CASPER, Wyo. — While a book banning debate within the Natrona County School District has been focused on two specific titles for the past several months, the NCSD Board of Trustees signaled Monday a possible move toward a more wide-ranging ban on any book or other material with “sexually explicit” imagery from school libraries.
The school board discussed a new proposed policy on Monday that, as drafted, would ban materials with “sexually explicit images or sexually explicit acts or simulations of such acts” from all school libraries. A proposed administrative regulation would define “sexually explicit image” as “any pictorial, three dimensional material, or graphic novel depicting human masturbation, sexual intercourse, sexual acts, or direct physical stimulation.”
The proposed policy and administrative regulation can be reviewed in the following documents:
Trustee Kianna Smith said the Board Policy Committee discussed the proposed changes at its Oct. 24 meeting and asked for staff to draft the policies. There was no input from school librarians or other stakeholders into the proposed policies prior to Monday night’s school board meeting, Superintendent Mike Jennings said. Several people had urged the school board to seek out such input during the public comment portion of Monday night’s meeting.
The Board Policy Committee will discuss the proposed policies again during a Nov. 28 meeting, according to Smith. The full school board will then be asked to formally consider approving the new policies during its Nov. 28 meeting.
Trustee Dave Applegate said he expects the school board’s decision as to whether “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “Trans Bodies, Trans Selves” by Laura Erickson-Schroth should be allowed to remain on high school library shelves will be decided with existing school policies in mind rather than with the proposed new policies in mind.
In regard to the proposed new policies, Applegate said he thinks they avoid some ambiguity about what constitutes “pornography” as the policy would simply ban any “sexually explicit” images. While people might have differing opinions as to whether some of the imagery in “Gender Queer” and “Trans Bodies, Trans Selves” is or isn’t pornographic, Applegate said he thinks most people would agree it is “sexually explicit.”
As to a “slippery slope” argument that banning some books could lead to banning more, Applegate said he thinks every difficult decision is made on a slope and a line must be drawn somewhere.
While Applegate took aim at some of the arguments people have presented as to why books shouldn’t be banned, he said he’d like to see more input from people into the proposed policies before the Nov. 28 decision is made.
Trustee Clark Jensen said he has some mixed feelings about the book banning debate. While he said he generally opposes “cancel culture,” he said removing a book from a school library doesn’t necessarily mean it is “banned” as it may be available elsewhere.
“We should legitimately ban pornography from our public school libraries — which is obviously not easy to define based on previous public comments,” Jensen added.
Jensen added he believes the school district should be careful not to undermine family value systems within the community when it comes to education about sexuality. He added that he thinks most NCSD families “believe in the higher power that holds us responsible for how we use the God-given power to create life.”
“A sterile, secular discussion about sexuality does not and cannot address that reality, nor acknowledge the importance of responsible, committed sexual relationships or the importance of controlling sexual appetites,” Jensen added.
Jensen said he thinks contemporary society is losing its anchor to a moral code and that “what would have shocked our citizens 30, 40 or 50 years ago is now embraced.”
“We have dumbed down our moral code, in my opinion,” Jensen said. “That saddens me. It is the height of arrogance to discard the wisdom of ages to think we are somehow the enlightened generation.”
As for the specific books the school board is being asked to weigh in on, Jensen said he thinks “Gender Queer” constitutes pornography. While he wouldn’t consider “Trans Bodies, Trans Selves” as pornography, Jensen expressed some doubt that it is grounded in good science.
“I would not recommend it to anyone and would not want it ever to be used in the classroom,” Jensen said of “Trans Bodies, Trans Selves.”
Smith said she has some reservations about some aspects of the proposed new policy as written. When it comes to a final decision, Smith said her decision will be driven by two questions.
“What is legal and what is right? Those are the two things I’ll be considering,” Smith said.
Trustee Rita Walsh said she generally opposes “cancel culture” and is not a person who wants to ban books. However, she said she thinks the new policy the school board is looking at would add clarity beyond what policy currently exists.
Walsh said she is hopeful the Nov. 28 decision will bring some finality to the book banning debate one way or another and allow the school board to shift its focus.
“I hope and I know we’ll be ready to move on to topics that really support the academic growth, the improvement of our graduation and the achievement of our students,” she said.
Trustee Dana Howie said she’s looking forward to more discussion on the proposed new policies, noting she missed the recent Board Policy Committee meeting where it was discussed.
Trustee Thomas Myler thanked some who spoke during the public comment period. Trustee Debbie McCullar said she’d save her comments for future discussion.
Full trustee comments as well as what people said during the public comment period can be reviewed in the video recording of Monday night’s school board meeting:
