New Hanover County School Board to hold public comment on book banning, selection

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Board of Education is holding an additional call to the audience next week after a book has been called into question.

During an agenda briefing on Tuesday, the school board voted to add an additional call to the audience to the agenda for the August 1 meeting for people to voice their opinions on book selection and book banning.

This comes after the book “Stamped” has been called into question by a parent. An appeal has been filed for the book to be banned. The board has not yet set a date for the appeal hearing.

The additional call to the audience will last 30 minutes. If the registration exceeds 15 people, speakers will be chosen through a lottery.

Stephanie Walker, a member of the school board, says she does not believe this is enough time for people to speak on this issue.

“I pushed for the motion to have separate, at least I would hope at least an hour. I don’t think half an hour is adequate for this discussion,” Walker said.

Some parents in the district are concerned about what doors banning a book could open in the future. As a queer mother of three, Molly Rhodes worries if the board votes to ban this book it could be the tip of a slippery slope.

“I think it means that one parent can take another parent’s right away and that is terrifying,” Rhodes said. “If we don’t share our voices now and hopefully stem the tide of what could potentially could be an avalanche I don’t know where it’s going to stop.”

Julie-Ann Scott Pollock is a mother of five and a college professor. She says it’s important for kids of all ages to hear perspectives that may or may not align with their own views of the world.

“We don’t want our children only reading things that everybody agrees on because that is not a way for them to learn how to think critically, engage in debate, and respond to each other,” Scott-Pollock said.

When it comes to the board only allowing 30 minutes for comment on the matter, Scott-Pollock feels the board isn’t willing to listen.

“These people elected do not value different perspectives enough to take the time to listen which means they have no intention of being opened to new ideas and new understandings,” Scott-Pollock said.

The board of education will meet on Tuesday, August 1 at 5 pm. For information on the call to the audience sessions and how to sign up, click here.