Is ‘pornography’ available at public school libraries in SLO County? Here’s a Reality Check

From Paso Robles to Arroyo Grande, community members have accused SLO County’s public school librarians, both in person or online, of promoting “pornographic” materials in their collections — an accusation that has plagued districts across the state and nation.

Typical complaints involve books like “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson — two of the most banned books in the country, which explore LGBTQ+ identities, romance and coming-of-age experiences.

Individuals and organizations allege the books include sexual content that is inappropriate for students.

But librarians at public schools in San Luis Obispo County say there’s no seedy agenda at work, and they categorically deny the allegations.

The fact is, many SLO County districts don’t have these books in their libraries. And those that do haven’t received formal requests to remove them.

The Tribune talked to librarians and administrators from four local districts — Lucia Mar, San Luis Coastal, Atascadero and Paso Robles — looked into the issue as part of its Reality Check series.

Some SLO County residents have concerns about ‘pornographic’ books in schools

The first substantial local attention on this issue occurred on Dec. 7, 2023, when a protest was held outside Arroyo Grande High School. The demonstration was backed by the SLO chapter of Moms For Liberty, a conservative political organization that advocates against LGBTQ+ content and critical race theory in schools.

The event drew around 50 to 60 protesters to campus, where they rallied against critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. While not all were there to protest books, at least one now-prominent figure was.

Gaea Powell — who is running for mayor of Arroyo Grande this election — told The Tribune at the time that she found books in the high school’s library that she said included “pornographic” content.

The books in question included “Gender Queer” and “All Boys Aren’t Blue.” These books are available in the Lucia Mar school district’s high school libraries, but administrators deny that they amount to pornography.

In a later conversation with the Tribune, Powell said she first heard allegations about pornographic books in libraries elsewhere in the country and California, and she took it upon herself to find out what books were in Lucia Mar’s libraries.

She first discovered the issue through Take Back the Classroom, an organization dedicated to removing alleged pornography from libraries, as well as Gays Against Groomers, a nonprofit group that campaigns against gender-affirming healthcare and LGBTQ+ content in schools and perpetuates the false narrative that members of the LGBTQ+ community and institutions like hospitals and schools are conspiring to “groom” children.

After reading about the books available in many California schools, Powell and her husband set out to see if those titles were available in their local schools.

During the 2022-23 academic year, the two attempted to enter Lucia Mar elementary school and middle school libraries but were denied access due to school safety precautions, Powell told The Tribune. Powell said she was allowed entry onto the Arroyo Grande High School campus during lunchtime, and was allowed to access the library.

She brought with her a list of books she provided by Take Back the Classroom. The list included “Gender Queer” and “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” among other titles primarily focused on the LGBTQ+ community.

A list Powell shared with The Tribune also included books like “Queer, There, and Everywhere” by Sarah Prager, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “Flamer” by Mike Curato.

During her visit, Powell said she spoke with the acting librarian and searched through the library catalog.

“I just gave her a few of the names, and they all came up. And it was, like, devastating,” Powell told The Tribune.

She claimed to have had a conversation with the librarian and high school principal, who she said agreed to remove the books from the library. But Powell said the books were later returned to the shelves.

District administrators could not confirm whether this interaction took place as Powell described.

District officials did confirm to The Tribune that both “Gender Queer” and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” are currently available in the district’s high school libraries, as are “The Bluest Eye,” “Flamer,” “Queer, There, and Everywhere,” and “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson. The books are not available to students in the district’s elementary or middle schools.

According to public records released by the school district, Powell sent what appeared to be a follow-up email to Arroyo Grande High School Principal Brad Grumbles on Sept. 23, 2023.

“Thank you for your time today,” Powell wrote. “I wish we had met under different circumstances.”

Included in Powell’s email was a link to a Google document titled “LGBTQ+ Progressive Movement and Children.”

“Warning, you cannot unsee some of the images. … I hope it helps with a better understanding,” Powell wrote to Grumbles.

Powell has been known to share explicit imagery with public officials.

In July, she appeared at a county Board of Supervisors meeting in opposition to a proposed resolution to recognize Pride Month. During the meeting, she shared explicit video footage with supervisors in an effort to convince the board not to approve the resolution, which ultimately passed.

Powell told The Tribune she believes the books currently in the library in the Lucia Mar district are “indoctrinating” children into “Marxism” and “activating” their sexualities.

Powell also opposes gender-affirming care for youth, which she described as “beyond criminal,” but she doesn’t believe her beliefs are homophobic or transphobic.

While Powell’s complaints focus on Lucia Mar, other districts have heard similar concerns, though they haven’t received formal complaints.

In the Paso Robles district, LGBTQ+ students requested that the library create a section for books about LGBTQ+ content. Most of the books added to the section had been in the school library for some time, district librarian Stephanie Lowe told The Tribune.

“I think just some people in the community were maybe surprised that we had those types of books,” Lowe said. “But nothing really came of it, mostly community members that spoke out at board meetings.”

Despite Powell’s campaign in the South County and complaints in North County, neither the Lucia Mar nor the Paso Robles school districts had received formal complaints to remove books from their libraries in the last four years, according to public records released in mid-October.

Complaints target books about LGBTQ+ identities and lived experiences

Many book challenges nationwide target LGBTQ+ content, equating LGBTQ+ experiences with overt sexualization — a narrative that has been weaponized against the LGBTQ+ community for decades.

According to the American Library Association, nearly half of the 4,240 books challenged nationwide in 2023 reflected the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals.

The Tribune looked into several of the books questioned by Powell and others in SLO County, including “Gender Queer.” The book topped the American Library Association’s list of the most challenged books in April for the third straight year.

“Gender Queer” is an award-winning graphic novel and memoir that follows author Maia Kobabe’s coming-of-age journey. The book highlights the author’s exploration of gender and sexuality from adolescence into adulthood.

While the book has select explicit scenes — which include references to genitals, menstrual cycles and masturbation — they take up around 10 pages of the 240-page novel.

The American Library Association compiled a list of reviews of “Gender Queer” to inform librarians — and the reviews aren’t shy about the book’s sexual content. But they acknowledge that it is one piece of a larger story.

A School Library Journal review of the novel described “Gender Queer” as “a sensitive, nuanced graphic novel that includes depictions of masturbation, sex, and painful gynecological exams, but most of the story is concerned with the smaller moments of interactions with family and friends, and how being unsure of one’s gender can change the effect of even a well-meaning comment.”

A Publishers Weekly review reads, “This entertaining memoir-as-guide holds crossover appeal for mature teens (with a note there’s some sexually explicit content) and is sure to spark valuable discussions at home and in classrooms.”

The book won an Alex Award from the American Library Association, a recognition awarded to books written for adults but that have “special appeal” to teenagers and young adults as well. It also won a Stonewall Book Award, which recognizes books with “exceptional merit” relating to the LGBTQ+ experience, according to the American Library Association.

“Gender Queer” describes one person’s journey — and struggles — with gender and sexuality. The book is not widely believed to be an attempt to convince youth that they are nonbinary or transgender but may provide a label to someone who is already questioning their sexuality.

While “Gender Queer” is available to high-schoolers in the Lucia Mar district, it’s not available in the San Luis Coastal, Paso Robles or Atascadero districts.

How do librarians choose books for their collections?

SLO County’s school librarians have careful processes for choosing books for their collections.

District librarians and assistant superintendents work with site librarians to identify the reading needs of students, in alignment with academic standards and recreational reading demands.

They examine award-winning book lists and national recommendations. Every book that enters the library must have at least two to three positive reviews from notable organizations like the American Library Association.

Librarians also pay attention to what students are interested in. If they get more questions or requests for books on certain subjects, that informs their next search.

Age-appropriateness is also a major factor, district officials told The Tribune.

“In short, we’re looking for standards aligned materials that are appropriate for the age group of the library, whatever age group we’re talking about, they represent a variety of perspectives to ensure that kids have access to fair and balanced information,” said Hillery Dixon, assistant superintendent of curriculum for the Lucia Mar district.

The school librarians who spoke with The Tribune said they believe it is important to have diverse collections that reflect all students — a goal that is also mandated by the state.

Lisa Yamashita, assistant superintendent of educational services for the San Luis Coastal district, told The Tribune it’s important that books are “windows and mirrors” for students.

“They both can see a mirror and reflect on their own experiences, but they also have a window into other people’s experiences,” Yamashita said.

“Books have heroes and also anti-heroes in them, and sometimes and just because a book calls to a lifestyle which may be non-mainstream or unique, it doesn’t necessarily celebrate or suggest children to move in that direction by reading about that kind of individual,” Yamashita told The Tribune.

Kris Bell, district librarian for Atascadero schools, agreed.

“Storytelling is the way that we learn about the world and about each other, and so having a diverse collection just supports our community,” Bell said. “Our collection should look like our community looks.”

Bell said having a diverse range of books is also important for a library’s nonfiction section.

“Our graduate profile includes developing students to be critical thinkers and to also be contributing citizens,” Bell said. “So in order to do that, you need to be able to take information from a lot of different viewpoints and … make sense of it.”

SLO County districts also regularly cull their library collections — something that is most important for nonfiction selections.

Bell said her staff has weeded out books with outdated information about geography, scientific developments, the solar system and more.

“(We) want to make sure that we have the most accurate and up-to-date materials,” she said.

When asked if they have pornography in their collections, school officials categorically denied the allegations.

“No, we do not,” Dixon told The Tribune.

Parents should have a choice in what their children are reading, librarians say

Freedom is a right built into public libraries, librarians say, and parents should have a choice in what their kids can and cannot read, which is another reason why having diverse book collections is so important.

“Libraries are about choice. When you walk through this door, you might ask for a book recommendation, and I might show you 20 different things, but ultimately, whatever you choose to select is your choice,” Bell told The Tribune.

“It’s important for parents to talk with their children about what they’re reading, their family values, etc. It’s not my job to make that choice for a family, and I believe every family should have that choice. Every family should be able to choose what they are comfortable with their child reading,” Bell said.

If a parent does have concerns about what their child is reading, they are encouraged to talk with school officials.

“If a parent has a concern about something with their child’s education, it’s always productive to have a conversation with the teacher or the principal ... because ultimately, we’re here to serve every student and every family,” Bell said. “When there’s a concern, we want to know and we want to be able to have a conversation about it and work toward a solution.”

In her 12 years in the Atascadero district, Bell hasn’t heard a formal complaint to remove a book from the library — but she has had informal conversations with parents.

One parent told Bell they didn’t want their student checking out books by one specific author.

Bell noted that information in the student’s library record — an action also used by other SLO County school librarians in similar situations.

“We always want to hear from our parents and families about any concerns that they have,” Dixon told The Tribune.

All SLO County school districts have policies available for community members to request that books be removed from the library. None of the four districts The Tribune spoke with had received a formal request from a community member in the last four years.

Mission of libraries goes beyond literacy, librarians say

The mission of school libraries is multifaceted, according to librarians. Libraries aren’t just a source of information, but a safe space as well.

“The main mission is to support literacy,” said Bell. “We want to grow readers. … If someone can read, you can learn anything, and so if you love it, then you’re more inclined to do it.”

“My primary goal is that everybody feels welcome and that we’re creating lifelong learners,” Lowe, the district librarian in Paso Robles, told The Tribune.

But they’re also there to provide a welcoming place for students to gather, research, work, play and explore their interests. Many school libraries offer additional materials, like cameras, laptops and board games.

And according to district officials, students are in their school libraries all day, every day, so it’s important that they feel comfortable, safe and welcome.

“There are students at each of our schools that find a home in the library that might not find that home in other places on their campus,” said Dixon. “Having that welcoming atmosphere, which is also included in the books that we provide students to select from, is really important.”

“It’s about being a community-centered space with an awareness of your population,” said San Luis Obispo High School librarian Nikole Dowler. “And in terms of books, having books that are relevant and speak to your diversity.”