By Shawn Hyland
In the past week, two parents have contacted me with serious concerns about school reading materials. One raised issues about inappropriate books available in a public middle school library. The other was deeply troubled by a sexually explicit book—containing disturbing descriptions of incest and rape—that is required reading in a private high school. Both are seeking guidance on how to address these matters appropriately.
The situation at the private school is both troubling and frustrating. There’s no formal review process or clear steps for addressing concerns, which leaves parents with few options—often, the only suggestion is to speak directly with the principal. While that may sound straightforward, teachers and curriculum staff often act as gatekeepers, seemingly trying to shield the principal from being informed.
The public middle school library situation is equally troubling, though the process for addressing it is more clearly defined— because of the misleadingly named “Freedom to Read Act.” Under this law, school boards are required to establish a Library Material Removal policy by December. This policy must include a formal Request for Removal form that parents, students, and teachers can use to challenge books they believe are not age appropriate.
The New Jersey Département of Education has posted their model policies online. It is clearly stated that books may be limited or restricted if they are developmentally inappropriate for certain students and grades served by the school library.
You can find the model policy here.
You can find the book removal form here.
Friends, this progress is the direct result of your hard work last year in defeating the original Freedom to Read bill. That version would have stripped away local oversight, making it nearly impossible to restrict or remove sexually explicit books from schools. It would have placed final authority in the hands of librarians—excluding school boards and even superintendents—from decisions about which materials children could access.
Tragically, many sexually explicit books will remain in school libraries despite this new policy—not because they must, but because some parents and school board members choose to keep them. Often, no one steps forward to challenge the material. And even when someone does, the school board votes to keep it anyway. State law does not require these books to stay—it’s a local decision.
The good news is this: where parents and school board members are committed to protecting children, they have the authority to act. No outside group can do it for you. It’s now in the hands of families and communities to stand up, speak out, and make choices that reflect their values.
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Shawn Hyland is Director of Advcacy for the NJ Family Policy Center.
