KCS to reconsider all banned books and alter its policies after 'Roots' controversy

Knox County Schoolswill reevaluate all 123 previously banned books and create a districtwide committee to review books going forward, the school board decided unanimously Aug. 3.

The "Roots" controversy in the spring − and the immense pressure it put on district leaders − forced KCS to rethink how it evaluates books for compliance with the Age-Appropriate Materials Act, the law governing what is allowed on school libraries shelves across Tennessee.

The board added a line to one of the three policies ensuring potentially banned books going in front of the school board will be published on the board's website when members are made aware of a decision.

District leaders said they wanted to retire the current process, formalize a way to challenge books

in accordance with Tennessee law and implement an appeals process.

Reevaluating all the previously banned books will allow KCS to look at all library materials "the same way," district leaders explained. This part of the policy will sunset next summer once the process is complete.

How the KCS book banning process will work

All requests for the committee to review a book will begin with a school principal through a form that has yet to be created, Assistant Superintendent Kori Lautner explained in July. Then, the principal will pass the request on to Erin Phillips, the executive director of teaching and learning. From there, Phillips will determine if the book is challenged on age-appropriate or prohibited content.

To determine age-appropriateness, a principal will form an ad hoc committee of administrators, a librarian, classroom teachers, parents and possibly a student. The group will then read or listen to the book in its entirety and submit a recommendation to the board, which will vote to remove or keep it in circulation.

Prohibited content considerations will be handled by a newly created "district content committee." Lautner said this committee will consist of a board member, educators and parents/guardians representing each of the district's five regions and school levels.

Lautner said this committee ideally would meet every other month to review any titles that had been submitted since the last meeting.

The form will determine which body will review a book. It requires complainants to check a box identifying the specific nature of their concern, along with providing passages they believe could run afoul of state law or community standards:

1. Excess violence
2. Patently offensive
3. Nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sadomasochistic abuse or prurient interest
4. Too scary
5. Too mature for school audience
6. Does not fit educational mission of the school
7. Other (fill in blank)

If one of the first three boxes are checked, it will go to the district content committee for review of compliance with the state law. If any of the bottom four boxes are checked and none of the previous three, it will go to the ad hoc committee to determine whether it can stay based on school standards.

This new policy offers an opportunity for board members to weigh in. If the committee felt a book was inappropriate, board members have 10 days to intervene on a book's behalf via a vote to keep it on shelves. When the board is made aware of a potential violation, a notice will be published on the board's website, as suggested by member Steve Triplett and outgoing member John Butler.

It's an effort to provide more transparency in the process.

Administrators haven't fully designed the committee's framework, but hope to have between five and 10 people serve staggered terms, starting this year.

Books banned in Knox County Schools

Here is the full list of the 123 books banned by Knox County Schools:

• "This Is Why They Hate Us" by Aaron Aceves
• "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
• "Shout" by Laurie Halse Anderson
• "Me, Earl, & The Dying Girl" by Jesse Andrews
• "The Haters" by Jesse Andrews
• "Chopsticks" by Jessica Anthony
• "Anonymous" by Anonymous
• "Damsel" by Elana Arnold
• "Red Hood" by Elana Arnold
• "What Girls Are Made Of" by Elana Arnold
• "13 Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
• "The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel" by Margaret Atwood
• "Girls on the Verge" by Sharon Biggs Waller
• "Forever" by Judy Blume
• "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess
• "There's Going To Be A Baby" by John Burningham
• "This is Kind of an Epic Love Story" by Kheryn Callender
• "Draw Me A Star" by Eric Carle
• "Perks of Being A Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
• "Solo Leveling Vol. 1" by Chugong
• "The Go Ask Alice Book of Answers" by Columbia University's Health Education Program
• "The Little Black Book for Girlz" by St. Stephen's Community House
• "Flamer" by Mike Curato
• "This Book Is Gay" by Juno Dawson
• "Just Listen" by Sarah Dessen
• "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Duggar
• "The Carnival of Bray" by JessieAnn Foley
• "Life Is Funny" by E. R. Frank
• "In A Glass Grimmly" by Adam Gidwitz
• "The Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy" by B. T. Gottfried
• "The Nerdy and the Dirty" by B. T. Gottfried
• "Boys I Know" by Anna Gracia
• "Lighter Than My Shadow" by Katie Green
• "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
• "Welcome to St. Hell" by Lewis Hancox
• "Locke and Key: Alpha & Omega" by Joe Hill
• "Locke and Key: Clockworks" by Joe Hill
• "Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft" by Joe Hill
• "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins
• "Identical" by Ellen Hopkins
• "People Kill People" by Ellen Hopkins
• "Perfect" by Ellen Hopkins
• "Rumble" by Ellen Hopkins
• "Smoke" by Ellen Hopkins
• "The You I've Never Known" by Ellen Hopkins
• "Tilt" by Ellen Hopkins
• "Tricks" by Ellen Hopkins
• "I Never" by Laura Hopper
• "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
• "We Are The Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
• "Attack on Titan Vol. 2" by Hajime Isayama
• "Grown" by Tiffany Jackson
• "The Weight of Blood" by Tiffany Jackson
• "The Almost Moon" by Alice Jebold
• "Wonder Woman: Dead Earth" by Daniel Warren Johnson
• "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George Johnson
• "The Vision of Escaflowne V. 1" by Aki Katsu
• "The Vision of Escaflowne V. 2" by Aki Katsu
• "milk and honey" by Rupi Kaur
• "the sun and her flowers" by Rupi Kaur
• "DUFF" by Kody Keplinger
• "The Walking Dead: Book Ten" by Robert Kirkman
• "Naruto Vol. 1" by Masashi Kishimoto
• "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe
• "Blood Lad, Vol. 1" by Yuuki Kodama
• "The Gentleman's Guide To Vice and Virtue" by Mackenzi Lee
• "Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood" by Marjorie Liu
• "A Scatter of Light" by Malinda Lo
• "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo
• "A Court of Frost and Starlight" by Sarah J. Maas
• "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas
• "A Court of Silver Flames" by Sarah J. Maas
• "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas
• "A Court of Wings and Ruin" by Sarah J. Maas
• "Empire of Storms" by Sarah J. Maas
• "House of Sky & Breath" by Sarah J. Maas
• "Kingdom of Ash" by Sarah J. Maas
• "Tower of Dawn" by Sarah J. Maas
• "The Way We Work" by David Macaulay
• "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire
• "The League of Super Feminists" by Minon Malle
• "Sold" by Patricia McCormick
• "Red, White, and Royal Blue" by Casey McQuiston
• "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" by Frank Miller
• "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
• "Exit Here" by Jason Myers
• "Shine" by Lauren Myracle
• "Skin" by DonnaJo Napoli
• "Like A Love Story" by Abdi Nazemian
• "Breathless" by Jennifer Niven
• "Olympians: Artemis - Wild Goddess of the Hunt" by George O'Connor
• "Asking For It" by Louise O'Neill
• "Fire Force Vol. 1" by Atsushi Ohkubo
• "Fire Force Vol. 2" by Atsushi Ohkubo
• "Eyewitness Books: Mammals" by Steve Parker
• "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Perez
• "Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock" by Matthew Quick
• "Beautiful" by Amy Reed
• "Mrs. Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children - Graphic Novel" by Ransom Riggs
• "Juliet Takes A Breath" by Gabby Rivera
• "You: The Owner's Manual for Teens" by Michael Roizen
• "Normal People" by Sally Rooney
• "Cherry" by Lindsey Rosin
• "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sanchez
• "Push" by Sapphire
• "Lucky" by Alice Sebold
• "In The Night Kitchen" by Maurice Sendak
• "Jesus Land" by Julia Shears
• "A Light in the Attic" by Shel Silverstein
• "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
• "Inu-Yasha Vol. 1" by Rumiko Takahasi
• "Blankets" by Craig Thompson
• "Squad" by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
• "Dragon Ball 2" by Akira Toriyama
• "Dragon Ball 5" by Akira Toriyama
• "Dragon Ball Vols. 1-2-3" by Akira Toriyama
• "Dragon Ball Vols. 4-5-6" by Akira Toriyama
• "Dragon Ball Vols. 7-8-9" by Akira Toriyama
• "The Merciless" by Danielle Vega
• "Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
• "Hell Followed With Us" by Andrew White
• "Dr. Xargle's Book of Earthlets" by Jeanne Willis
• "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

Caitlyn Meisner is the K-12 education reporter for Knox News. Email tips and story ideas to [e-mail].

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: KCS to reconsider all banned books and alter its policies after 'Roots' controversy