Board sequesters two high-school titles after trustee raises content concerns

During the Jan. 13 Pearland ISD board meeting, Trustee Dr. Sheffler asked the board to remove two high-school titles from the library purchase list required under Senate Bill 13 procedures, saying the graphic novels raised concerns about suitability for school libraries.

Sheffler described Book No. 61 (listed as Boyfriend, Sometimes Girlfriend, Vol. 1) as a graphic novel whose premise "seemed like somebody kind of wrote their fantasy and then drew pictures to go along with it." He described Book No. 64 (Crisis on Our Only Earth) as containing graphic depictions of environmental disaster that he called alarmist and potentially frightening to students.

Board members discussed options including denying purchase, delaying for staff review, or sequestering the titles to the next month so trustees and the public could examine them. Dr. Larry Berger explained that if the board votes to exclude the titles from the approved list, they would not be purchased and existing copies, if any, would be subject to the district's book review policy.

Trustee Scheffler amended his motion to sequester the two titles to the next month's list, which passed 6–1. After the vote Dr. Berger reported he had searched the district system and did not find either title in current district library holdings.

The board did not initiate a formal challenge hearing at the meeting; the sequester places the titles on a delayed list for further review and possible re-submission.