally banned pornography on school shelves "shocking."
"It's shocking that the images, and even some words, that federal law prohibits TV stations from sharing with adults are the same images shared with Virginia students without any responsibility," Coley said.
Parents' frustration with the country's schools has provoked negative reactions, sometimes from high-ranking elected officials. The Washington Free Beacon reported last week that the country's largest school board association collaborated with the White House before sending a letter asking the FBI to investigate the parents as "domestic terrorists."
Josh Christenson
THE WASHINGTON
Virginia Public School Books Contain Images Too Pornographic for Television (freebeacon-com.translate.goog)
THE WASHINGTON
Virginia Public School Books Contain Images Too Pornographic for Television (freebeacon-com.translate.goog)