STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A city Department of Education (DOE) investigation is underway after a significant haul of books featuring characters of color and themes on immigration and the LGBTQ+ community were found left out with the garbage near an Eltingville public school.
As originally reported in Gothamist, most of the books found trashed behind PS 55, The Henry M. Boehm School, on Osborne Street, were found in boxes that had been labeled “not approved,” while many had notes attached explaining why they weren’t considered suitable.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education (DOE) confirmed with the Advance/SILive.com that an investigation into the matter has been launched.
A note on “My Two Border Towns,” about a boy’s life on the United States-Mexico border, read: “Our country has no room and it’s not fair.” A note on “The Derby Daredevils,” about a girls’ roller derby team, read “Not approved. Discusses dad being transgender.” Books featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Black Panther and singer Nina Simone were tossed as well, the report said.
“Our public schools do not shy away from books that teach students about the diverse people and communities that make up the fabric of our society,” said Nicole Brownstein, media relations director for the DOE.
“We do not condone the messages found on these books and we are conducting an investigation to understand what happened in this situation,” Brownstein said.
The outlet reported that it was unclear if the discarding of the books resulted from an objection raised by staff or parents.
Typically, when a book is challenged, a committee comprised of parents, the school librarian, a teacher, a student, the principal, central library coordinator and several other individuals is formed.
“Should a parent feel concerned about the literature in their child’s classroom, they are encouraged to reach out to the teacher, principal or superintendent,” Brownstein said.
The DOE spokesperson…
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