Cobb County school board should admonish superintendent in book ban aftermath

On the evening of Sept. 17, my high school student received a mobile news alert from Cobb County Schools directing students and families to the unredacted, sexually explicit and violently graphic language Superintendent Chris Ragsdale had read earlier that night during a Board of Education meeting.

The words, selectively excerpted from the late Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison’s acclaimed novel “The Bluest Eye,” were presented without literary context and chosen for maximum shock value.

While the superintendent redacted some of the most offensive language during his public remarks, the district’s mobile alert linked students directly to the unredacted text.

An advisory notice did little to lessen the impact on children and families who were exposed to the material. As of this writing, the content remains on the district website, and Cobb County Schools has offered no explanation, correction or apology for sending it to minors.

Because district leaders have not explained their decision, parents are left to draw their own conclusions.

This seemed like ‘an attempt to score political points’

The superintendent’s remarks referenced those who support retaining challenged books in school libraries and those seeking greater transparency in the book-review process.

Given that context, we may reasonably view this episode as an attempt to score political points in an ongoing debate rather than provide meaningful transparency.

Instead of helping the public better understand the process, the district chose to distribute explicit material directly to students.

Let me be clear: I do not know a single parent who supports making “The Bluest Eye” available in a middle school library, and I know few who support unrestricted availability in high school libraries.

The superintendent’s remarks referenced those who support retaining challenged books in school libraries and those seeking greater transparency in the book-review process.

Given that context, we may reasonably view this episode as an attempt to score political points in an ongoing debate rather than provide meaningful transparency.

Instead of helping the public better understand the process, the district chose to distribute explicit material directly to students.

Let me be clear: I do not know a single parent who supports making “The Bluest Eye” available in a middle school library, and I know few who support unrestricted availability in high school libraries.

Most parents I know support a more balanced approach: allowing the novel to be taught in appropriate, parent-approved advanced literature courses where trained educators can provide the historical, literary and social context necessary to understand Morrison’s work.

Board should hold Ragsdale to account

Toni Morrison’s words, taught responsibly and in context, are not what harmed our children. The decision to deliver those words directly to students through an official school communication channel did.

The contradiction is difficult to ignore. At the end of his remarks, Superintendent Ragsdale announced that “Effective immediately, and in every Cobb County school, children will not have access to this sexually explicit description of the planned murder, rape and incest of a child of only 11 years old.”

He concluded, “The words speak for themselves.” Yet later that evening, Cobb County Schools directed students and families to those very words.

The board of education should hold Superintendent Ragsdale accountable for that decision. If it chooses not to, Cobb County voters should when they cast their ballots in the coming weeks.