A Texas Republican demanded schools report whether they are using any of the 850 books on his list of materials that could “make students feel discomfort,” NBC News reports.
Republican State Rep. Matt Krause, who represents a Fort Worth district, drew up a list of 850 books on subjects including racism and sexuality and demanded school districts report whether any are being used in their classes or libraries.
Krause said in a letter that he also wants to know how many copies each district has and how much money they spent.
Krause, the chairman of the Committee on General Investigating, also demanded that school districts identify “any other books” that may cause “guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex or convey that a student, by virtue of their race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.”
Krause targets top novels:
Krause’s list includes acclaimed books like the Pulitzer Prize-winning William Styron novel, “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” and books like “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “V for Vendetta,” and “The Cider House Rules.”
Krause did not say why he was targeting those books but the list was drawn up amid a Republican blowup over what they call critical race theory.
Krause said in the letter that some school districts already “have removed books from libraries and/or classrooms after receiving objections from students, parents, and taxpayers.”
“Witch hunt”:
The state’s teacher’s union said the letter “smacks of a witch hunt.”
“Rep. Krause’s letter demanding that school superintendents provide him with lists of books dealing with certain subjects on their school bookshelves is disturbing and political overreach into the classroom,” Texas State Teachers Association President Ovidia Molina said in a statement. “What will Rep. Krause propose next? Burning books he and a handful of parents find objectionable?”
