Virginia may warn parents of sexually explicit school books

Seated from left, Republican state senators Mike Dunleavy, of Wasilla, Bill Stoltze, of Chugiak, and Mia Costello, of Anchorage, talk about proposed amendments to a bill Dunleavy proposed that restricts abortion services providers from teaching sex education in public schools, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, in Juneau, Alaska. The bill, which also allows parents to remove their children from schools for any even event or standardized test to which the parent objects, passed the Senate. It will be reconsidered on Monday. (AP Photo/Rashah McChesney)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s Republican-led Senate will soon consider a bill requiring schools to notify parents if their children will be assigned to read a book that includes sexually explicit material and provide an alternative if the parent objects.

The measure is being pushed by a mother who tried unsuccessfully several years ago to remove Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ from her children’s school. The novel set in the post-Civil War era includes depictions of sex, rape and bestiality.

“All we’re trying to do is just give those students who want an alternative — who don’t want to read books that have graphic sexual content — the opportunity to do so,” said Laura Murphy of Fairfax County in the Washington suburbs.

The legislation is backed by the state House speaker and won unanimous approval in the House earlier this month.

It’s not uncommon for schools to allow parents to opt out if they’re concerned about their child reading a specific book. About half of Virginia school districts that responded to a state survey in 2013 said they require parents to be notified if their children will be exposed to potentially sensitive of controversial material.

But James LaRue, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association, said he believes Virginia would be the first state to pass a law forcing schools to notify parents.

LaRue said he thinks supporters want to make it so difficult for teachers to use potentially controversial books that they decide to avoid them altogether.

“It’s kind of a backdoor censorship. It’s a way to get rid of a book that they couldn’t get rid of through direct pressure,” LaRue said. He also questioned how the state would define “sexually explicit content.”

“Does that mean ‘he reached over and held her hand?’ Does that mean ‘then they kissed?'”

The New York-based National Coalition Against Censorship said in a letter to lawmakers this month that the bill could leave schools vulnerable to First Amendment challenges that would distract from their ability to provide a quality education.

“It takes only one person to file a challenge and launch a protracted battle that can disrupt an entire school system and divide a community,” the group said in a letter signed also by the National Council of Teachers of English, among others.

The bill would direct the state Board of Education to create a policy on sexually explicit books for elementary and secondary schools. The measure was introduced by Republican Del. Steve Landes on behalf of Speaker William Howell. It’s expected to be considered by the Senate this week.

A spokesman for Gov. Terry McAuliffe would not say whether the Democrat supports the bill.

The Virginia Board of Education has already been examining putting such a policy in place, but advocates for the bill say the process is taking too long. Supporters dismiss the notion that it’s an attempt to censor certain books and say it strikes a balance that ensures the books can remain in the classroom while protecting the rights of parents who object to them.

“I think there are some folks who just don’t want to have parents involved,” Landes said of critics of the measure. “I think educators know a lot … but it’s also a parent’s responsibility to determine what’s appropriate for their child,” he said.

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Follow Alanna Durkin Richer on Twitter at twitter.com/aedurkinricher. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/alanna-durkin-richer.