The U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Office for Civil Rights is launching an investigation into Granbury Independent School District (GISD) following the removal of a number of library books for alleged pornographic content.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas announced in a press release last week that, following a review of the left-leaning advocacy group’s complaint lodged against GISD back in July, the DOE has confirmed that it would be opening an investigation into allegations of discrimination based on sex and creating a hostile educational environment for LGBTQ students.
As previously reported in The Dallas Express, GISD Superintendent Jeremy Glenn directed librarians to remove books from school library shelves on the grounds that they contained pornographic content, as determined by a group of district staff, parents, and residents.
Glenn had stated at a meeting of the district’s Board of Trustees earlier in the year:
“I think specifically what we’re getting at, let’s call it what it is. And I’m cutting to the chase on a lot of this … It’s the transgender, LGBTQ, and the sex — sexuality — in books. That’s what the governor has said that he will prosecute people for, and that’s what we’re pulling out.”
The ACLU of Texas cited Glenn in its complaint to the DOE, claiming that GISD’s “mass book removal was grounded in an anti-LGBTQ+ context in Texas education, specifically related to books with LGBTQ+ themes or characters in school libraries.”
GISD previously released a statement pushing back on the allegations, stating:
“The District is committed to ensuring appropriate materials are available for student choice reading. More importantly, GISD is committed to providing all students and staff with a secure learning environment which exhibits tolerance and equality.”
“The selection and review of library materials is an ongoing process,” the statement continues. “GISD will continue to follow its policies on instructional materials selection to keep our libraries current. Like all school districts the values of our community will always be reflected in our schools; however, our primary obligation remains to focus on the academic growth and development of our students.”
GISD boasted a 95.2% on-time graduation rate for its Class of 2022. This was more than 5% higher than the state-wide average and considerably better than Dallas Independent School District’s alarming 81.1% on-time graduation rate the same year, according to the latest Texas Education Agency accountability report.