Urbandale School Board votes to keep 5 controversial books in library

URBANDA, Iowa (KCCI) – Five books labeled “inappropriate” by some parents will remain on the shelves of Urbandale schools.

KCCI reports that a school committee voted in favor of bookkeeping on Monday.

A parent has filed a complaint about the book “Hey, Kiddo”, which is a memoir about a child who struggles with addiction in his family.

But other books are also on the chopping block, including “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “Gender Queer,” “Lawn Boy,” and “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.”

They deal with obscenities, violence, sexual content and gender identity.

At the committee’s meeting on Monday evening, members heard both sides of the argument – including the parent who filed the original complaint.

He emphasized the language in the books, but the teachers cited the academic value.

“Is this the best we can do? It’s not your role to sexualize our children,” said district parent Dennis Murphy. “It’s not your role to convince them that pornography helps them develop their identity. It is your role to teach.

The committee voted on each book individually.

Educators also reviewed whether the books properly matched the school’s current teaching standards.