An Auburn School Board committee will discuss what to do about a book in the high school library after receiving formal, written complaints about it.
The Citizen reports the district has received formal complaints about “All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto,” by journalist and activist George M. Johnson. Some parents had expressed their displeasure about the book being in the library, but the district was not required to take action until receiving a formal complaint.
Related: Parents call for removal of controversial book from Auburn High School library
The book tells the story of Johnson’s growing up as a queer black person. Some parents say some of the passages are too sexually explicit. Schools in some states have already banned the book. Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo says a nine-member committee will be formed to review the book under the district’s “Objection to Instructional Materials” policy. The panel will be led by Amy Mahunik, Auburn’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and Brian Morgan, the AHS principal. Pirozzolo stresses that the committee is not supposed to make a decision based on their own beliefs, but on the district’s policy.
No timeline has been set for resolving the issue.
