Parent Consent and
PORN Books
is NOT Acceptable!

After parents and Patriots complained, Manatee County School District set up a protocol to review graphically erotic books. Fast forward six months to today. Many of the inappropriate books went through the school districts’ “review process,” where they were deemed worthy to be placed back into the school libraries with the vague and unenforceable restriction that required students to get “Parental Consent” to check them out. 

Our next step is to contest these results, and make our voices heard to remove these books. It is time to deal directly with the Principals and Assistant Principles at the schools that house these books in their libraries. Ultimately, the principals are responsible for what goes on in their schools.

I hear most of these principals do not want the books in their school libraries. Some have removed them on their own. However, regardless of how a principal feels, parents, taxpayers and concerned citizens DO NOT want this in our schools. We must keep pressure on the Board and contact the Principals directly so they know we want them out—regardless of “parental consent.”

“Parental Consent” is a milquetoast loophole:

• The Parental Consent designation leaves a loophole for inappropriate material to remain in schools. However, Florida Statute  847.001 & 847.012, makes it clear anything  that is “harmful to minors” is not allowed in schools—even if some progressive parent wants it there. 
• The Parental Consent designation leaves a loophole for schools to be able to purchase and shelf more of this filth, hiding behind a smokescreen that kids can’t access them without the parents. Our position is that if parents want it, parents can provide it. This isn’t the role of the school.
• The schools are misappropriating the Parents Bill of Rights as a mandate to provide materials regardless of topic based on parental demands. However the intent of the Parents Bill of Rights was to provide parental protection against radical political agendas showing up in schools.

We believe the law is clear: material that is harmful to minors does not belong in schools. With or without parental consent. We are asking the Board and the Administration to accept the protection in the law and be bold about removing the books permanently and completely. If a progressive parent wants to fight the district to get them back into the schools, put the onus on them to prove why students need it. We believe they will lose that battle in the court of public opinion when we publicly read what’s in the books.

When sending your comments:

• State just the facts.
• Do not make it a personal attack on the principal.
• We want to connect and make relationships – as they will probably be hearing from us again in the future.
• We are close to the end of the road with these books that have gone through the process, let’s not harp on how they got into their libraires. That’s another fight we are still working on. Let’s just get these books removed as quickly as possible.

• Feel free to add the passage examples in your comments.

Talking Point Ideas:

• Can you read this out loud in class, to your fellow teachers, colleagues – especially the female ones?

• Would you read this to your own children?
• How do these graphic images seeded into the mind of children have favorable outcomes?
• What we think about we become – What is the outcome you want for the kids in your schools?
• There is known research about the harm to children from pornography. (Maybe site a couple of statistics and research papers. This makes us more credible than just a bunch of “Loonie Parents” complaining.)
• Most of these books have horrible grammar and are written poorly. This un-does how they are taught to speak and write in school. (As these are the things they should be focusing on)

It has been said that these books are not assigned so they hold a different standard within the school. It is a choice, not part of any curriculum. You may get that as a return talking point. (There is no standard or middle of the road with anything “Harmful to Minors!”)

This is a slippery slope. We must stop writing this kind of harmful “literature” for children and also send a message out to these authors and publishers. We need to hit them in the pocketbook!! This is the dumbing down of America, the children and pushing agendas of indoctrination. These “academics” unfortunately don’t see it that way which makes it harder to get them to listen and hear our points. We can only stick to the truth and the law.

Action Steps:

• Email each school Principal and copy AP if you like.
• All the books that the Principals are responsible for are listed for you below by school.
• Download the form. The questions are terrible. Fill out the form or just address the questions in your comments or letter and attach the form even if it’s blank. Put on form “see attached letter.” You will need to fill out a form and address your comments separately for each book.
• Copy Laurie Breslin, head of curriculum­ to your emails. She also facilitated the book committee.
• If you also feel inclined here are the board members emails also: Chad Choate, Mary Foreman, Gina Messenger, superintendent Cynthia Saunders.  Richard Tatum and Cindy Spray’s personal email. 

Chad Choate says he does not want the inappropriate books in the schools but has not stopped this circus.  Mary Foreman advocates for the parental consent  – That’s a HARD NO!  Gina Messenger believes in Parental Rights for ALL!! And she does not know why we are still talking about this subject when there are more important things, and the school does such a great job. Richard Tatem is worried they will remove the Bible if we push too hard. 

Note: You will have to put your comments into a “Word” document, due to it being bounced back because of content…Yes the content that is okay for children but not for the admins and department heads. Be aware of your subject heading also. All correspondence should have the same subject title for our own files and future record request searches.

• Use Subject Heading: “Book Objection”

Thank you for taking on this project.

We WILL make Manatee County Schools Great again!!

Below are the links to schools and emails for the Principal and AP.

• The book titles have two links.
• The first one is the passages inside the book
• The second is to Manatee District’s website book catalog where these titles can be found.
• Plus, the final determination on each book.