Oklahoma parent sounds the alarm on teacher directing students to ‘pornographic’ books
A parent who sounded an alarm about an Oklahoma teacher directing students how to access “pornographic” books via a QR code is speaking out, saying the issue is not political.
The parent, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation against her children, said her daughter came home from her first day of honors English with concerns about her teacher.
The student said when she got to her sophomore English class, her teacher, Summer Bosimier, had red paper covering the walls, with the words “Books the state doesn’t want you to read” written on the paper. When the students asked about the paper, the teacher said it was “censorship … because of the bigots in our government,” and told students to scan a QR code instead, according to the parent.
That QR code took students to the Brooklyn Public Library Books Unbanned site, which is designed to give students access to books that are removed from, or otherwise challenged, in libraries and schools.
The controversial Oklahoma law House Bill 1775, signed into law by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt last year, restricts how race and gender-based content can be taught in public schools and universities.
“Like many educators, the teacher has concerns regarding censorship and book removal by the Oklahoma state legislature. However, as educators it is our goal to teach students to think critically, not to tell them what to think,” a spokesperson for the Norman Public Schools said.
The district spokesperson said the teacher was not terminated, suspended or placed on administrative leave, and the district expected her to return to class as normal after the incident. Bosimier, however, said the state’s law made it difficult to teach.
Bosimier has made her political opinions well known on Twitter. In April, she tweeted “#OKleg” with a gif from Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” indicating the lawmakers were oppressing women’s rights. She also gave “5 of 5” stars to Ibram X. Kendi’s book “How to be an Antiracist,” and touted using the controversial 1619 Project in her curriculum.
The Brooklyn Public Library “Books Unbanned” website states it “is adding our voice to those fighting for the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, discover themselves, and form their own opinions.
“The library’s website also promoted a reading of the book “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, which depicts sexual acts and contains discussions on masturbation.
“The more I had to interact with my genitals the less likely I was to reach a point of any satisfaction,” the book said.
The parent said her issue with the book, and the situation in general, is not political. Her goal is to protect students.
“This is not a political matter. This has nothing to do with CRT, history, whitewashing, the LGBTQIAP+ community, the BIPOC community, it has nothing to do with any of that,” the parent stated, adding that she does not support banning books, like Huckleberry Finn, which have literary value.
“These books that are being disseminated to our children have nothing to do with educational content, or literary content. It is pushing pornographic material on our children,” she said. “Last time I checked, disseminating pornographic material to our children is illegal.”
“I am not championing a cause against anything other than the dissemination of pornographic materials to children,” she added.
House Bill 1775, she said, is “irrelevant.” The parent said that although Bosimier has resigned, she is not done fighting, noting that she is considering legal action against Bosimier and the school district
Many parents across the country are unaware of what is being taught to their children, she said, adding that her advice is to ask questions, do research and be involved in education.
“People are simply not aware of this,” she said. “They’re not aware of actually what’s going on, and who has access to their children.”
The school district spokesperson said that given the impact of House Bill 1775, a “renewed emphasis” has been placed on ensuring teachers have reviewed the materials in their classrooms.
“We have not banned any books or told teachers to remove books from their classrooms,” the spokesperson added. “Classroom libraries enrich our schools, and we want our classrooms to be places where literacy thrives.”
“What we have asked is that teachers review the materials in their libraries to ensure age-appropriateness,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve asked that teachers have either personally read the titles and can vouch for them with their own professional judgment, or can provide at least two professional sources verifying their appropriateness. While this is new guidance, ensuring appropriate materials is nothing new and is a responsibility we’ve always had to protect our students.”