Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. board members on Monday night will vote on whether to uphold a committee’s decision to keep a challenged book in the Columbus East High School library.
The book being challenged is “Push,” a 1996 novel by author Sapphire, which was later made into the 2009 film “Precious.”
The request for review of the book was submitted by local resident Mark Niemoeller — the board has had time since their meeting on July 15 to consider the committee’s decision and will ultimately decide if the book should remain in the library.
A description of the book on the author’s website reads, “Precious Jones, an illiterate 16-year-old, has up until now been invisible to the father who rapes her and the mother who batters her and to the authorities who dismiss her as just one more of Harlem’s casualties. But when Precious, pregnant with a second child by her father, meets a determined and radical teacher, we follow her on a journey of education and enlightenment as she learns not only how to write about her life, but how to make it truly her own for the first time.”
This is the second time the process for removing a book from a BCSC library has played itself out following District 1 board member Jason Major’s effort to remove “People Kill People” by author Ellen Hopkins failed earlier this year.
Board members voted 5-1 on March 4 to keep the book in the library at Columbus East. District 6 board member Logan Schulz was the lone vote to remove the book after Major recused himself.
How the process works
BCSC Policy 9130 – “Public Complaints and Concerns,” allows a parent or guardian of a student, or a community member residing within the corporation, to submit a request to remove material they believe to be obscene or harmful to minors, as defined by Indiana Code.
The law defines obscene as:
- The average person, applying contemporary community standards, finds that the dominant theme of the matter or performance, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest in sex;
- The matter or performance depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct; and
- The matter or performance, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
On the other hand, material is harmful to minors if:
- It describes or represents, in any form, nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sado-masochistic abuse; considered as a whole, it appeals to the prurient interest in sex of minors;
- It is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable matter for or performance before minors; and
- Considered as a whole, it lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.
The process starts when an individual presents a written request to the relevant building principal in writing. The principal then informs the assistant superintendent of human resources of the request. The assistant superintendent, upon the superintendent’s approval, appoints a review committee.
Next, the committee renders a decision on whether the book should remain. The requester is able to appeal via a written request within 30 days to the superintendent. The board then advises the complainant, Niemoller in this case, of its final decision within 60 days.
