Rockingham County School Board permanently removes seven books from classrooms and school libraries

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) -The Rockingham County School Board has voted to permanently remove seven books from classroom and library shelves on the basis of ‘sexually explicit content, violence and explicit language.’

In January of 2024, the board temporarily removed a list of over 50 books from classrooms and libraries. In an interview in February, school board chair Matt Cross said the list of titles was based on parent complaints.

Since then, the board has been reviewing individual books from the list and voting whether to return them to the shelves or permanently remove them. The board voted on nine titles at its meeting on Monday, Sept 9.

On behalf of the board’s content review committee, Superintendent Dr. Larry Shifflett proposed to return five books to RCPS libraries and classrooms. However, board member Hollie Cave motioned to remove the books instead.

As a result, the board voted to remove Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, Burned and Glass by Ellen Hopkins, Sold by Patricia McCormick and Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews, due to sexually explicit content.

Based on the committee’s recommendation and unanimous votes from the school board, Nineteen Minutes by Jodie Picoult and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky will also be removed.

“The books are inappropriate to share at a public meeting; they’re also inappropriate to share on my social media page, but they’re okay to be approved to be in our public school libraries?” Cross said. “I have a big issue with that.”

Two other books, Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli and More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera, will return to the shelves.

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