Brunswick County school board discusses new book challenging policy

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY)– The Brunswick County School board is discussing a new policy for instructional material challenges.

It all started with the book “The Color Purple” last year. Brunswick county students, teachers, and parents debated removing the book from schools over a chapter that described rape.

Board chairman Catherine Cooke says it was the first time a challenge had ever made it all the way to the school board.

“A lot of times a book challenge doesn’t even get.. I mean they stay at the school level.”

When it did, Cooke says they didn’t have a policy.

“The school board association recommended a policy, a new policy,” Cooke said.

If passed, that policy includes a committee with a parent and teacher from each school level, administrators, staff, and a nominated senior high school student to review any given challenge.

“It just gives us more check points, more checks and balances, and so that it’s not just one person making a decision or the board making a decision,” Cooke said.

They would also have more time to make that decision, because this policy gives them 15 days to read the material.

“Because at first the response was a five day period,” Cooke said.

It’s a new policy with several procedures that Cooke says may never be used, but it’s a policy she says they need to have just in case.

“Hopefully this is not even going to be an issue,” Cooke said. “Should this happen again, we’ll be prepared with a policy and procedure in place.”

The board says they are still working on revisions for the new policy. They will discuss it again at their meeting on the 20th.