Cherry Hill schools consider requiring parental approval for students to check out sensitive books.

Cherry Hill Public Schools is considering a policy that would require parental permission for students to check out books deemed to contain “sensitive content.” This initiative, which was communicated to the district’s media specialists in a memo from Allison Staffin, the director of curriculum and instruction, aims to address the handling of library materials. The memo, dated October 31 and acquired by Media News Source, lacks specific guidelines on what constitutes sensitive content.

According to the memo, any book deemed to have sensitive material will necessitate a permission slip from a parent or guardian prior to checkout. Staffin expressed the district’s intention to promote curiosity and a love for reading, while simultaneously recognizing the diverse educational needs and backgrounds of its student body.

The suggested policy has elicited swift reactions from various stakeholders, including parents and advocacy groups. Olga Polites, leader of Media Literacy Now’s New Jersey chapter, which has championed media literacy in state education, expressed concerns that the proposal could be interpreted as censorship. Other parents, like Cherry Hill resident Carolina Bevad, noted their unease regarding who will determine which books require parental consent, emphasizing that such oversight could complicate the reading choices available to children.

Superintendent Kwame Morton responded to the concerns by stating that the memo has been misunderstood and clarified that there is currently no established policy. Morton emphasized that the district does not ban books and reinforced that decisions regarding what material is appropriate should ultimately remain with families.

In the memo, Staffin indicated that media specialists would need to evaluate books based on their themes and potentially sensitive topics before adding them to the library collection. The proposed protocol includes students filling out a slip that specifies the book title and a brief description of its content, especially for titles not included on an approved list.

Furthermore, the memo indicates that media specialists should maintain a log of books containing sensitive content along with the associated permission slips to ensure a transparent audit trail. However, Morton did not provide a timeline for implementation, and he noted that no official communication has been shared with parents in the district, which serves nearly 11,000 students.

The ongoing discourse surrounding this proposed policy is framed by recent legislative action in New Jersey, where Governor Phil Murphy enacted the Freedom to Read Act to prohibit book bans in public and school libraries. These measures reflect a growing movement to safeguard access to diverse literature amid rising conservatism in educational institutions across the country, prompting discussions about the implications for students’ First Amendment rights and freedom of expression.