Greenville County School Board votes 9–1 to remove three high‑school library titles after appeals

The Greenville County School Board voted 9–1 on May 28 to overturn district review‑committee findings and remove three young‑adult novels from school media centers: Perfect and Tilt by Ellen Hopkins and Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas.

Miss Dean, the district staff member who facilitates review committees, told the board the high‑school panels read challenged titles in context and judged Perfect appropriate for grades 9–12, noting the committee "reached a unanimous consensus that the book should not be removed from high school media centers" and recommending that parents who object use Destiny account flags to limit checkout for individual students. The committee record, Miss Dean said, considered age, purpose, mandatory use and educational value when making its recommendation.

Several board members disagreed with the committee's findings and raised questions about graphic sexual content, depiction of sexual assault and the adequacy of safeguards for younger high‑school students. Board member Dr. Presley said she was "not in favor of keeping this book in the media center" and noted that passages she reviewed would likely trigger the district's Gaggle flagging system if they appeared in student Google Drive or email. Board member Mister Cochran emphasized the frequency of profanity and explicit scenes he found, saying the text contained multiple passages he believed ran counter to the district's administrative rule prohibiting obscenity and graphic incidents.

Board member Chuck Sailors urged a broader review of the district's process and cited an estimate he calculated for administrative labor: "For 4 people to review 1 book in the first phase of this entire conversation cost the taxpayers of Greenville County $45,917 per book per complaint," he said, characterizing the figure as his own estimate based on assumptions about staff time and typical salaries.

Administrators and staff described logistical limits on parental controls: the district's current vendor, Follett, requires manual, title‑by‑title restrictions in student accounts, and Dr. Royster said the district has requested improved functionality from the vendor but does not yet have an automated parental notification system for checkouts.

After discussion, board member Miss Doolin offered a substitute motion to overturn the high‑school committee’s decision and remove Perfect by Ellen Hopkins from Greenville County Schools media centers; Miss LaVentus Wells seconded. The board approved the substitute motion by roll call, 9–1 (Miss Morrison Fair the lone no). The board then took and approved identical substitute motions to remove Tilt by Ellen Hopkins and Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (each passed 9–1). Board members noted that Empire of Storms had already been removed from middle‑school collections in practice at some campuses.

Votes at a glance

- Perfect — Ellen Hopkins: Substitute motion to overturn committee and remove from GCSD media centers. Maker: Miss Doolin. Second: Miss LaVentus Wells. Outcome: passed 9–1 (maker and second in favor; Miss Morrison Fair voted no).

- Tilt — Ellen Hopkins: Substitute motion to overturn committee and remove from GCSD media centers. Maker: Miss Doolin. Second: Miss LaVentus Wells. Outcome: passed 9–1.

- Empire of Storms — Sarah J. Maas: Substitute motion to overturn committee and remove from high‑school and middle‑school media centers. Maker: Miss Doolin. Second: Miss LaVentus Wells. Outcome: passed 9–1. (Board noted Empire had been pulled from middle schools.)

The board discussed a pending state‑level regulation that, if it takes effect, could make the State Board of Education the final authority on instructional‑material removal; administrators said that regulation was scheduled to go into effect on or about June 25 unless the legislature acts to prevent it, which could affect future appeals. The board adjourned at 6:09 p.m.