Menomonie Reconsideration Committee votes to retain all 5 books

On October 21 the School District of the Menomonie Area will have a meeting of the Reconsideration Committee to discuss another request to have books removed from the district libraries. The agenda follows:

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE MENOMONIE AREA 
NOTICE OF A MEETING OF THE SDMA RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE 
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE CENTER 215 PINE AVENUE E., MENOMONIE, WISCONSIN 
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2024, 4:00 P.M. 

*It will be left up to the committee to determine whether public comments will be allowed at the meeting. Written public comments received by the district ([email protected]) before 12:00 pm on Friday, October 18, 2024 will be shared with the committee. 

AGENDA 

I. OPENING ITEMS 

A. Call to Order 

B. Roll Call and Introduction of Committee Members 

C. Review of the Reconsideration Process

II. REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION 

A. Reconsideration Requests 

   1. It Feels Good to Be Yourself (Theresa Thorn) 

   2. Love Makes a Family (Sophie Beer) 

   3. What's Gender Identity (Katie Kawa) 

   4. Rainbow Revolutionaries (Sarah Prager) 

   5. ABC of Gender Identity (Helsel, et al) Note that some of these books have come before the committee previously. According to the policy books need to be approved for consideration by the committee if they have been reconsidered within the past year. The repeated books were considered more than one year ago. The complainant was Josie Pillman, who supported removing the books from the library.

B. Presentation by the Complainant (if requested by the complainant) 

C. Public Comment from Citizens and Professional Personnel (as determined by the committee) Comments were accepted from the community on the same basis as comments are accepted in school board meetings. Each speaker was allowed three minutes. 

III. DELIBERATION/ACTION BY THE COMMITTEE 

   A. Committee members may discuss the reconsideration requests and any information related to the materials in question. 

   B. By majority vote of the members present, the reconsideration committee will decide to: 

      1. Retain the material under reconsideration for general student use. 

      2. Make material available on a limited basis for specific classroom use. 

      3. Make material available at a specific level- elementary, middle, or high school. 

      4. Make the material under consideration no longer available in the district for general student use. 

A motion was made to use option A and retain all of the books for general use. It was approved unanimously by voice vote. 

IV. ADJOURNMENT 

   A. Action to Adjourn 

The agenda as noted above was posted more than twenty-four hours prior to the meeting date. The most up-to-date agenda information is available on the district website. This agenda is posted at the Menomonie Area School District Administrative Services Center, and on the district website at www.sdmanonline.com under the School Board link.