NE Florida News

WASHINGTON—Congressman Aaron Bean, Chairman of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, held a hearing today titled "Protecting Kids: Combatting Graphic, Explicit Content in School Libraries." The purpose of the hearing was to address the issue of inappropriate content available in school libraries and to explore solutions for parents to protect their children from such material.

In his opening remarks, Congressman Bean emphasized the sensitive nature of the topic and acknowledged that discussing inappropriate books in school libraries is uncomfortable for Members of Congress and certainly not suitable for young children. He advised parents with small children to reconsider attending the hearing and urged that children should not watch it at home.

The Congressman clarified that the purpose of the hearing was to ensure that young children are never exposed to graphic content, not to further expose them to it. He expressed gratitude to everyone in attendance and stated that the Committee aims to set the record straight regarding the presence of inappropriate books in school libraries.

Contrary to media distortions, Congressman Bean made it clear that the removal of books is not motivated by racial animus or prejudice against LGBT students. He stated that the evidence suggests books are being removed solely due to their inappropriate and explicit content. In fact, seven out of the ten most frequently removed books contain explicit heterosexual content.

Congressman Bean also highlighted that some LGBT books being challenged by parents, such as "Lawn Boy" and "Gender Queer," are so sexually explicit that their authors themselves have advised against recommending them to children. He cited instances where reciting explicit passages from these books led to censorship in adult forums and even resulted in the cutting of a father's microphone during a school board meeting to comply with FCC regulations.

Congressman Bean then addressed the question of whether communities have the right to remove inappropriate content from library shelves. He affirmed that they do, as school boards, communities, and parents constantly set standards of decency. However, he clarified that removing a book from a library is not equivalent to banning it. Books can still be accessed through public libraries and online platforms like Amazon.

The Congressman emphasized that age-appropriate content moderation by local school districts is a fundamental right based on the principles of localism and federalism. He criticized the Biden administration for appointing a book review czar to monitor the actions of local school boards, viewing it as a dangerous step and a violation of federalist principles.

Congressman Bean concluded by calling on parents to continue demanding that their school boards reflect the values of their communities and to remain involved in their children's education. He stressed the importance of empowering parents as the greatest advocates for their child's education.

The hearing aimed to address the concerns of parents regarding graphic and explicit content in school libraries, providing insights into the reasons behind book removals and affirming the rights of communities to make decisions in line with their standards of decency.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://bean.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bean-inappropriate-content-real-problem