Cadott School District Considers Removing Some Books

CADOTT, Wis. (WEAU) — Earlier this year, a parent submitted a request to have 12 books removed from the Cadott School District’s K-6 library.

At a special school board meeting Tuesday night, the district held a listening session on six of those books.

After receiving this proposal, a committee made up of community members and students met to discuss these books.

So far, they have decided to keep six of these books in the library.

The parent then appealed this decision.

During the special meeting, Casey Yeager, a parent of two children who attend Cadott Elementary School, had the chance to explain why she said six books should be removed from the library.

These six books include:

• Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders
• The Story of Melissa (aka George) by Alex Gino
• Protest Movements: Yesterday and Today by Eric Braun
• Sophie Blackall’s baby tree
• Meg Grehen’s Deepest Breath
• Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender

The topics of these books range from gender identity to sex education to some non-fiction books.

She said that some of these books have content that is not suitable for elementary school students.

Yeager said his request was more important than simply removing books.

“It’s not about picking individual books and saying these 12 books have to go,” Yeager said. “It’s just about bringing that to the fore, so parents in the community can start having that conversation. What’s going on at school? In the library? What can we do about it? How can we work together?”

One of the committee members who weighed in on whether to keep the books also spoke.

“I don’t want to be the guy who says you can’t read this,” said committee member Corey Smith. “It’s not something we put into the curriculum to force people to read, but people have to have free choice or we’re taking away their freedom to make that choice, and we’re taking away the freedom of parents to allow their children to make that choice.

Yeager said she was open to creating some sort of rating system like the movies.

Smith said he would be willing to work on creating some kind of parental opt-out.

The full school board will vote between three options: keep each book or move it to the 7-12 library or remove the book altogether.

This meeting is scheduled for March 28 at 6 p.m.

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