The Mansfield ISD school board Tuesday night unanimously approved a watered down book ban policy that drew praise from even opponents.
LGBTQ-themed or authored books, and terms like gender fluidity were gone from the district’s upgraded policy. The change from the earlier version first presented last month surprised many, including school librarian Jennifer Reich, who was upset by the board’s first book-ban version.
“I wanted to be here tonight to say thank you,” Reich told the board Tuesday. “The policy as you all have revisited it might not be my perfect world, but I felt like you all listened.”
Reich wasn’t alone. Most who followed her also thanked the board for listening and responding to the original criticism.
But not Jennifer Swegler, a teacher who has spent half of 14-year career at Mansfield ISD. For the last two years, while teaching at MISD’s Lake Ridge High School, Swegler had been the Gay Straight Alliance sponsor. When she addressed trustees, she told them she was quitting, blaming the board’s harsh book policy first unveiled during an unscheduled meeting on May 16.
In explaining why, Swegler told KERA she felt she “could not in good conscience continue to work for a district that supported these book bans.” She said she also no longer believes trustees took the interests of all the students to heart.
Swegler told the trustees “the board heard from many outraged students, parents, teachers and librarians. I still haven’t heard a good reason why we are replacing our policy that was created and approved by six of the present board members just last summer.”
Some newly elected Mansfield board members won their elections with funding from Patriot Mobile, the Christian cell phone company that has backed candidates in other North Texas districts, including Keller (where Swegler graduated), Carroll and Grapevine-Colleyville ISDs. Those districts recently imposed tough book bans and other conservative policies, with more intended.
Swegler said she remains wary about the book policy Mansfield’s school board approved this week. The revised version calls on a 13-member committee — including 7 residents appointed by board members — to read and evaluate a book questioned by anyone in Mansfield. Under the old policy, no one aside from district staff reviewed questioned materials.
“It doesn’t state who is going to be put on committees,” Swegler said. “It doesn’t state how long board members have to challenge a book that is put up for purchase. It doesn’t say why there will be seven members board-appointed and only six from a campus. It doesn’t seem balanced or equal or fair, and I don’t think that’s right for all students, let alone LGBTQ students.”
Mark Hayes was among two speakers at the board meeting who supported the book policy, including the updated one.
“I want to urge the board to support a check and balance system like we have in every other expenditure in this district,” Hayes said. “When we’re spending federal, state or district funds, we don’t let one person determine how we’re going to spend our money. A committee looks at it and then it comes to the board for approval.
“I urge you to support the ‘student first’ safety policy and procedures.”
In the end, the board adopted its second version of the book policy without any debate or discussion. It may be among the first successful pushbacks to stricter, more conservative school board policies begun a few years ago, when book bans, anti-critical race theory policies and other conservative issues popped up in school boards across parts of North Texas, and the country.
