this post was submitted on 02 Jun 2024

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United States | News & Politics

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An Idaho school district banned books. Here’s what a student did at her graduation (www.idahostatesman.com)

submitted 5 months ago by FirstCircle@lemmy.ml to c/usa@lemmy.ml

26 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Annabelle Jenkins walked onto the stage during her graduation ceremony from the Idaho Fine Arts Academy in the West Ada School District with a book tucked into her sleeve.

When she stood before West Ada Superintendent Derek Bub, she slipped out the book — the graphic novel of “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault — faced the audience and smiled, and handed it toward Bub. It was one of 10 books the West Ada School District had removed from libraries earlier in the school year.

Bub did not take the book. Jenkins dropped it at his feet and walked off the stage without shaking his hand.

A TikTok video she posted of the incident that night garnered over 24 million views and more than 15,000 comments.

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[–] variants@possumpat.io 67 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The kids are alright

[–] BananaPeal@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 months ago

That is NOT what I learned from The Offspring.

[–] Denvil@lemmy.one 29 points 5 months ago

Committed to offering a diverse selection of books

bans books

Hmm

[–] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 25 points 5 months ago

A great political statement by a brave kid. Takes guts to do that on that stage. I'm proud of them.

[–] Maestro@fedia.io 9 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No link to the video? Or did my adblock remove it?

[–] Scolding7300@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Closest I've gotten ti a link is this https://www.tiktok.com/discover/idaho-book-ban-graduation

Edit: found a video on dailymotion https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13478661/Annabelle-Jenkins-Idaho-graduation-Handmaids-tale-book-ban.html

[–] Maestro@fedia.io 2 points 5 months ago

Thank you!

[–] toastal@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Access Denied You don't have permission to access "http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/education/article288836625.html" on this server.

What was I denied access to?

[–] FirstCircle@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

My guess would be that the Idaho statesman web server doesn't like your IP address. Are you using a VPN or Tor? I can still access the article.

[–] toastal@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I am located in Asia?

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago

?

Well, are you? We can't answer that question you asked as only you know your location.

[+] TheFonz@lemmy.world -6 points 5 months ago (3 children)

This one's though. The original novel is still on the shelves -they only banned the graphic novel since they don't have a process in place to deliver books based on age groups. I haven't read the graphic novel of the Handmaid's tale, but I don't know if I would read the book to 14 year olds. School districts have to make these kinds of though decisions all the time. Libraries on the other hand should never ban books. What do you guys think?

[–] damnthefilibuster@lemmy.world 29 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Seems like they need a new….. process to deliver books based on age groups.

[–] TheFonz@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

Totally agree.

[–] Yearly1845@reddthat.com 11 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Kind of seems like it's none of your business what a bunch of teenagers who aren't related to you and don't live with you read in their spare time.

[–] TheFonz@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

What an unnecessarily combative and argumentative response...

I was very charitable, yes? And I explained the process in place for school districts -which are not libraries- yes? I also explained there is no method in place to deliver books by age-yes? We don't hand out books willy nilly to everyone in schools -which, again: not libraries.

Edit: since there are downvotes but no engagement with what I'm saying. School districts have different liabilities in place that libraries don't. It's ok if you disagree with me. I am not pro banning books. I think if they had an age appropriate delivery mechanism they should not ban any books really. That's all.

Please: don't fight with everyone all the time. Life is too short.

2nd Edit: I just realized this is Lemmy.ml and you guys can't engage with anything without getting ass-mad up the wazoo. Have fun being bitter angry people.

Cheers ❤️

[–] pingveno@lemmy.ml 15 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Schools have libraries, and those libraries are naturally segmented by age because of being attached to a specific school (elementary, middle, high). Kids have to know the book is there and seek it out, so that puts an additional buffer.

Books are also delivered via the classroom. Teachers, of course, exercise judgement there on what is age appropriate, both for content and for reading level. The bar should be higher there because students have little to no choice on the book.

[–] TheFonz@lemmy.world -3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yes, in the article they mentioned not being able to segment by age at this school. If I understand correctly, high schoolers start around 14 so there is a balancing act required because the liabilities differ from those of libraries.

[–] ChaosCoati@midwest.social 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I find the school’s claim to be a lazy cop-out. My child’s school is K-12, and I recently had to go through a whole paperwork process to give my 3rd grader permission to check out middle school level books.

[–] TheFonz@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I totally agree. I think if the school really wanted, they could figure this out somehow.

[–] blurg@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I haven’t read the graphic novel of the Handmaid’s tale, but I don’t know if I would read the book to 14 year olds.

This reads like the ugly kind of censorship. Where: 1) without knowledge of the graphic book, calling for its universal removal from school libraries. 2) not knowing if 14 year-olds should read it, ban it (i.e. ban all books that can't be read by the youngest library patron; a notion few books could survive). And 3) belittling people (calling those who disagree with uninformed censorship "ass-mad up the wazoo").

Now there is a little nuance to the post, but it's outweighed by crude assessments.

[–] TheFonz@lemmy.world -4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Oh my god. The lack of charitability.

I even stated in my post I'm NOT pro banning books. I'm just giving the other perspective. The graphic novel could be fine-it could also have dozens of pages of graphic rape. That's not my point. My whole point is school districts have a different type of liability.

That's all.

You know what I didn't write? I didn't come out guns blazing:

Sounds like it's none of your goddamn business what teenagers read

Well no shit Sherlock. That's not what I'm arguing about.

[–] not_woody_shaw@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I thought he was agreeing with you.

[–] TheFonz@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

They're saying everyone should check out anything they want at high school libraries. I'm saying school districts are mandated to execute some discretion at what they can provide. The nature of school libraries differs from general public libraries. That's all.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

This one’s though.

Is it though, though?

they don’t have a process in place to deliver books based on age groups.

It seems with like a name like "fine arts academy" it would already filter attendees by age.

[–] TheFonz@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

High school ranges from 14 to 18, right? Or is the academy only for one specific age group?