Mother on support for Spring Branch Independent School District book ban: 'It's about what's educationally suitable for our children'

A Houston-area public school district’s board of trustees voted late last month to assume responsibility of determining which books are prohibited in campus libraries, per reports from Houston-based media outlets.

Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported that the move made by the Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) was at the request of Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Blaine.

The school board’s role will be temporary and won’t take into consideration input from teachers and librarians, according to KRIV. 

"We’ve had 50 total challenges of books since August 2021," Blaine said, the station reported. "We’ve had 42 challenges this school year alone, and we’ve held 28 committee meetings to deal with them." 

The superintendent added that educators should be tending to the children instead of fielding book challenges “every day” so she gave the responsibility to the trustees.

Houston NPR affiliate Houston Public Media (HPM) reported that the trustees voted 4-3 on Monday, March 27 to take on 14 pending challenges, with books such as "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "The Day the Crayons Quit" and "Peanut Butter & Jelly" facing potential bans. 

Per HPM, the item drew support and criticism from the SBISD community, with the board opening the floor to public comment for approximately an hour. 

One community member who was opposed to the plan suggested that professional educators should be the ones who decide which library materials are to be used in their classrooms, HPM reported.

According to HPM, one parent who supported the measure told the trustees that a book she found offensive included an inappropriate act among adolescents.

"This isn't about banning books," the unidentified mother said in the report. "It's about what's educationally suitable for our children. Please do the right thing."

SBISD, which is located on the west side of Houston and educates nearly 35,000 students, is among the slew of districts across the Lone Star State that have either considered or moved forward with book bans.