In the Edmond school district, students are expected to read and digest dozens of classic and contemporary novels exploring topics and themes of all kinds. However, in recent years there has been much debate surrounding the content of these books.

Several serious accusations have been thrown around by state leaders, claiming schools are providing materials containing extreme violence and pornographic content.

Recently, the Oklahoma State Department of Education set new guidelines for libraries in the Oklahoma school system, including a statute regarding ‘obscenity and sexualized materials.’ Although no specific works or authors are mentioned, the update states that all districts must submit a catalog of materials available for students to be reviewed by the OSDE Library Media Advisory Committee.

During the review of Edmond’s District Library Catalog, the Committee named two books as containing ‘sexual content’: “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls and “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. The OSDE further details that these novels must be immediately removed from the district’s curriculum and media centers.

While these novels do depict short scenes with graphic material, the sexual encounters are explicitly portrayed as traumatic—not pornographic.

Critical reviews of both “The Kite Runner” and “The Glass Castle”  contend that despite the extremity or shock of certain scenes, there are valuable and irreplaceable lessons between the pages.

One Edmond North sophomore, who recently finished the Jeannette Walls memoir, claimed that she “could not recall a single moment in [“The Glass Castle”] that [she] found sexual,” and that in fact it “taught [her] a lot about different hardships others go through.”

Further, another Edmond North student, a senior, recalls Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” as “positively impactful,” continuing that the novel “did not feel pornographic at all.”

While students and literary critics agree on the merit of these works, the committee says otherwise.

In fact, the most outspoken advisor of the committee, Chaya Raichik, has consistently accused Oklahoma schools and libraries of containing and propagating pornographic material; these claims are made despite the fact that Raichik is not an librarian nor an educator, has no background in education and is not a past or present Oklahoma resident.

Many argue that Raichik’s history makes her, and the committee as whole, a biased and unqualified voice in the process of creating education policy.

Raichik is most known for her management of the far-right Libs of TikTok X (formerly Twitter) account. Despite being a social media influencer from Los Angeles, State Superintendent Ryan Walters describes her as “on the front lines” against “porn in schools” in Oklahoma.

Due to the public backlash surrounding both Supt. Walters and members of the Library Media Advisory Committee, some constituents question the legitimacy of their rulings.

Despite the inflammatory nature of the situation, Edmond Superintendent Angela Grunewald has argued that regardless of the reasoning, OSDE’s demands violate state law—that the ruling is “not something within their [OSDE’s] authority to do.” Dr. Grunewald further argues that U.S. Supreme Court decisions “have also found that local school boards and superintendents may not unilaterally remove materials from public school libraries without following the policy of their district.”

Her message, which can be accessed here, was sent to all faculty and students in the district.

In her address, Dr. Grunewald references Island Trees School District vs. Pico, the 1982 case questioning local authority to unjustly remove content from school libraries. In the ruling, Justice Brennan held that students do not “shed their constitutional rights” when in the classroom—contending that students’ right to express information and ideas includes also the free ability to receive them.

Further, Tinker vs. Des Moines, the basis of the above ruling which held the extension of the First Amendment to students in public schools, states that school administrators cannot restrict expression in an unconstitutional or overly partisan manner.

Dr. Grunewald takes a firm stance against censorship, contending that “this is a case of overreach,” and that the “State Department of Education has wrongly removed our locally elected School Board from making decisions regarding education.”

Claiming this breach of authority, the Edmond School Board is appealing to the State Supreme Court to clarify the individual schools’ and students’ rights to their own libraries.

“We do not want to be in this position and our school board members did not take this step lightly. Unfortunately, the State Department of Education’s action has forced us to take this legal action,” commented Dr. Grunewald.

In response to the litigation, State Supt. Walters has publicly pushed back online, claiming “Edmond Public Schools embraces porn” and that Edmond schools are “more in line with Hugh Hefner” than education.

The issue will continue to progress as the district waits to hear news on their pending appeal to the State Supreme Court next month.

“[We] will continue to fight to protect the rights of Edmond students, parents and staff members,” ended Dr. Grunewald.