DEARBORN, Mich. – After an angry crowd shut down Monday’s Dearborn School Board meeting, the district is moving the continuation of the discussion to a larger venue for Thursday.
The auditorium at Stout Middle School can accommodate 600, and there will be overflow rooms if needed. The district is asking people not to bring signs and obscure the view of others.
Read: Fire marshal ends Dearborn school board meeting early due to disorderly crowd
Monday, the crowd became so overwhelming the fire marshal shut down the meeting and the police chief came out to calm people down. At issue are six books out of the district’s collection of 500,000.
Those six books include:
- “Push” by Sapphire;
- “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold;
- “Eleanor and Park” by Rainbow Rowell;
- “Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston;
- “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson; and
- “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson.
While all six do not deal with LGBTQ subject matter, the titles that did had the majority of angry reactions. All those wishing to speak who did not get a chance to will have an opportunity Thursday (Oct. 13).
“Those who filled out a blue card at Monday’s meeting will be given the opportunity to come to the podium and share their thoughts,” said Dearborn Schools Communication David Mustonen. “They will have three minutes which is the standard procedure. It’s nothing new it has been in place for years.”
After that list of speakers is exhausted, anyone will have the opportunity to speak. The six titles in question are up for a review process. Here’s how that works in the Dearborn Public Schools.
A parent with an issue with a book first speaks with the school’s principal and media specialist. It then goes to a committee review of school media specialists and administration to determine whether it should be in the collection and age-appropriate.
Depending on the review’s outcome, if a parent isn’t satisfied, there is a second review process which includes parents, community members, a student, and staff.
Thursday’s meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.