Court Rules Against Williamson County School Board Attempting To Retain Objectionable Reading Materials

Image Credit: williamsoncounty-tn.gov

The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

Yesterday, a chancery court in Franklin ruled in favor of parents who sued the Williamson County Board of Education (Board) over five books they believed to be in violation of Tennessee’s Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022.

In short, the law requires each public school to maintain an online list of materials available in the library and states that each local board of education must create processes to evaluate and remove any materials not age-appropriate for students. 

Spanning over a year in court, yesterday’s ruling details the history of the case wherein the Board chose to retain five books after parents had requested their review and removal.

The titles in question were 1) Perks of Being a Wallflower, 2) Where the Crawdads Sing, 3) Speak, 4) The Field Guide to the North American Teenager, and 5) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, all of which purportedly include sexual, violent, or otherwise inappropriate content including LGBT and drug-related subject matter.

Initially, the board argued that it had fulfilled the requirements of the law by relying on two committee reviews during their “investigative” process.

One committee maintained that all the books should be kept, while the second unanimously recommended Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close should remain but mentioned discrepancies between the members regarding which age groups should have access to it.

Both committees claimed they did not have clear guidance as to what constituted “objectionable” content, an argument many critics of the law have made in fear of “book banning”.

Two Board members even agreed the materials were inappropriate but still voted to keep them. Mr. Galbreath stated, “In my estimation, I think there is objectionable content that is inappropriate for minors.” Another member, Mr. Haugh, concurred, “I agree there is some content that would not be appropriate for every student.” 

Ultimately, the court issued a ruling calling the Board’s decisions, “arbitrary and oppressive,” and a refusal “to assume a jurisdiction which the law devolves upon them.”

The judge issued a Writ of Mandamus, which in essence allows a court to order government officials or agencies to properly fulfill their duties. In this case, the court has ordered the Board to properly re-review the books in question in full accordance with the law.

This victory, though seemingly rare, could have positive ramifications across the state as it demonstrates parental rights in action.

Representative Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood-Dist. 61) is listed as one of the attorneys representing the parents in this case.

He led a previous effort to allow parents to file lawsuits against a school district to enforce the Age-Appropriate Act and plans to run a hefty package combating illegal immigration in the state during the upcoming legislative session.

Tennessee Rep. Gino Bulso Plans Unique Approach To Combat Illegal Immigration

Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.