Leon County school board votes to keep ‘I am Billie Jean King’ in elementary libraries
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – After reviewing a book challenge form for I Am Billie Jean King, the Leon County School Board voted unanimously Monday to keep the book on elementary school shelves.
The challenge was brought forth to the board by Katie Lyons, a parent who said that her elementary-aged daughter read the book and was exposed to content regarding sexual orientation.
“It is important that it be made clear that this book was challenged not because the book mentions that Billie Jean King is gay,” Lyon said at a July 11 board meeting. “The book was challenged because it defines sexual orientation.”
In the book, the author described what it means to have same-sex attractions and how Billie Jean King left her husband and “fell in love with a wonderful woman.”
During a special meeting on Monday, the board discussed and reviewed the challenge.
School Board member Laurie Lawson-Cox said that the only part of the book that was a “reason for pause” was the page that explained homosexual attraction.
“So, a teacher talking about the book in a classroom full of first, or second or third graders, when they get to that one little section, is that going to cause discussion that parents are not going to be comfortable with,” Lawson-Cox said.
“There’s so many important things that are brought out in this book,” Vice Chairwoman Rosanne Wood said.
She proceeded to read several excerpts from the book relating to women’s empowerment and equality in sports.
“The themes is not that she’s gay,” Wood said. “The theme is about championing equality. And this is so important for our young people to be able to read and hear.”
Lyon said the school board’s new system of screening that allows parents to be notified when their kids want to check out books from the library will not be effective.
“Having access to the book titles and reading reviews does not allow parents to fully screen the content of the book,” she continued. “It would be easy to miss critical and potentially harmful material.”
Lyon said that if she was asked review I Am Billie Jean King on the basis of the title and appearance, she would have “easily approved it,” not knowing the contents discussed within the reading material.
“Requiring students to wait for their parents to be able to approve books will limit the amount of reading they are able to do,” Lyon argued.
She believes that removing I Am Billie Jean King does not hinder any other parents ability to get the book from a public library or bookstore.
