Trashy, Sexually Explicit Romance Novels: Kept by Bartow County Schools.
Internal Staff Analysis is False. Come to School Board Meeting 4/15, by 545 pm.
By David McKalip, M.D.
The Bartow County School System has intentionally kept sexually explicit books on their shelves. Today’s exposed books are Sarah Maas’s books “Empire of Storms” and “Kingdom of Ash”, part of the “Throne of Glass Series”. Each of these books has a 4/5 rating from “Book Looks” and from “Rated Books”. (See the terrible, but censored, content below).
A majority of the School Board members have actively defended “The PROCESS” to remove such books. They have publicly spoken against adopting legal objective standards that apply to all citizens of Georgia - but school libraries are EXEMPT! (Footnote 1)1
The “Process” continues to bear bad fruit (Matthew 7:15-20).
There will be more books revealed every day this week. This is in anticipation of the demanding that the Bartow County School Board remove such books at their Meeting on 4/15 at 6 pm (please show up by 545 to sign up to speak).
Please email school board members today to demand they remove sexually explicit and obscene books (to do so, click on this EMAIL INSTRUCTION FOOTNOTE 2 2)
The Justification from the school system to keep these pornographic books is as follows:
Incredibly popular (with the students)
Checked out frequently (by the students)
The Sexual material “does not reflect the themes of the entire books series”. (This is false).
The Sexual scenes are limited to “one” in Empire of Storms and are just “Sexual undertones” in Kingdom of Ash. (This is roundly, entirely and provably completely false.)
They suggested a “content warning” for these books. But there is no known policy on content warnings and the stance from Dr. Page is that parents will not be informed of books checked out by students.
Please see how many sexually explicit scenes are in each books in the description below.
In addition, they try to compare this as somehow better or less problematic than the five books from another Sarah Maas Series removed. These books are not meaningfully different than the ones already removed from another Sarah Maas Series (A Court of Thorns and Roses).
So at every step of the way of the much vaunted “process”, the schools uses completely subjective standards that allow “experts”, committees, staff and administrators to retain what they would like. Even when the content is high sexual in nature.
The Process….
“18 A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-20
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.
Empire of Storms (Book 5/7)
There is not just “one” scene of a “sexual nature” as claimed by the staff. There are many scenes of a sexual nature . Constant references to sexual activity and trashy romance-novel sexual tension being built throughout novel. (More graphic scenes and references to sexual activity are at pages 254, 292, 349, 358, 360, 378, 420, 492, 573, 585, 661) .
The school staff indicated that the “scene…does not reflect the themes of the entire books series”. I think a reader with common sense can see that is completely false. In fact the trashy, sexual romance fantasy IS the THEME!!!
Rated Books.org sheet with many more pages of trashy and sexual content. (to see all the pages with such scenes. Pages 254, 292, 349, 358, 360, 378, 420, 492, 573, 585, 661)
Here is a page from Empire of Storms (Sarah Maas). It is censored as is standard on this blog. The amount of censorship required demonstrates just how much detailed, sexually explicit material is within the book.
The School Board is claiming this is the only “one” sexual scene in the book. That is false. Rated Books.org sheet with many more pages of trashy and sexual content. (to see all the pages with such scenes. Pages 254, 292, 349, 358, 360, 378, 420, 492, 573, 585, 661). Here is an excerpt from a few pages:
Kingdom of Ash (book 7/7)
The links for the full, uncensored text is here:
The school staff stated: “While this book does have sexual undertones, it does not reflect the themes of the entire book series.” Just “Sexual undertones”? That is a straightforward lie.
This book has MULTIPLE sexually explicit scenes as seen here on pages 67, 249, 537, 556, 570, 727, 730, 824, 830)
It is time to act! Please come to school board meeting and email as described in Footnote 2 below)
IN FREEDOM!
16-12-100
a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) “Minor” means any person under the age of 18 years.
(2) “Performance” means any play, dance, or exhibit to be shown to or viewed by an audience.
(3) “Producing” means producing, directing, manufacturing, issuing, or publishing.
(4) “Sexually explicit conduct” means actual or simulated:
(A) Sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex;
(B) Bestiality;
(C) Masturbation;
(D) Lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person;
(E) Flagellation or torture by or upon a person who is nude;
(F) Condition of being fettered, bound, or otherwise physically restrained on the part of a person who is nude;
(G) Physical contact in an act of apparent sexual stimulation or gratification with any person’s unclothed genitals, pubic area, or buttocks or with a female’s nude breasts;
(H) Defecation or urination for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer; or
(I) Penetration of the vagina or rectum by any object except when done as part of a recognized medical procedure.
(5) “Visual medium” means any film, photograph, negative, slide, magazine, or other visual medium.
16-12-102. Definitions.
As used in this part, the term:
(1) “Harmful to minors” means that quality of description or representation, in whatever form, of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse, when it:
(A) Taken as a whole, predominantly appeals to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors;
(B) Is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors; and
(C) Is, when taken as a whole, lacking in serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.
(2) “Knowingly” means having a general knowledge of, or reason to know, or a belief or ground for belief which warrants further inspection or inquiry of both:
(A) The character and content of any material described in this part which is reasonably susceptible to examination by the defendant; and
(B) The age of the minor; provided, however, that an honest mistake shall constitute an excuse from liability in this part if the defendant made a reasonable, bona fide attempt to ascertain the true age of such minor.
(3) “Minor” means a person less than 18 years of age.
(4) “Sadomasochistic abuse” means actual or simulated flagellation or torture by or upon a person who is nude, clad in undergarments, a mask or bizarre costume, or the condition of being fettered, bound, or otherwise physically restrained by one so clothed or nude.
(5) “Sexual conduct” means actual or simulated acts of masturbation, homosexuality, sexual intercourse, or physical contact in an act of apparent sexual stimulation or gratification with a person’s clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or, if such person is female, breasts.
(6) “Sexual excitement” means the condition of human male or female genitals when in a state of sexual stimulation or arousal.
(7) “Sexually explicit nudity” means a state of undress so as to expose the human male or female genitals, pubic area, or buttocks with less than a full opaque covering, or the showing of the female breast with less than a fully opaque covering of any portion thereof below the top of the nipple, or the depiction of covered or uncovered male genitals in a discernibly turgid state.
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: 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, 4/15 at 65 Gilreath Road.