Rutherford County residents speak out against banning books like ‘A Clockwork Orange’

An image of the Anthony Burgess novel “A Clockwork Orange.” (Photo from Amazon)

Several local residents spoke to Rutherford County Schools (RCS) Board of Education members Thursday to continue voicing opposition to recent book bans within the Middle Tennessee school district, after district librarians received an email instructing them to pull 150 “sexually explicit” books from school library shelves.

According to district educators, the email included titles such as “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess, “Catch 22” by Joseph Heller, “Go Ask Alice” by Anonymous, and “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline. That order also followed a recent decision by the board to ban six books from school libraries, including “Beloved,” a Pulitzer-Prize winning novel from Toni Morrison about the horrors of slavery, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” a coming-of-age novel by Stephen Chbosky, and “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire, a novel which retells the “Wizard of Oz.”

The topic of book bans has been a major source of debate among parents and school officials both locally and at other Tennessee school districts in recent months, as schools struggle to interpret state laws such as the Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022, which compels schools to remove books that are deemed sexually explicit or otherwise too graphic for K-12 students.

Chloe Donegan, an RCS high school senior whose school name was not provided, told the board that she’s “deeply concerned” about the “growing restrictions on access to books.” She said removing so many books from library shelves will deny students the “chance to understand history’s complexity and the struggles of others.”

“Books are more than just words on pages. They have a key to unlocking knowledge. Without them, we remain in the dark, unaware of the complexities of our world,” she said. “This issue is not just about books, it is about our future and the freedom to learn, to grow, and to discover the truths that shape us. This is not simply about expanding knowledge, it’s about the fear of those who can not bear the thought of certain topics being openly discussed. It’s about discomfort with confronting a past that isn’t near as pristine as we would want it to be.”

Rutherford County Library Alliance Vice President Keri Lambert voices her opposition to recent book bans at Thursday’s RCS Board of Education meeting. (Screenshot)

Rutherford County Library Alliance Vice President Keri Lambert returned to the board once again to urge the board against continuing book bans, along with other supporters of the alliance who are opposed to recent book removals. She suggested that parents who are against certain materials should instead ask the board to restrict their children’s access to those materials, rather than banning them from libraries outright.

“If a parent does not want their child to have access to certain materials, they have a simple and straightforward path to request their child’s access be restricted without taking those vital tools away from the children who so desperately need them,” she said. “Then everyone wins and everyone’s rights are respected.”

One local resident spoke to the board to voice his support for the recent book removals and said he takes issue with the way in which book removals have been compared to Nazi book burnings, a common criticism among those who believe recent book bans are a First Amendment violation. The book bans have also been met with similar criticisms from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and others who believe the bans are designed to remove books that discuss topics like racism and LGBTQ+ issues.

“We are simply upholding God’s law and Tennessee law. I am not a Nazi. Our group are not Nazis,” the local resident said. “I suggest any board member who votes to supply pornography to our kids will, going forward, be referred to by me as ‘groomers.’ At least my label will be accurate.”

According to district leaders, the board recently sent a letter to the office of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti asking for more clarification on how schools should interpret state guidelines on removing certain books. Board attorney Jeff Reed said at a previous meeting that the district should receive more guidance from the state by the end of the year.

For more information on Thursday’s school board meeting and other discussions, visit the district’s YouTube channel or website at www.rcshools.net.