A Minnesota Public School District defended his decision to pull an LGBTQ children’s book from elementary school shelves despite objections from some parents and school librarians.
Rochester Public Schools said it removed the 2022 book, “The Rainbow Parade” by Emily Neilson, from the elementary school media center last month after a parent at Franklin Elementary School raised concerns about nude illustrations in the book.
The book tells a story about a young girl who goes to her first Pride parade with her two mothers. Several pages in the book have illustrations featuring full or partial public nudity, including two men in bondage gear.
Participants hold a rainbow flag during a Pride Parade in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
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“The sidewalk outside is full of people waiting for the parade to start. Everyone wears what they feel most like themselves in. Even if that means barely wearing anything,” the text reads.
After a parent raised concerns, the book was reviewed by a committee made up of librarians, community members and teachers, who ultimately recommended the district keep the book on its shelves, according to a report in The Minnesota Star Grandstand.
“Not all books are for everyone, but our goal is to have books that represent all students in our school district,” said Tammy Van Moer, library media specialist at Rochester Public Schools, according to the report.
SF Pride grand marshal public poll Vinny Eng greets the crowd during the 52nd annual San Francisco Pride Parade and Celebration on June 26, 2022 in San Francisco, California. ((Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))
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However, Superintendent Kent Pekel decided to remove the book from elementary school libraries, saying the nudity shown was inappropriate for younger children.
‘My decision to direct the removal of the book The Rainbow Parade from the shelves of our elementary media centers is not based on limiting student access to a point of view, message, idea or opinion. It is based solely on the depiction and celebration of public nudity in illustrations on two pages of the book. “I believe the depiction of public nudity makes the book unsuitable for the open shelves of an elementary school media center where students as young as kindergarten can access the book without adult supervision or guidance,” he wrote.
School board members had mixed opinions about the superintendent’s decision, with some members wondering aloud whether removing the book would put the district on a “slippery slope” and set a “precedent” for removing other LGBTQ books from school libraries.
The board ultimately approved sending the superintendent’s recommendation to the Minnesota Department of Education, the Tribune reported.
GLSEN’s “Rainbow Library” program provides free LGBTQ+ affirming literature to schools across the US (GLSEN Arizona/YouTube)
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After the topic was brought up at the Jan. 7 school board meeting, Superintendent Pekel vowed there would be “no backing” on their schools’ commitment to LGBTQ students and families, following repeated outbursts from one parent. angry about the district’s decision.
“There will be no slippery slope as we return to books that celebrate the lived experiences of LGBTQ students and families,” he promised.
He also clarified that only the nudity was the reason for his decision and not the other content of the book that some may find objectionable, such as two men dressed in bondage gear or a protest sign that reads “Silence equals death.”
When reached for comment, Rochester Public Schools provided Fox News digital with Pekel’s earlier memo to the board.
The district’s decision comes at a time when books with explicit content in school libraries are being challenged by parents.
The issue of sexually explicit LGBTQ books in public schools has brought parents from both sides of the issue to school board meetings to voice their opinions on the issue. (David McNew/Getty Images)
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The American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest nonprofit library organization in the world, is an outspoken advocate of “banned” books in children’s libraries. In 2023, the top ten challenged books were all challenged for explicit sexual content.
During National Library Week last year, the ALA claimed that “censorship” of sexually explicit books is getting in the way children’s libraries is discriminatory against the LGBTQ+ community.
Jamie Joseph of Fox News contributed to this report.
