Several Virginia school divisions have utilized a 2022 state law as justification for removing books from school libraries, citing the legislation‘s provision for notifying parents of sexually explicit instructional materials.
The law, spearheaded by former Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, garnered significant attention during the November elections, with Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, criticizing Dunnavant’s role in what he described as a wave of book bans. Ultimately, VanValkenburg won the seat, securing narrow Democratic control of both chambers of the General Assembly.
Rather than rolling back the law, Democrats are now proposing modifications through legislation from Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, and Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax. The proposed changes seek to clarify that the law should not be interpreted as permitting the censorship of books in public elementary and secondary schools.
Hashmi emphasized that parental notification and consent do not equate to the removal of books from school or classroom libraries. The proposed legislation aims to reinforce the distinction between notifying parents of instructional materials containing sexually explicit content and censoring books.
Supporters of the change argue that the censorship language in the original law, which only appeared in an enactment clause, was being disregarded by school boards. They assert that moving this language into the body of the statute would ensure its visibility and enforceability.
However, Republicans argue that the proposed changes effectively restrict school boards from removing certain materials deemed inappropriate from public school libraries. They contend that some materials have no place in school libraries regardless of parental preferences.
During debates, attempts were made to amend the legislation to address concerns about sexually explicit content in school libraries, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Democrats maintain that existing processes allow for the review and removal of inappropriate materials from schools, ensuring that parents have a pathway to address their concerns.
The proposed legislation has drawn criticism from socially conservative groups like the Family Foundation, who argue that it undermines parents’ ability to ensure age-appropriate content in school libraries. Despite these objections, Democrats affirm that the bill does not prevent school districts from reviewing and removing inappropriate materials as needed.