Katy ISD parents prevent writer from speaking at event, claim his books 'are centered on critical race theory'

Concerned parents from the Katy Independent School District (ISD) came together to stop the school district from virtually speaking to an author, alleging his books are centered on critical race theory.

Award winning children’s author Jerry Craft was prevented from speaking after almost 400 parents united in opposition to his event and his works.

The district is now in the process of reviewing the content of his work as they have removed his books from library shelves, but have yet to ban them.

Parent Bonnie Anderson, a former candidate for the Katy ISD school board and a party in a lawsuit against the district’s mask mandate, said Craft’s work is not suitable for school children.

“It is inappropriate instructional material,” Anderson said. “They are pointed at white children displaying microaggressions to children of color. The books don’t come out and say, ‘we want white children to feel like oppressors,’ but that is absolutely what they will do.”

A petition on the website change.org received hundreds of signatures from parents who wanted to stop the event and was subsequently taken down after the cancellation. The district, which comprises roughly 100,000 students, does have individuals who are upset about his cancellation.

Craft’s current book, New Kid, is currently No. 6 on The American Booksellers Association’s “The Indie Comics and Graphic Works Bestseller List.”

For his part, Craft has taken to Twitter to show several students within the school district reading his book on his own and recently retweeted a user holding up his book in Japan.

“Wow! Kids in Japan can read New Kid! Honored,” he wrote.

An independent firm that ranks schools on a number of dynamics, Niche, has ranked Katy ISD as the best school district in the Houston area and 13th overall in the state.