Cherry Hill school superintendent assures residents: No permission slips required for library books

From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

Cherry Hill Public Schools Superintendent Kwame R. Morton Sr. clarified during Tuesday night’s school board meeting that there is no district-wide policy on students checking out library books or any attempt by officials to restrict certain books.

“I want everybody to hear it very clearly: the district is not seeking to censor or ban any books,” he said. “That has not been a discussion with the board. We have not discussed any policy around that,” he said.

Morton’s missive was in response to concerns about a memo sent to school librarians, dated Oct. 31, which was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In the document, Allison Staffin, director of curriculum and instruction for the school district, detailed how school librarians should handle books with sensitive material. It lacked specifics on what types of content should be deemed sensitive. The memo caused an uproar among community members.

Morton also said that there is no policy in effect requiring students to turn in a permission slip to check out certain materials. He said there have been  discussions among officials to create “a consistent process for how books are vetted for age appropriateness in our school libraries.”

Morton sent out a letter Friday to parents clarifying the district’s stance, but he said he wanted to address it “head on” during the board meeting.

Several residents still voiced their concerns. They urged officials to back away from implementing any policy that would limit students’ access to reading materials.

“One of the reasons we really love this school district is its commitment to freedom to read, and its written policies on access to materials,” said Matthew Brinn, who has a fifth grader in the district. “Should a policy like that or a procedure like that be reintroduced, I humbly ask this board of education to guide the administration away from that procedure.”

Aubri Townsend, another parent, said she was “alarmed” when she learned of the memo. But, she was “very happy” to hear Morton’s assurance that the district doesn’t have a book ban or a permission slip policy at this time. She said she still would like to ensure that the district does not adopt a policy restricting access to books.

“Having access to a variety of books is extremely important,” she said. “Reading about differing perspectives and our own life experiences helps build empathy and community, which is something the Cherry Hill community strives for.”

Jill Roth-Gutman, a child welfare attorney, spoke against the idea of permission slips based on her experience in dealing with high-conflict custody cases, “where even asking for one parent’s signature could spark another round of conflict, emotional harm, or even more litigation.”

“A policy like this could stall or block access to books,” she said. “It creates unnecessary barriers, mailing forms, tracking down absent parents and delaying the learning.”

Morton told the board that he met with the district’s media specialists. He said they shared with him a protocol to ensure that book designation was consistent across the board.

Soon, parents will be able to visit an individual school’s website to see all books available in that library, he said. Morton said that it would be a wonderful opportunity for families to engage in conversations about books that children are interested in.

“We believe that provides great family structure,” he said. “Any concerns that families have about whether to choose a book or whether or not to choose a book, that’s a family prerogative and we respect that wholeheartedly.”