Patrick to Texas school districts: 'We're coming for your books'

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued a stark warning for school districts that do not remove books that he believes are offensive.

What they're saying:

"We're coming for the books. We ask that you do it on your own and remove these books," Patrick said. "Look at what's in your libraries. Don't bury your head in the sand."

Patrick threatens school districts with punishments over library books

Patrick, in a news conference Wednesday morning, claimed 80% of school districts in the Lone Star State were not complying with Senate Bill 13.

The lieutenant governor suggested that legislation could be filed that would allow for the lowering of a district's accountability score if inappropriate books were allowed to remain on the shelves of school libraries.

What they're saying:

"If these books are not off the shelf, we will pass a law that will knock your grade letter down one," Patrick said.

Patrick later said that even a single book could be enough to trigger punishment for the district.

"You’re damn right that one book is enough to get you degraded by a letter," he said.

State school districts, schools and charter schools are given an A-F rating each year. According to the TEA, each rating uses weighted scores for student achievement, school progress and a measurement called "closing the gaps," which looks at progress to goals among racial and ethnic groups, socioeconomic backgrounds and other factors. The total weighted score is then used to determine the overall score.

State funding could also be on the table as a potential punishment for those districts. Patrick said the state spends around $90 billion on public education every year and that lawmakers have a responsibility for how those tax dollars are spent.

Patrick claims some books in school libraries are inappropriate

Patrick highlighted several young adult books that he said were in public school libraries in the state.

Among those, the graphic novel "Let's Talk About It." The book's publisher describes it as: "Covering relationships, friendships, gender, sexuality, anatomy, body image, safe sex, sexting, jealousy, rejection, sex education, and more, Let’s Talk About It is the go-to handbook for every teen, and the first in graphic novel form."

Bonnie Wallace, a conservative activist who joined Patrick at Wednesday's news conference, claims the book is geared toward 12-year-olds and is published by Random House Children's Books. Wallace said the book was found in 15 school districts and on multiple campuses, though she did not specify which specific districts or campuses had the book.

Wallace, who works for Recover America as its legislative liaison, said she had a list of more than 2,000 books that she deemed inappropriate for school libraries. Recover America is a nonprofit that encourages Christian leadership to get involved in politics.

The other side:

Information from the book's publisher, Penguin Random House, shows the book is published under its Random House Graphic label and recommended for ages 14 and up and grades 9 and up.

Publisher Weekly called it "comprehensive, no-nonsense information on sex and sexuality."

The American Library Association put the book on its 2022 Great Graphic Novels list.

"It normalizes discussion about subject matter that is important but often difficult to explore, and the tone is deeply nonjudgmental and reassuring," ALA's Denise Farley said. "Any teen who may have questions about themselves, their identity, and their body will find a frank and sex-positive resource guide that makes room for necessary conversations."

American Association of Librarians one of ‘most leftist woke groups,’ Patrick says

Patrick also took aim at the American Association of Librarians, calling the group "one of the most leftist woke groups in America"

What they're saying:

"Some superintendents don't know what's on the shelves. Teachers don't know what's on the shelves," Patrick said. "The librarians know. The librarians are the ones responsible."

Patrick went on to call the books in school libraries a move by the left to disrupt families.

"I believe that the left, in many positions they take, on many issues, undermine the family, the issues that they support. These books undermine the family," Patrick said. "If you haven't figured out what the leftist agenda is in America yet, you've been sleeping."

The other side:

Texas Library Association Executive Director Shirley Robinson said the organization has "worked tirelessly" to help school librarians understand and implement the requirements of the law.

"School librarians are trained educators who select materials under collection development policies approved by their local school boards, in accordance with SB 13. Districts have processes in place, as required by SB 13, to review library materials when concerns are raised," Robinson said.

Robinson went on to say that, while parents should decide what their own children read, they should not make that decision for every family.

"Again, as mandated by SB 13, school libraries have extensive processes in place to facilitate parental engagement. School libraries are places of voluntary inquiry, and TLA will continue to advocate for professional librarians, parental involvement and students’ freedom to explore the world through reading," Robinson said.

What is Senate Bill 13?

Dig deeper:

Senate Bill 13 was filed by state Sen. Angela Paxton and allows parents to obtain a written record of all materials checked out from the library where their child attends school. The provision extends to public schools and public charter schools. It was enacted in 2025.

The law adds definitions for "harmful material," "indecent content" and "profane content."

Under SB13, parents can submit a list of materials their child may not check out or otherwise access for use outside the school library.

Among the major changes that SB13 brings is the creation of local school advisory councils to "assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in each school library catalog in the district."

A district is only required to establish an advisory council if it receives a petition from the parents of 10% of enrolled students or 50 parents, whichever is fewer.

The members of the council are appointed by the district's board of trustees and a majority of the voting members should be parents of students in the district but not district employees.

The council is allowed to have non-voting members who are teachers or librarians employed by the district, businesses or clergy.

Districts are required to consider the council's recommendations before adding or removing books and making changes to policies or guidelines.

The bill also allows for public challenges to materials in school libraries. Any challenges would have to come from a parent or guardian of a student in the district, a district employee or a person who lives in the district.

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