KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk responded to questions about books in school libraries at the Knox County School Board workshop on Monday, Dec. 4.
At the KCS Board meeting last month, the organization "Moms for Liberty" read passages from books they believed needed to be removed from school libraries.
"We are not book banners. We just want to have some kind of policy that can either label these books, segregate these books, have parental opt-out options, or in the event that some of them are too graphic—be removed from the schools," Chair of the Knox County Moms for Liberty Sheri Super said.
The Southern Poverty Law Center considers Moms for Liberty a far-right organization, that "opposes LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curriculum, and has advocated books bans."
At the beginning of the school board workshop on Monday, Rysewyk told the board KCS already has a policy for parents, students or staff to challenge books in school libraries. They can fill out a form, and challenge books at a school level. If people are unsatisfied with the result—they can appeal to the school district.
"That is a very comprehensive, and I believe, very effective process for us to be able to get that done," Rysewyk said on Monday.
Knox County Schools Chief of Communications Carly Harrington said since the 2021-2022 school year, KCS had four book challenges. Harrington said Rysewyk brought it up in the board meeting because he had gotten questions about the process, not because many people had challenged books.
"I don't agree with the way it's currently done," said school board member Steve Triplett.
Triplett said he spoke with Rysewyk about changing the district policy on books and the two "agreed to disagree."
In 2021, the Tennessee General Assembly allowed local political parties to turn school board races partisan. Knox County's school board has three Republican members, with Triplett being the most outspoken against the district's policy on removing books.
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"Suddenly you step forward and say, I'm looking at the blue side of things or the red side of things, suddenly, there's a real possibility you might be leaving out students," Professor of Political Science at Maryville College Dr. Mark O'Gorman said. "People are finding out pretty accurately they can have influence in their local school board."
Triplett and Super did not respond to requests for comment.