the book band debate was back in the spotlight at one of the school districts where the culture war first erupted the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Board of Education met last night to reconsider let's talk about it a piece of literature that's been in the crosshairs of parental rights Advocates and a senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports those on both sides of the issue use the meeting as one last chance to take a stand audience members cheered after the North Hunterdon-Voorhees School Board voted 7 to four to keep let's talk about it on the Shelf at its high school defeating a formal Challenge from opponents who wanted to ban The Illustrated teen Guide to Sex calling it obscene emotions ran high for and against Kinks and Fantasies on page 164 encourages miners to search the internet for strangers to share their Kinks and sexual fantasies with why would we put our miners in danger I wish I had had a book like this because the sex education that I got was from discarded Playboy magazines and the comments my friends made on the bus are on the way home right to read proponents turned out in force arguing the book offers solid gender inclusive advice to kids whose smartphones could give them access to the wrong kind of information please see this for what it is removing books from the public sphere because a small minority finds them indecent is abs absolutely a book ban if you allow it to happen it will be a smear on the reputation of this board and this district and history won't treat it kindly I actually was surprised um because as I said going into it we didn't think we were going to be able to prevent them from moving the book um I consider it a huge Victory activist Mike gosman's leading a counter offensive against the organized political effort to ban certain books in New Jersey school districts and across the and now we can show other boards in the state that you know this one didn't remove it so you need to think twice Martha Hixon the North Hunterdon-Voorhees in librarian who had refused to pull let's talk about it from circulation endured blistering attacks and online bullying supporters rallied to her defense those people who are role models who are bullies and who bully our librarian in Facebook like you know they have been doing that those people are wrong so it was a real nailbiter uh leading up to the vote in the end after the vote Hixon felt Vindicated but also I feel um exhausted in every way that it's possible to be exhausted physically mentally emotionally um but simultaneously extremely gratified uh at the outcome and uh so so thankful for the community that I have surrounding me the board had debated whether a ban could withstand legal challenges and while most members felt the book would not be considered obscene under current US Supreme Court guidelines others disagreed when you look at this and you take the pictures from this book this is clearly what it sees this is clearly what it shows the book has been vetted it it's been found to not be obscene uh it's been approved by you know National organizations to to to come to the district and then it's reviewed by our Administration and our librarian to be part of the library I I don't think we can make decisions when we're not the professionals the board does not have the right to remove a book from a library just because people have an opinion about that material North Hunterdon-Voorhees Vorhees followed its own guidelines to vet the book and reach a decision but an amended right to read bill will soon try to codify that protocol for New Jersey district Statewide according to sponsor Senator Andrew zwicker it'll also let Librarians seek Court protection from personal attacks any Community member has the right to challenge a book they've had that right in the past they will continue to have that right after this bill becomes law but the treatment of librarians and Library support Personnel is unacceptable and that has to stop zwicker expect expect the bill to come up for debate in mid June I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight News NJ Spotlight News