Bartow School Board Intentionally Keeping Porn on Shelves. Speak Tonight 3/18, at 6pm meeting to demand action: 65 Gilreath Rd. Sign up by 5:45.
There are no objective standards.
The Bartow County School System staff provided an update on the books they have chosen to retain and to remove from the list originally provided by Dr. McKalip on 1/2/2024. Efforts are being made to create a link here to that document soon.
The list clarifies that the school system does WANT to keep books with pornographic scenes on the library shelves. There are reasons given indicating the schools think it is necessary and that there is “required” reading for these books. See “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” below, a sexually graphic novel retained on purpose to learn more about what they are choosing to provide Bartow County Minors. Also below are excerpts from “The Bluest Eye” and “Like a Love Story” intentionally kept on shelves.
Enough is Enough. Parents and Citizens need to show up tonight at the Bartow County School Board Meeting to demand action to have these books removed. There also needs to be clear, objective standards. Some books have been removed as “not meeting guidelines”. While other books with essentially the same material is retained. The subjective retention seems to be on the preference and opinions of the staff making the decisions, not clear, objective standards indicating that sex scenes should not be allowed in classroom and library books.
Please come to the Bartow County School Board Meeting at 6 pm on Monday, 3/18 at 65 Gilreath Road.
Please come by 5:30 and no later than 5:45 to sign up to speak at the 6 pm
Please Email School Board Members and Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page to insist they remove obscene and pornographic books from the school libraries and the classrooms. Paste these email addresses in the “to” area.
To:tony.ross@bartow.k12.ga.us; darla.williams@bartow.k12.ga.us; matt.shultz@bartow.k12.ga.us; butch.emerson@bartow.k12.ga.us; anna.sullivan@bartow.k12.ga.us; bartowfreedom@proton.me; Phillip.page@bartow.k12.ga.us
Paste to “Subject”
Subject: Please remove obscene books now and establish objective standards
Paste to “Body” (or create your own message).
Dear Members of the School Board and Dr. Page,
We ask that you immediately remove obscene and pornographic books from the school libraries and the classroom. We ask for action to create objective standards so that no such books are ordered again. A list of books found so far have been provided by the Bartow Freedom Coalition to the each of you. There have been some removed, and we thank you. But many remain.
Thank you,
[name]
PRESS SEND! (note that the Bartow Freedom Coalition email is included to help keep track of the campaign).
Please come no later than 5:45 to sign up to speak at the 6 pm Bartow County School Board Meeting at 6 pm on Monday, 3/18 at 65 Gilreath Road.
CAUTION OFFENSIVE (but censored) MATERIAL BELOW - AGE 18 and Over please. Cease Reading to avoid.
CAUTION OFFENSIVE (but censored) MATERIAL BELOW - AGE 18 and Over please. Cease Reading to avoid.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Lesbian Sex Scenes
This books is being intentionally retained. The Original comments from the Woodalnd High School revealed that they describe it as a “really good book” that they recommend. They describe it as a story of “Chinese-American Discovering her sexuality. In the updated list, Cass High School indicated that they agree with the “sentiment of WHS to Keep the book”.
This book contains over pornography. See full set of excerpts here without the censorship.
“She wanted to touch Kath's skin. She tugged the hem of Kath's blouse out from her skirt and ______________________, and finally she felt ______________________, and the quiver of Kath's body as she touched her. Kath drew back briefly and reached for the buttons of Lily's blouse, asking, "Can I?" Lily helped her unbutton it, and then Kath put her hand ______________________, and Lily closed her eyes. Kath's hand slid up over her ribs and ______________________, and her thumb trailed electrically____________________________________________. And then she pushed her leg ______________________, and Lily gasped at how it felt ______________________- and it was exactly what she wanted. She was astonished by the way this worked between them so instinctively, as if they had been made to do this together. But Lily felt as if there were no time. She couldn't entirely forget that they only had an hour together. A desire for something more was rising inside her as Kath moved a____________________________________________. It felt urgent, as if they were counting down the seconds till ______________________. There was no time; they had to do this right now. And she reached for the hem of her skirt and_______________________________________________________________her body.
The Bluest Eye - Sexually Graphic Scenes of Consensual Sex and Sexual Abuse
The book “The Bluest eye” is being intentionally retained. The fact is celebrated that It is actually REQUIRED READING FOR AP STUDENTS in Some Districts!! Each of the three High School Libraries have it on the shelf. There is a 24 book CLASS SET available for any teacher who wants to use this in the classroom at Cass High School. It is on the AP book list for Adairsville AP Literature class. This is described as “Classic Literature” that is often part of the “College Curriculum” and referred to positively as “studied by scholars for decades”.
The uncensored excerpts are here.
“Then he lift his head, turn over, and put his hand on my waist. If I don't move, he'll move his hand over to pull and knead my stomach. Soft and slow-like. I still don’t move, because I don 't want him to stop. I want to pretend sleep and have him keep on rubbing my stomach. Then he will lean his head down and ______________. Then I don 't want him to rub my stomach anymore. I want him to put his hand ______________. I pretend to wake up, and turn to him, but not opening ______________. I want him to______________. He does, and I be _____ and ______________ I be s____________. All my strength in his hand. My brain curls up like wilted leaves. A funny, empty feeling is in my hands. I want to grab holt of something, so I hold his head. His mouth is under my chin. Then I don 't want his hand ____________________________ I am softening away. I stretch ______________, and he is______________. Too heavy to hold, and too light not to. He puts ______________. ______________. ______________. I wrap __________________________________________. His face is next to mine. The bed springs sounds like them crickets used to back home. He puts his fingers in mine, and we ____________________________ like Jesus on the cross. I hold on tight. My fingers and my feet hold on tight, because ____________________________. I know he wants me ______________. But I can 't. Not until______________. Not until I feel him loving me. Just me. ______________. Not until I know that____________________________. That he couldn't stop if he had to. That he would die rather __________________________________________. Of me. Not until he ______________, and ______________. To me. To me. When he does, I feel a power I be strong, I be pretty, I be young. And then I wait. He sh______________. Now I be strong enough, pretty enough, and young enough to let ______________. I take my fingers out of his and put my hands on ______________. My l______________. I don't make no noise, because the chil 'ren might hear. I begin to feel those little bits of color floating up into me—______________. That streak of green from the june-bug light, the purple from the ______________, Mama Is ______________e. Then I feel like I'm laughing b______________, and the laughing gets all mixed up with the colors, and I'm afraid ______________. But I know I will. And______________. And it be rainbow all inside. And it______________. I want to thank him, but don't know how, so I pat him like you do a baby. ..."But it ain't like that anymore. Most times ______________, and through ______________..."
Like a Love Story- Gay Sex Scenes
The Cass High Staff offer this reason to keep this book on the shelf: “CHS: This book reflects teens of diverse backgrounds growing up in 1989 at the height of the AIDS epidemic. The book touches on themes of friendship, loss, and being true to oneself. The sexually-charged scenes in the book do not detract from the lessons of the novel, and therefore it is my professional opinion that this book is kept in circulation with a “Content Warning” label attached to the cover.”
What “Content warning would be issued? Why? If this content is that offensive, why have it on the shelf. The Superintendent has already stated he is not willing at this point to alert parents when their kids check these books out the library.
There are many alarming scenes in this book and the uncensored excerpts are here.
“Art leaps back up, takes my hand, and then pulls me onto the __________. He kisses me, his __________, his body ____________________. He’s _____, and I ________. He turns me over onto my back, po_____________ ________________________________________. He whispers my name into my ear, and I whisper his name in his, until our names cease to have meaning, sounding more l__________, He __________, until my __________, and then he ____________________.
More Work To Do
There are many other examples of sexually graphic retained books on the shelves. There are surely many more not yet uncovered. More examples will be provided as this problem continues to harm children in Bartow County Schools.\
Please come to the Bartow County School Board Meeting at 6 pm on Monday, 3/18 at 65 Gilreath Road.
Please come by 5:30 and no later than 5:45 to sign up to speak at the 6 pm
Please Email School Board Members and Superintendent Dr. Phillip Page to insist they remove obscene and pornographic books from the school libraries and the classrooms. Paste these email addresses in the “to” area.
To:tony.ross@bartow.k12.ga.us; darla.williams@bartow.k12.ga.us; matt.shultz@bartow.k12.ga.us; butch.emerson@bartow.k12.ga.us; anna.sullivan@bartow.k12.ga.us; bartowfreedom@proton.me; Phillip.page@bartow.k12.ga.us
Paste to “Subject”
Subject: Please remove obscene books now and establish objective standards
Paste to “Body” (or create your own message).
Dear Members of the School Board and Dr. Page,
We ask that you immediately remove obscene and pornographic books from the school libraries and the classroom. We ask for action to create objective standards so that no such books are ordered again. A list of books found so far have been provided by the Bartow Freedom Coalition to the each of you. There have been some removed, and we thank you. But many remain.
Thank you,
[name]
PRESS SEND! (note that the Bartow Freedom Coalition email is included to help keep track of the campaign).
Please come no later than 5:45 to sign up to speak at the 6 pm Bartow County School Board Meeting at 6 pm on Monday, 3/18 at 65 Gilreath Road.
In Freedom