A school board in north Texas is apparently attempting to quiet one of its conservative members who is fighting to remove sexually explicit books from student libraries.
McKinney Independent School District board members voted 6-1 in May to censure trustee Chad Green, claiming he violated board policies and the district’s operating protocol by participating in a rally calling for the removal of obscene books from McKinney ISD libraries and testifying before lawmakers about it.
Green is siding with parents who do not want to give students access to sexually explicit books.
“That was The Bluest Eye, a very disgusting book,” he told the Texas House Committee on Public Education. “Our superintendent, you can go watch the video, proudly said, ‘hey, we’ve only exposed 75 kids to these books and so I guess we’re serial, serial child abusers under that rule.'”
It took the district nearly a year and a half to remove that book from its shelves.
According to CBS, he reportedly informed lawmakers that a drag queen reading hour occurred in two of the district’s elementary schools and that children were promoting their sexuality by donning furry costumes.
“When you get to McKinney schools it’s all about what your sexuality is and this is being promoted by adults,” Green stated.
Green’s testimony infuriated certain parents and the rest of the board members.
McKinney ISD parent Susan Holdrich filed a complaint against board member John Greene, who has been accused of speaking against the sexualization of minors.
The non-profit legal group Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) defended Green, arguing that he has the right to speak his opinions and has a duty to do his job.
Green testified in support of House Bill 900, which restricts explicit and adult-designated educational resources in public school libraries.
The board’s vote to censure Green is symbolic, as the board has no authority to remove an elected board member.
Green defended his Christian values and defended his Christian values, stating that the grievances are designed to punish him for testifying on HB 900 and informing parents of policies created without a formal public vote.