‘Handmaid’s Tale,’ ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’: KC area schools now ban these books and more

BY SARAH RITTER UPDATED OCTOBER 03, 2022 9:39 AM

For months now, a handful of books dealing with LGBTQ themes have been targeted by Kansas City area conservative parent groups and politicians. But facing a new Missouri law, some schools have now removed a much wider array of books from library shelves, including “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Watchmen” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

The law, which bans sexually explicit material from schools and went into effect in late August, is tucked into a larger bill addressing sexual assault survivors’ rights. Librarians or other school employees who violate the law could be charged with a misdemeanor, risking up to a year in jail or a $2,000 fine. ... In response, several school libraries have pulled at least 20 book titles in districts on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro, according to reports provided to The Star through open records requests.

The legislation specifically prohibits images in school materials that could be considered sexually explicit, such as depictions of genitals or sex acts. As a result, most of the banned books are graphic novels. The law does provide some exceptions, such as for works of art or science textbooks. ... Proponents argue the legislation will protect children from inappropriate content and indoctrination.

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Kansas City area school districts, including Independence, instructed staff to remove books determined to have sexually explicit content following a new Missouri law. The list in Independence includes “Watchmen” and “Slaughterhouse-Five,” according to a presentation obtained by The Star. Independence school district

BOOKS PULLED FROM SHELVES

In Independence, district administrators instructed staff to remove a dozen graphic novels from library shelves that they determined had sexually explicit content. ... They included Kurt Vonnegut’s American classic “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Watchmen” by Alan Moore, “Blankets” by Craig Thompson and “Home After Dark” by David Small, according to a presentation to staff obtained by The Star.

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This story was originally published October 3, 2022 5:30 AM.

SARAH RITTER Sarah Ritter covers K-12 education for The Kansas City Star. Formerly a reporter for the Quad-City Times, Sarah is a graduate of Augustana College.

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