California schools suspend library app after 2nd graders access books featuring rape, explicit language

A school superintendent in Orange County, California, stopped using a library app after it was discovered that second-graders were accessing a book that discussed rape and another that contained other Clear language was used to exclude objectionable topics.

Orange Unified School District Superintendent Edward Velasquez has suspended access to the digital app Sora, notifying parents. In an email On Sunday: “As one of my first actions, I would like to assure our families that the Sora Digital Library app will be suspended district-wide beginning Monday, January 30, while we investigate these concerns. have been brought to my attention regarding this content. The app is available.”

He insisted that virtual libraries should have “adequate safeguards in place to allow parents to choose what they feel is appropriate for their child and to ensure that students have access to such materials.” be protected from age-inappropriate.”

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He added that the school system “cannot allow access to material inappropriate for every child’s grade level.”

As noted by a local California outlet. The Voice of the O.Cone of the books on the hot seat was “The Music of What Happens” by Bill Koenigsberg, which has explicit language, including words like “s—” and “f—“.

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OUSD Interim Superintendent Edward Velasquez, left, listens to public comments during an Orange Unified School District meeting Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, in Orange.
(Photo by Leonard Ortiz/Media News Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

The book also deals with rape and depicts a homosexual relationship between two high school boys.

An Amazon.com description describes protagonist Max as: “Meeting a big kid who makes it hard to breathe, who he doesn’t even want to think about.”

After a concerned parent read excerpts from the book aloud during a Jan. 19 board meeting, board vice president Jose Ortega and board president Rick Ledesma called for the app to be shut down immediately.

“One book was titled ‘Polar Bear in Love.’ The cover is a cheerful, bright blue, and has a simple illustration of a polar bear hugging a seal,” one parent said of another book in question.

As The Voice of the OC put it, one parent told a California school board that the plot involved “asking for a male polar bear.”[ing] To marry a male child’s dowry when he grows up.”

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“It warrants a response. You want your child to listen? This is probably the one time when it’s most important to respond. You all talk about child care. But you talk about education. Let’s cover it up,” Ledesma said. After the parents have discussed the matter.

When reached for comment, Superintendent Velasquez stated that “the Sura app was temporarily suspended pending a staff review to ensure that content accessible to students is age appropriate.”

“Virtual libraries are an important resource for students, and I am working with the staff to ensure that our students have access to a digital library that provides them with grade-level appropriate content. ,” he added.