Platteville committee considering requests to remove books from middle school library

Dec 6, 2024 | 1:58 PM

Dozens of community members attended a meeting Wednesday initiating a process to determine whether several books should remain in the Platteville Middle School library following multiple complaints. From Nov. 15 to Monday, four Platteville households filled out library material reconsideration forms about several books, asking that they be removed from the school’s library. The materials submitted for reconsideration were:

“Heartstopper” books 1-4 by Alice Oseman

“It’s Perfectly Normal” by Robie Harris

“All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson

“Flamer” by Mike Curato

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews

Mad Magazine

The complaints generally centered on concerns about sexual content depicted in the materials. Others noted the use of curse words or other adult themes. The inaugural meeting of the Library Material Reconsideration Committee was not intended to seek public input, but rather to introduce committee members, overview the district’s policies for library material reconsideration and outline the committee’s responsibilities. The deadline for the committee to make a decision on whether the materials conform to the school’s library material selection policy is Feb. 18, though the decision could be appealed to the school board.