06-03-2025
Lubbock school trustees opt to keep book on shelf after parent concern over LGBT image
The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees voted to keep a book a parent from Roscoe Wilson Elementary deemed to be inappropriate on the shelves.
At their regular meeting on Thursday evening, LISD trustees held a level-three grievance hearing to hear from Lloyd Zuniga about why Alice B. McGinty's "Bathe the Cat" should be removed from school libraries.
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Zuniga said his son brings home books from the school's library to read at home with his family. On one occasion, his son brought home "Bathe the Cat," which sparked Zuniga's concern.
"I flipped through and seen some pictures," Zuniga said. "One in particular of two males holding hands while holding a baby."
Zuniga said the image didn't sit right with him, as the book was about cleaning around the house, and he double-checked with his wife to see if he was making an assumption. She said he wasn't.
He said he went to Roscoe Wilson's assistant principal, who pointed out that Zuniga could launch a complaint if he wanted to.
Zuniga said he was torn about whether he wanted to, as his son could have picked this book randomly or maybe he had already read the book.
"My daughter really kind of tipped the scale," Zuniga said. "My daughter said, 'Oh dad, the librarian read this (book) to us last year to every class.'"
Zuniga said there are other books the school can use to teach books how to clean up, like "The Cat in the Hat."
"What I don't think is right is that in a public school, this is being taught to our children," Zuniga said. "No. 1, without my consent, and No. 2, without anyone else knowing. It just seems a tad bit like grooming to me."
So Zuniga filed a level-one grievance in 2024 against the book. It went before a committee comprised of LISD employees and parents that voted 6-5 in favor of keeping it on the school's library shelves. Zuniga said everyone on that committee who sided with him was an LISD employee.
Zuniga then appealed the committee's decision to level two, where it was heard by LISD's director of Student and Parent Resolutions, Brian Ellyson. Ellyson sided with the committee's decision.
Ellyson told the trustees that the district's library material is guided by the Texas Education Agency's EFB (Local) procedures along with Texas State Library and Archives Commission and district policies when choosing material for school libraries, noting that books must:
All material selected enhances what is being taught in schools, factoring in students' interests, maturity and ability.
The books help grow students' knowledge and appreciation for literature.
The books encourage reading and higher levels of thinking.
Books represent everyone as a whole.
Ellyson said that any student, parent or employee can challenge materials; however, there are guiding principles when doing so, with parent and/or guardians' rights only extending to their child.
"The district can not restrict student access to the material during the reconsideration process," Ellyson said. "Also, challenged materials can not be removed just because of the ideas of the material, the background of the author or the background of the characters in the book."
Ellyson said the final decision on whether to remove the book should be based on the material's appropriateness to the intended audience.
Parents have the right to work with school librarians to control what subject matter they want their kids to avoid and provide alternative materials as well, and Ellyson said he encouraged Zuniga to do so when he made his decision.
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"After speaking with the campus administrator and our district superintendent of teaching and learning, and after reviewing the book and reviewing both local and state standards and requirements, I determined that if the book were to be removed, it would violate both the legal and local policies on the basis that the book rises to the level of pervasively vulgar," Ellyson said.
"(The book) is educationally suitable for the elementary school library," Ellyson said. "Therefore, I am asking the board to uphold the level two decision and deny Mr. Zuniga's grievance to have the book removed from all Lubbock ISD libraries."
Trustee Board Vice President Ryan Curry said he believes LISD administration has followed the policies in place. However, he said the board might need to revisit the policy, expedite the grievance policy, and take some of the burden off the parents to approve which books their child should and shouldn't read.
"What it boils down to me is that if I don't think it should be read out loud in a group setting, how then can I be OK with it being in the library," Curry said.
Trustee Board President Beth Bridges also said that she has heartburn about the policy, but it's the policy currently in place.
"We are structured by our policy," Bridges said. "If we start just throwing it out the window and not adhering to that, then what's the point? Policy is policy."
Bridges sided with Curry in saying the board could look at updating the policy at a later date.
Trustee John Weddige said there is a potential for the district to better communicate its policy on parents' rights in deciding what their children can or cannot read at the school library.
"To my fellow trustees' points, that in this case, policy was followed," Weddige said. "Whether what's in the book is inappropriate or offensive is a matter of opinion."
The board voted 4-1 to uphold the district's determination and deny Zuniga's grievance. Trustee Jason Ratliff was in attendance at the meeting, and Trustee Lala Chavez recused herself due to an unsaid conflict of interest.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: LISD Trustees decline to remove book after parent concern over content
