Sumner County Commission Passes Obscene Materials Resolution, Insists School Board Follow Tennessee Law

Image Credit: Jeremy Mansfield, District 16 County Commissioner

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Sumner County’s commission passed an Obscene Materials resolution at their most recent meeting admonishing the School Board for not adhering to state law.

The commission states that members of the school board must not promote pornography or other illegal materials in Sumner County schools by allowing books with sexually explicit content to remain on library shelves within the district.

In a Facebook post on January 31st, 2023, Jeremy Mansfield, District 16 County Commissioner, stated that taxpayers want to ensure that Sumner County Schools are free from obscene, provocative, and illegal curriculum and supplemental materials, per Tennessee state law.

FACT: Tennessee Code § 39-17-911 states that “It is unlawful for any person to knowingly … exhibit or make available to a minor … any book … that contains explicit and detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, … or sad-masochistic abuse, and that is harmful to minors.”

FACT: In October 2022, when the School Board was made aware of the book, “Lawn Boy,” by Jonathan Evison, they voted against adding it to their agenda to discuss and vote on immediately removing it from school libraries. They, therefore, knowingly allowed prohibited material.

FACT: A book review committee did convene and find that “Lawn Boy” violated School Board policy 4.40012, which was modeled word for word after Tennessee Code § 39-17-911. Therefore, it violated State Law based on this book review committee’s findings. This finding was not opinion, as was erroneously argued by individuals opposed to this resolution. This finding was a fact.

“Recently, a Tennessee lawmaker sent a letter informing the Wilson County Board of Education that their actions regarding a book that contains graphic depictions of sex acts, both heterosexual and homosexual, and suicide are in violation of Tennessee law,” said Mansfield. “Notably, this Tennessee lawmaker “is concerned that the county’s Book Review Committee … is reviewing books that are in clear violation of Tennessee Code.”

This lawmaker further stated that “these books should have been removed from the schools within the district by the BOARD, and NOT sent to the committee at all.” Appropriately, this is the same argument parents and School Board members here in Sumner County made regarding the book “Lawn Boy.” When your “process” keeps you from protecting people or following the law, it’s time to re-evaluate your process.”

Sumner County Commission’s Education Chairman brought a resolution that admonishes that the school board “take corrective action concerning unlawful supplemental materials in our school libraries” citing books that violate T.C.A. § 39-17-911 and T.C.A. § 49-06-1019. 

In closing, Mansfield said, “It’s been said that evil triumphs when good men do nothing. I want to thank the few good men on the School Board taking a stand, the moms and dads willing to endure ridicule and scorn for taking a stand and the County Commissioners who were willing to take a stand.”

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.