This story has been updated since it was first published on Monday, December 9.

MIDDLEBURY — Two Mary Hogan Elementary School parents/guardians have challenged gender-related instructional materials that are being used to educate kindergarten students at the Middlebury school.

The complaints, according to sources, relate to source material that includes the books “They He She Me: Free to be!” by Maya Christina Gonzales and Matthew Smith Gonzales; “Bodies are Cool” by Tyler Feder; “It Feels Good to Be Yourself” by Theresa Thorn; “Julián is A Mermaid” by Jessica Love; “Introducing Teddy” by Jessica Walton; “Sparkle Boy” by Lesléa Newman; and “Fred Gets Dressed” by Peter Brown.

The Independent was told of a case of a parent requesting their child go to a different room when a study unit known as “Who We Are” is being taught among their peers.

Emily Blistein, director of communications and engagement for the Addison Central School District, confirmed the parents’ challenge of “instructional materials in our classrooms” through a Dec. 9 email exchange with the Independent.

“Challenges to books and other instructional materials come along periodically and are processed carefully,” she wrote.

The challenge of Mary Hogan’s Who We Are material has unleashed bitter arguments and insults hurled primarily through social media.

One of those opposing the school’s program is resident Kimberly Richards, a parent who in a Nov. 28 Facebook post stated, “My daughter started kindergarten this year at Mary Hogan Elementary School. I was nervous as most parents are, but I had no idea that we would become part of an underground hidden agenda type of curriculum at the kindergarten level. Fast forward to today where I feel absolutely sick about what I have uncovered going on at this school.”

Some of her subsequent posts feature memes, including one depicting a child holding a sign reading, “I’m not old enough to drink let alone choose my sexuality or gender. How about you let me enjoy being a child and leave me alone?”

Richards’s Facebook wall also includes numerous posts of a photo of Mary Hogan kindergarten teacher Franny Gould, with a derogatory message superimposed over it.

On the other side of the issue, some members of the Mary Hogan community received a Dec. 6 email from resident Amanda Reinhardt, who encouraged parents to “rally against a small group of parents … spreading misinformation and making hurtful defamatory statements about the teacher, Franny Gould. They have also misrepresented the school principal, Jen Kravitz.”

Reinhardt encouraged parents to write letters to district officials supporting Mary Hogan educators and to “defend this curriculum” by attending one or both of the ACSD board’s Monday, Dec. 9, and Monday, Dec. 16 meetings.

Representatives of the local group MiddPride, as well as members of the transgender community and their allies, packed Monday’s ACSD meeting (see story on Page 1A).

The group, in an Instagram post, stated, “We’re navigating a book ban attempt in our local schools … A few parents are trying to ban books and are resorting to personal attacks against an elementary school teacher to do it. The principal supported the teacher and the books (yay!) and now the decision is being appealed to the superintendent. We expect the decision to ultimately go to the Addison Central School District (ACSD) school board. MiddPride is against book bans and entirely in support of educators teaching kids to read. We love books. Let’s show each other and the school board how many of us are in support of safe and affirming classrooms.”

So where is the appeal of the Who We Are study-unit materials headed?

To ACSD Superintendent Wendy Baker, the fourth rung on a five-step appeals ladder that challengers can negotiate to try and get material pulled.

“Our approach to selecting materials and considering the removal of materials is guided by evidence-based instructional practices, national and Vermont educational standards, and ACSD Board Policy D23 and its supporting procedure,” Blistein said.

According to ACSD Board Policy D23 and its supporting procedure, the district will entertain “reconsideration of inclusion of instructional resources” based on a process calling for:

• An initial meeting between the complainant(s) and the classroom teacher, teaching team and/or department.
• If the issue isn’t resolved that way, then school principal will present the complaint with a “request for reconsideration of instructional materials form.” If there are concerns about multiple items, a separate form must be completed for each item. The complainant has two weeks to complete and submit the form, or “the matter shall be considered closed.”
• Upon receiving the completed reconsideration form, the principal must convene a four-person (minimum) committee to consider the complaint. The committee has up to 30 days to discuss the complaint and suggest ways of remedying it.
• If the complainant isn’t satisfied with the committee outcome, they can appeal to the superintendent, who will undertake a review — including an appeal hearing — and issue a decision.
• If the complainant is still dissatisfied, they can appeal to the school board — in public session.

DISTRICT REVIEW

District officials provided a copy of a “reconsideration of instructional materials review” that had been requested by the two parents, identified in the report as simply “Parent 1” and “Parent 2.” The review — which included a hearing with the parents — was conducted by Principal Jen Kravitz and a Reconsideration Committee that she assembled. That committee included teacher Elizabeth Thacker, Mary Hogan School Nurse Becky Harrell, ACSD Literacy Coordinator Heather Gebo, former Addison County universal preK coordinator Meg Baker and parent Emily Lambert.

Both complainants, according to the completed report, specifically objected to the aforementioned seven books that educators have been reading to Mary Hogan kindergartners.

Parent 1 claimed the students were “too young to understand these complex issues,” said the subject matter “should be taught at home,” said the material went against “her values and beliefs,” and claimed the material “highlights people with differences, and people who are transgender don’t want to stand out.”

Parent 2 outlined concerns about the teachers’ specific book selections, according to the report. Among that parent’s complaints:

• “Bodies Are Cool” includes two babies who are naked.
• “It Feels Good to Be Yourself,” “They He She Me: Free to be!” and “Introducing Teddy” did not align with the family’s religious beliefs.
• “Sparkle Boy” allegedly showed that children that have an imagination “will be bullied.”
• “Fred Gets Dressed” is “confusing to 5-year-olds.”

The committee heard the parents’ complaints and then measured the books’ content based in part on whether it conformed with “relevant ACSD policies”; relevant district, state and national standards; relevant International Baccalaureate program standards; and research from other organizations, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Following its review, the committee recommended that all seven books remain in use as an instructional material for kindergartners.

“All the books that were used were reviewed by reputable sources, such as CommonSense Media, Booklist, Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and the School Library Journal,” the committee stated as part of its report summation. “At least three are award nominees or winners from prominent lists, including the American Library Association and Vermont Department of Libraries Red Clover lists. All are reviewed for age ranges that include 5-year-olds in kindergarten. All were favorably reviewed and determined to be quality literature for children.”

The two parents are now appealing to the Mary Hogan committee’s decision to Superintendent Wendy Baker, their penultimate step in the process.

Meanwhile, the “questioned items will remain in classroom instruction during the reconsideration process,” reads the policy.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Blistein lamented the manner in which the instructional materials dispute has been playing out in social media.

“We are aware that community members have made derogatory personal attacks toward individual ACSD employees on social media over assumptions made about books read as part of a unit in kindergarten,” she said. “We understand and expect differing viewpoints in our community. Even highly emotional disagreements can and should occur respectfully without contributing to an environment that feels personally threatening to our employees.”

Blistein confirmed a public records request for information related to the appeals process, which was expected to yield results by this coming Wednesday.

The Mary Hogan book controversy wasn’t listed on the board’s Dec. 9 meeting agenda, but was discussed at visitors’ comment periods both before and after the panel took care of the business on its plate.

The Independent asked Ilsley Public Library Director Dana Hart to weigh in in the issue as a professional who deals with books and society.

She stressed that Ilsley Library “affirms and upholds” the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read statement, and added all seven book titles being challenged can be found on the shelves of the Middlebury Ilsley.

“Intellectual freedom is a fundamental value of librarianship, and I condemn any attempts at censorship,” she said.

Hart said she believes every library should have a process for requesting reconsideration of library materials, and noted the ACSD has been following its process regarding the Mary Hogan books challenge.

“Different parents will naturally have different thresholds for what they consider appropriate for their own children at any given age, and it is understandable that they may want to have a say in which books their children read,” she said. “As a parent myself, I understand this impulse. Having said that, I believe the individuals best suited to making decisions about the appropriateness of a book for a collective age group are trained youth librarians and early educators. I would defer to their expertise on the age appropriateness of these specific titles in an educational setting.”

WHAT’S IN THE BOOKS

What follows is a brief description of each book that has been part of Mary Hogan School’s “Who We Are” study unit.

“They He She Me: Free to be!” is considered to be one of the first children’s picture books to use a gender-neutral pronoun.

“Bodies are Cool” is described by Penguin Random House as a “picture book (that’s) a pure celebration of all the different human bodies that exist in the world. Highlighting the various skin tones, body shapes, and hair types.”

“It Feels Good to Be Yourself” is a picture book “that introduces the concept of gender identity to the youngest reader,” according to Macmilliam Publishers.

“Julián is A Mermaid” is a picture book telling the story of a boy who wants to become a mermaid and participate in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

“While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fish tails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself?” reads a Penguin Random House description of the book.

“Introducing Teddy,” features Errol and his teddy, Thomas.

“One sunny day, Errol finds that Thomas is sad, even when they are playing in their favorite ways,” reads a description of the book. “Errol can’t figure out why, until Thomas finally tells Errol what the teddy has been afraid to say: ‘In my heart, I’ve always known that I’m a girl teddy, not a boy teddy. I wish my name was Tilly, not Thomas.’ And Errol says, “I don’t care if you’re a girl teddy or a boy teddy! What matters is that you are my friend.’”

“Sparkle Boy,” according to a “Social Justice Books” description of then story, “starts with a common sibling interaction: Casey wants something his older sister has. In this case, it is a sparkly skirt. It becomes a pattern, with Casey drawing inspiration from his sister Jessie’s skirts, nail polish, and jewelry. Each time, Jessie is upset because she believes that these aren’t things that boys should wear or like, but she is reminded by her parents and grandmother that although Casey’s style may be unconventional, it is in no way unacceptable. Finally, at the end of the book, Jessie and Casey’s mother takes them to the library, where Casey is mistaken for a girl and made fun of for dressing the way he does. Jessie stands up for him, echoing what her parents told her when she was unsure about Casey’s choices.”

The book “Fred Gets dressed” is based on author Peter Brown’s childhood memory of going through his mother’s makeup one day and smearing some of it across his cheek. Rather than admonish the child, she showed him how to apply it.

“I love that I felt free to explore and experiment. I love that my mom joined me and encouraged my curiosity,” the author said. “That might be my favorite childhood memory, and I wanted to tell a version of that story in a picture book.”

A patron of the Oakley Public Library in Topeka, Kan., tried to get “Fred Gets Dressed” banned last year. The library board voted unanimously to keep it.