‘Challenging a book’ process that allows parents to request books removed from school library

BEAVERCREEK — There is a policy at Beavercreek City Schools that allows parents to request books be removed from the school library.

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Beavercreek Superintendent Paul Otten told News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson that the policy, known as ‘challenging a book’ has been in place since before he came to the district eight years ago. However, Otten explained the process isn’t common.

“I want to say probably about five years ago was the last time that we remember seeing this process and then we had it again last year with a few books,” Otten said.

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The intention of the policy is to allow parents to request books they do not want their children reading to be removed from the library.

“Then what the school district does as a result of that, is we have a team of educators that really take the time to look at the book, evaluate the book,” Otten said.

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According to Otten, the team is then able to recommend three different options to replace the book with to the school board. If the school board feels that the books aren’t appropriate, then they can remove them.

“Another option is we’re going to leave the book there, but a parent has the right to say, ‘my child shouldn’t be able to check out this book’ and we give them that opportunity,” Otten said.

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