Gov. Gavin Newsom and other top California officials Thursday cautioned school administrators against restricting what students read and learn about marginalized groups — marking their most forceful response to a spate of conservative-led book challenges to date.
Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and state Superintendent Tony Thurmond warned K-12 leaders in a letter that a litany of state laws and constitutional precedent could stand in their way should they shelve books or cut curriculum based on their inclusion of themes related to race and sexual orientation.
“A local educational agency’s removal of materials” in some cases, the three Democrats wrote, “may constitute unlawful discrimination.”
They also told administrators to prepare for a review from the attorney general if they restrict instructional materials.
The admonition builds on recent actions from California Democrats who have recently acted to shield California’s public schools from a slew of restrictions pushed by Republicans like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on what students learn about race and gender.
Newsom’s office earlier this month requested information from DeSantis, the Florida Department of Education and textbook publishers over K-12 social studies books that were revised under pressure from Florida Republicans. Thurmond this week sent a memo to California school leaders warning that content restrictions could run afoul of the First Amendment.
Book bans and restrictions in California have been rare, according to national groups tracking them. One tracker cited in the California leaders’ letter reflects only one book removal in the state — a high school district north of Los Angeles that shelved This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson….
From Politico.
This book came out (ha ha) in 2015 and is already dated (again, ha ha)
During the 1950s, statewide chapters of the DAR took an interest in reviewing school textbooks for their own standards of suitability. In Texas, the statewide “Committee on Investigations of Textbooks” issued a report in 1955 identifying 59 textbooks currently in Texas public schools that had “socialistic slant” or “other deficiencies” including references to “Soviet Russia” in the Encyclopedia Britannica.[15] In 1959, the Mississippi chapter’s “National Defense Committee” undertook a state lobbying effort that secured an amendment to state law which added “lay” members to the committee reviewing school textbooks. A DAR board member was appointed to one of the seats.
Is all textbook content the same?
More bureaucrats trying to sexualize children. Why do libs keep voting for these people?
This retired teacher is so tired of this babble!
Do school librarians purchase every possible book? No, they use discretion. Refusal to buy or shelve an item they consider inappropriate (reading age, expense, likelihood of kids actually reading it, etc.) is not censorship, its denial of patronage. Censorship is government saying: “you can’t write, print or purchase this book”. Refusal of patronage means only: “I’m not going to buy this book.”
The fight here (and in Florida) is whether the boss (like Governors Newsom or DeSantis) can exercise authority the employees they supervise already exercise: setting rules for the purchase of books with state funds for use in schools. In every business I know, if an employee can do something, generally so can his supervisor. So if public librarians can exercise patronage in the name of the people, so can governors (according to the laws of that state) as their supervisors.
Question the wisdom of such a move if you wish, but don’t give me nonsense about “censorship.”
Oh, the endless irony… fascists (i.e. left-wingers) who always call other people “fascists”.
When will our Catholic guv/supreme ruler simply announce that he’s waiting for his older Catholic brother Joe to fall over and not get up? He’s running for president or he wouldn’t be taking out ads in Texas and Florida (swing states with large numbers of electoral votes). As least our Catholic brother DeSantis is honest enough to admit he’s running for president.
California’s liberal–leftist Democrat political leaders have no moral conscience at all– even in regards to schoolchildren. On the positive side, I read in the news that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin finally ordered a ban on all Drag Queen shows on military bases, as of June 1st, the beginning of so-called Pride month. However, I read that the Navy had a promotion program, in 2022-2023, using a Drag Queen– that ought to be illegal. Also, the U.S. Embassy at the Vatican and every other location, worldwide,, should be prohibited from flying the Pride flag, and from promoting the LGBT propaganda.
Why?
Spoken like a true Russian Comrade. Long live Soviet autocracy. Down with Free Speech. Bring back the Gulag for SpeechCrime.
Freedom is not “free.” Many irresponsible, immature, hedonistic young Americans, since the Godless, corrupt, filthy 1960s, have mistakenly thought
that “freedom” means “irresponsible ebellion, selfish, hedonistic freedom to sin,” and destroy civilization, and harm others, with no respect for others and their legitimate rights, at all. Freedom is an adult responsibility, and requires mature, self-sacrificing adults who are willing to live in harmony and decency, together with others, with mutual respect, good behavior, and protection of the family and community from all that is Evil. Ultimately, you must be willing to give your life for your family, community, and country, if Evil seeks to destroy it. Those are the facts of life. Freedom is not a ticket to a destructive, sinful, filthy, hedonistic, selfish, irresponsible life, destroying family, community and country. You learn to drive a car, learn the rules, and obey all traffic rules and laws like a mature adult citizen. Same thing with learning to properly lead a good and decent, mature, responsible life, as a mature family member, community member, and a good citizen. A child grows to nmaturity, gives up babyish hedonism, rebellion, and selfishness, and should then be ready to be a good, obedient, responsible, mature adult citizen.
So people are free to do what you want.
On June 16th, Feast of the Sacred Heart, Bishop Strickland is leading a Eucharistic Procession from Our Lady, Queen of Angels Cathedral, to Dodgers’ Stadium in reparation for the horrific sins of the anti-Catholic drag “nuns.” Would love to join him.
I hope they join him.
This does not make sense. He is the bishop of Tyler, Texas.
Jaw dropping.
This guy is not going to be a bishop for much longer.
Oh my goodness.
Never seen anything like this.
The gays really have done a number on this country and in the Catholic Church. They claim that you must celebrate pride because if you don’t you show you’re not accepting people, and young people might kill themselves. They claim you cannot criticize them nor their behavior, because if you do that then young people might kill themselves. You even have Catholic priests saying that it’s necessary in faith to accept LGBTQ or else you are sinning against love of neighbor. The gays have twisted everything. If gays don’t feel accepted in the church, it’s their own fault. Stop trying to change the church to accept your sins.
You do not have to celebrate Pride. Who cares what other people think?
You can say whatever you want but you should take the potential consequences of your speech into account.
We are supposed to accept LGBTQ people as children of God. Be charitable.
Gay people who do not conform to the Church’s moral teaching do not feel accepted by the Church. Neither do cohabitators. There are people in all sins who feel like they should be accepted and treated like everyone else. These are the narcissists. Entitlement is one of the characteristics of narcissism.
Humble sinners know they are bad and they are not acceptable. They are very grateful for the chance to repent, confess and reform their lives and that they can still get to heaven.
gay books should be removed from schools. gay behavior should be targeted. do we let children read books glorifying drunk driving or drug use? do we have laws that punish drunk driving and drug use? there’s your answer.
here’s the good news.
after decades of incompetence,
the govt. schools have rendered most
students illiterate.
they can’t read these awful books.
but they can still look at the pictures.
It’s Gavin Newsom who should be removed! Pray for California!