Aiken School Board Ignorant of Pornographic and CRT-based Books in District School Media Centers

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Three books in the Aiken County School District that do not belong there.

At the most recent Aiken County Public School District meeting on November 9th, 2021, three citizens stood before the Board of Trustees and the School Superintendent. All three spoke to preventing Critical Race Theory from being taught in the School District.

Mr. Dave Paullin spoke to three specific District policies, regarding Instructional Resources and Materials (library/media materials and curriculum, etc.), Supplementary Materials Selection and Adoption ( a nearly 20-year old policy last edited in Jan, 2002), and Teaching About Controversial/Sensitive Issues ( another nearly 20-year old policy last edited in Jan 2002). He pointed out that none of these policies contain wording that the District is to adhere to state law, which in South Carolina, states that no State funds may be used to teach or support any use of materials that '...find that fault, blame, or bias should be assigned to a race or sex...' (SC State Budget 2021-2022, Proviso 1.105, ratified June, 2021). He went on to prove the existence of a book containing explicit homosexual activity in the book titled 'All Boys Aren't Blue' by George Johnson, located in the North Augusta High School media/library, whose principal is Mr. Murphy, and whose media staff are Ms. Adcock and Ms. Wells. According to the aforementioned policies, the principal would have had to preplan of this book's use, and approve it's selection and inclusion in the media inventory. So Mr. Paullin asked the Board how and why this book was in this school, and how many times it had been checked out, and how many teachers had recommended it or assigned work related to it. He went on to bring out another book, this one he claimed to be illegal according to SC State law Proviso 1.105. This book is titled 'Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You' co-authored by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. This book is a complete CRT-based work that describes American culture, history, and government as a creation of deliberate white supremacist methodology, from the origins of white racism in Europe in the 1400's to the present time (originally printed in 2015). Mr. Paullin stated that seven middle schools and six high schools in Aiken county have this book in their media centers/libraries. Again, how and why, and for how long, and who has taught from it? SO, these blatant abuses are not just wrong, they are illegal. Many questions arise: who authorized their purchase? When were they selected and by whom? Who paid for them? Where is the trail of accountability for their presence in the schools?

The second citizen to speak was Maria Sullivan. As a member of a 6th grade curriculum review effort authorized and paid for under the Freedom of Information Act and conducted during October, 2021, she admonished the Board for not being thorough and diligent enough to root out CRT-influenced materials, nor being aware of the CRT-influenced websites that are linked to instructional resources within the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum. She also criticized the Board for not allowing the curriculum review committee to review lesson plans from each of the 6th grade classes and schools. She appealed for the second time to have the Board create a classroom audit committee, composed of citizens, teachers, administrators, and with full cooperation and support of the Superintendent's office. Her comments were met with disdain from Chairman Dr. John Bradley, who said the speakers should understand how the District spent time and money that could have been spent on something really important. SO, understand how the Board in this county considers their precious time - it is not ensuring that principals adhere to SC state law, or ensure explicit sexual content is not part of the school libraries and media centers, or allowing access to lesson plans or searching for CRT-influenced materials in their SEL curriculum.

The third speaker was Paulette Beaufort. She spoke eloquently about CRT, and how it is divisive, socialist, communist, and Marxist. She spoke of counting children by their skin color. She spoke of considering white people as oppressors of black people. She told of her successful career of 35 years, during which time she was never oppressed by any white person, further admonishing the Board that she is not an oppressed black woman in any sense of the word. She told the Board that they are not teaching basic knowledge well enough for our children to be successful as lawyers, doctors, engineers, pharmacists and other skilled professions, and spoke of pitiful math abilities in many of the children she is in contact with.

Although the Board chairman reacted defensively and derisively, two Board Trustees approached Mr. Paullin and Ms. Sullivan to express their desire to follow up on the CRT and media issues. That was the only encouraging moment in an otherwise distasteful school board meeting. But the facts and truth must be told. The entire meeting was broadcast live, and is available for your review here at the Aiken County Public School District website: https://acpsd.new.swagit.com/videos/147990

Until next time. De Opresso Liber.