Media center restrictions met with discord at public meeting

Lee County Board Member Chris Patricca made a motion to change the wording of a form allowing parents to dictate the amount of access they want their child to have to the school media center.

Patricca and board member Debbie Jordan were on vacation when the board voted to approve the form. They felt that their views weren’t represented.

“Through the approved form, we have flagged people maybe based on three, maybe four peoples’ opinions,” Patricca said. “We have given no consideration to the certificated professionals we have employed, and the determinations they made regarding the appropriateness of these books. We’re denying access to students based on the objections of a handful of people. There are just too many red flags for me to feel comfortable with what we’ve done here.”

The new form gives parents three options for their children: allow full access except for books that require parent consent, no consent or no access to books that have been formally challenged and reviewed.

Parents and community members opposed to the approved form told the board it puts more restrictions on a student’s ability to freely access educational resources of the library.

Those in favor of the form said it protects their children and honors parents’ rights.

Patricca, Jordan and Morgan voted to go back to the initial form the board approved when all were present. The board voted four to three to keep the newer form in place.