DANVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Boyle County School District removed a number of books from their libraries to comply with Senate Bill 150, the controversial bill that prevents schools from providing instruction about gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, the district confirmed to LEX 18.
In total, 106 books were removed, according to the local paper, The Advocate Messenger.
“This is bad policy,” said Chris Searcy, a Boyle County High School graduate who lives in the county. "If you like democracy and you like living in a free country in a free society, the idea of banning books is not good."
2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Willie Carver said SB 150 does not suggest any books should be removed from schools. He and a team of other educators reviewed the law when it came out and never considered a district would interpret the law as allowing them to remove books.
“Even applying that to books is a wildly inappropriate use of the law,” he said. "It's absolutely ridiculous."
The district’s superintendent was unavailable for an interview before this story’s publication. In a provided statement, he said the decision to remove the books was made in collaboration with librarians, lawyers, and school leaders.
“This has nothing to do with SB 150. This is them doing something harmful and hateful,” Carver said. “This is them signaling to the LGBTQ community members, and this is them signaling to their LGBTQ students that they are worth less and there is something inherently wrong with them existing.”
In their statement, the district indicated they consider books “instructional resources.” The law says students can’t receive “instruction” about sexual orientation, etc. Carver disagrees with their assessment.
The book “Julian the Mermaid" is one of the books that was removed, according to The Advocate-Messenger. It’s a book about a boy who wants to become a mermaid.
“There's nothing sexual about that book. It doesn't present or instruct on sexuality. It simply allows a human being to exist who they [the district] think isn't what he should be, and that's actually kind of frightening for me,” Carver said. “By taking away the best tool we have for young people to see themselves and for young people to feel good about themselves, even if their parents want them to, this school is quite literally increasing the likelihood of suicide or depression or anxiety.
Searcy believes ultimately, this will decrease the quality of education in a district already struggling.
The district’s superintendent said in his statement that they will continue to give students the best education possible.
