Superintendent Crystal Hill has reversed a CMS media review panel’s decision and ordered the young adult novel “Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)” removed from all Charlotte-Mecklenburg school libraries. Her decision was based on a new policy created in response to North Carolina’s Parents Bill of Rights.
"Jack of Hearts" is among several books that Mecklenburg Moms for Liberty President Brooke Weiss has challenged at Ardrey Kell High School. The school’s review panel voted to keep the book and the district panel upheld that decision last month. But the group was divided, with members saying they were uncomfortable with the detailed sex scenes even though the book has value for students.
Weiss appealed to the superintendent, and in a statement released Monday evening, CMS said Hill chose to remove the book because of “the explicit, graphic sexual nature of the novel.”
Also Monday night, the Catawba County school board voted to restrict two books, “Lolita” and “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” to checkout with parent permission only. The board has been hearing appeals from Michelle Teague, who sought the removal of 25 books before she was elected to the school board last year. Now Teague is one of seven members voting on her own appeals. She had hoped to get both books removed.
Schools across America are fielding book challenges from parent groups that say administrators and educators don’t do enough to protect students from material they deem offensive.
