MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Nearly three dozen books were banned at Menomonee Falls High School. They'll be pulled from library shelves Friday after administrators deemed the material too "sexually explicit."
“The Handmaid's Tale, Perks of Being a Wallflower...Really?" Senior at Menomonee Falls High School, Shaun McFerrin questions.
We asked McFerrin if he has read or heard of any of the 33 books recently added to the removal list by the school district. The books range from classics like Slaughterhouse-Five to modern-day fantasies written by the well-known, Sarah J Maas.
"It really doesn't make sense to me that they would ban these, they're so… it's censorship I feel like. These are pivotal books,” McFerrin explains.
The superintendent, David Muñoz, wouldn't go on camera. However, he said in part, "they were not in compliance with the sexually explicit content and/or profanity guidelines in the original version or the revised version."
Full Statement from David Muñoz:
“In April of 2023, The School District of Menomonee Falls School Board approved Policy and Procedure 365: Library Media Material Selection, which governs library materials.
Policy and Procedure 365 sets a standard for content in the materials available in the District’s school libraries. The policy and procedure set guidelines based on age/grade appropriateness with specific focus on limiting or excluding materials with sexual content and profanity. These guidelines were in the previous versions of the policy and procedure and should have been adhered to prior to the revisions made in April of 2023. These 33 books had been identified prior to the completion of the new policies and procedures. They were not in compliance with the sexually explicit content and/or profanity guidelines in the original version or the revised version. They will be removed by the end of the week for failing to meet the established guidelines.”
McFerrin says he understands parents and guardians have concerns for their children, “I mean I think that there should be some of course restrictions of what is offered in a school."
According to the school policy for the library material, "the district administrator in collaboration with the district's library media specialists shall establish procedures related to the selection of materials, removal of materials…"
"We have literacy experts who have deemed most of these books appropriate, and if they need to be challenged, there is a policy in place to do so" Grassroots Menomonee Falls Area Advocate, Kova Brown explains.
Brown says she is worried the policy for book removal wasn't followed.
“It goes through a thorough comprehensive process. Just to make sure that it's just and that it's a fair process."
Superintendent Muñoz says, “These guidelines were in the previous versions of the policy and procedure and should have been adhered to prior to the revisions made in April of 2023.”
At the end of the day, McFerrin is concerned about his classmates not having access to certain books.
"I think that the school should remember that these books have been reviewed and were put in the school for a reason. And by taking them out, you can be removing the ability to learn such valuable lessons."
According to the school, the books will be removed by the end of the week.
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