Photo Story: The Impact of Policy 109.2 Library Materials

January 26, 2023

Photos and story by Luthea Sweeney, photo and design editor

On Friday, Jan 20, several students were directed to report to the library with their books and told the books were being recalled for review under Policy 109.2. The titles included “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins. The librarian pulled books from the shelves that might violate the policy’s restriction on sexual content. As a precaution, some teachers removed classroom libraries or turned the books around so titles were not visible. This is what Policy 109.2 looked like at Saegertown High School on that day. (photos by Luthea Sweeney)

Senior Ella Worley returns “To Kill a Mockingbird” to librarian Mike Brenneman on the morning of Jan. 20. Teachers received an email directing them to send several students to the library with their books.

“The books speak for themselves,” English teacher William Hetrick said. The books were symbolically turned around as students are no longer granted access to books from his classroom library.

Sophomore Camden Gjovik surveys the empty shelves in English teacher Mrs. Hetrick’s room after lunch on Jan. 20. “With the overly broad language in the policy and the uncertainty of how it will be applied, removing my classroom library seemed like the prudent thing to do,” Hetrick said.

The library is scheduled to be open tomorrow, January 27. Several books have been removed. Thirteen books were removed on Jan. 20, including “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson and “Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out” by Susan Kuklin. For a complete list of titles that have been removed thus far, you can email Assistant Superintendent Ken Newman at [email protected].

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