St. Francis Area Schools said in a statement Monday that its legal team was reviewing both lawsuits.
“The district is committed to addressing the claims identified in the lawsuits thoroughly and appropriately,” Board Chair Nathan Burr said in a statement.
Despite cancellation of Monday’s anticipated discussion, students and parents still gathered outside the district office to speak out against the removal of books from library shelves and classroom discourse.
“These books, which are part of our curriculum in the high school, and in classes that I myself am taking, are being taken away from us this week as we speak,” said student Rowan Anderson. “This is causing an extreme detrimental effect to our education, and the tension is palpable within the high school itself.”
The district’s policy reflected BookLooks ratings. On a scale of 0 to 5, books rated 3 or above on BookLooks — indicating “parental guidance required” — cannot be purchased or donated for school or classroom libraries. Those ratings are also used to determine whether to keep a book in the library if it is challenged by a parent or community member.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of the eight students asks the judge to declare the school’s policy illegal and to reverse the ban on dozens of bestselling books like “The Kite Runner" and “The Bluest Eye.”