In recent years, librarians in both public and school libraries have repeatedly been found by parents to be purchasing and promoting materials that espouse LGBTQ ideology and critical race theory to children. Now, an organization has been exposed for concealing such information from parents.
A report from The Daily Signal documents these details. It reveals that a school library in a South Carolina district restricted access to its online card catalog to hide books on critical race theory from parents. The group Moms for Liberty discovered this through internal documents in which officials admitted this action.
The report alleges that despite the school district’s insistence that all schools unlock their catalogs at the start of the school year, Moms for Liberty officials claim at least one remained blocked until February. Carly Carter, of the Anderson County Moms for Liberty chapter, accused the school of consciously deciding to include these books in classroom read-aloud sessions so parents remain unaware.
Carter revealed her Freedom of Information Act case provided evidence of this practice. She expressed outrage at the intention to exclude parents and expose children to a social curriculum without parental knowledge or consent.
An email from Jennifer Chesney, librarian at Powdersville High, confirmed this practice: “We had to remove our card catalogs from online, so parents can’t scour it for critical race theory books (sigh).”
Critical race theory is an ideology that views America as inherently racist, a problem it proposes to solve with more racism. The Signal explains it as a lens used by teachers to deconstruct American society based on the premise of systemic racism against black people and in favor of white people. Parents have raised concerns about lessons that make black students feel oppressed or inferior and white students feel shame for alleged oppression.
Chesney’s comment was in response to a request for copies of “The Acorn People.” She also expressed frustration about the “weird climate” in her district and the challenges posed by Moms for Liberty.
Parental groups nationwide have been resisting the influx of politically leftist and sexually explicit materials appearing in the book industry and being promoted to children. Librarians, citing “free speech,” insist on providing even highly offensive materials to children.
The report quotes Heather Loy, a librarian at Wagener-Salley High, who advocated for dismissing parental concerns: “Parents should only be allowed to have a say in THEIR children’s access not what is provided to all students access. Parents should not be included in collection development,” she claimed.
An official for the South Carolina district told the publication that schools are required to make their card catalogs available to students, parents, and the public. If a book is available, it should be listed. The district also reported that parents have an “opt-out” option so certain library books are not delivered to their children.