Greg Abbott has demanded an investigation into 'pornographic books' at school libraries in Texas amid a growing anger over sexually explicit novels being made available to children across the country.
In a letter on Wednesday, the Texas governor called on the state's education agency to notify him of any 'instance of pornography being provided to minors under the age of 18 for prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.'
It came after Abbott warned in previous letter, sent on Monday, that Texas parents were 'rightfully outraged' about the availability of inappropriate books in schools, citing both Gender Queer: A Memoir and In The Dream House, which he said contain 'pornographic drawings' and descriptions of 'overtly sexual acts' respectively.
Gender Queer was removed from school libraries by a Fort Worth school district last week following complaints by parents that it was obscene.
The same novel sparked fury in Florida last month when a man was removed from a school board meeting when he began reading vulgar extracts - including graphic descriptions of sex, masturbation and strap-ons.
A growing movement is seeing parents across the country demand the removal of sexually explicit novels from school libraries, leading to verbal clashes at school board meetings and the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to compare the protestors to domestic terrorists - for which it was forced to apologize.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called on the state's Education Agency to launch an investigation and notify him of any 'instance of pornography being provided to minors under the age of 18 for prosecution to the fullest extent of the law' (Pictured: Abbott at a National Rifle Association rally in 2018)
It comes after a suburban Fort Worth school district said last week that it had removed the controversial book Gender Queer: A Memoir (pictured), from its school library following complaints by parents that it was obscene
In a previous letter sent on Monday, Governor Abbott cited In The Dream House (pictured), by Carmen Maria Machado, which chronicles an abusive same-sex relationship, as an example of a novel of concern
Joe Biden's Attorney General Merrick Garland also came under fire last month when he instructed Justice Department divisions to coordinate with local law enforcement to protect school board members from 'violence and threats of violence' amid the growing uproar.
In the letter addressed to Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath on Wednesday, Abbott wrote: 'I am directing the Texas Education Agency to investigate any criminal activity in our public schools involving the availability of pornography.'
He added: 'The presence of pornography in schools is not only inappropriate, but it is also against the law.
'In Texas, it is illegal to provide pornography to anyone under the age of 18 according to Section 43.24 of the Texas Penal Code.
'The fact that pornographic material that serves no educational purpose has been made available to students in Texas public schools is a clear violation of the law.'
In the previous letter to the TEA on Monday, Abbott ordered the education agency, along with the State Library and Archives Commission and the state Board of Education, to immediately develop standards 'to ensure no child is exposed to pornography' in schools.
He cited both Gender Queer: A Memoir, by Maia Kobabe, and In The Dream House, by Carmen Maria Machado, which chronicles an abusive same-sex relationship, as examples of concern.
Gender Queer, he noted, was removed from schools in the Keller Independent School District due to its 'pornographic drawings', while In The Dream House was one of several to be removed by the Leander Independent School District for its 'overtly sexual and pornographic acts'.
He warned that a growing number of parents of Texas students are 'rightfully outraged about highly inappropriate books and other content in public school libraries.'
He wrote: 'The most disturbing cases include material that is clearly pornographic, which has absolutely no place in the Texas public education system.'
The governor demanded better standards be adopted when choosing reading materials for students.
'These standards must ensure transparency about the materials being taught in the classroom and offered in school libraries,' he said.
'They must also ensure that our schools have an appropriate and transparent process, which includes parents and community members, to vet school and library materials before they are used.'
Abbott's latest intervention comes as he faces re-election next year, where he will be challenged by more conservative candidates.
The Texas Education Agency told Reuters, after receiving Abbott's first letter on Monday, that it takes his complaints seriously and that it would comply.
The state's Library and Archives Commission said it looked forward to working with the education agency and board of education 'to support our students and their families.'
Dailymail.com has contacted the TEA for comment.
In an opinion piece in the Washington Post last month, Kobabe, author of Gender Queer: A Memoir, noted the book had been targeted by school districts in a number of states.
She wrote: 'Removing or restricting queer books in libraries and schools is like cutting a lifeline for queer youth, who might not yet even know what terms to ask Google to find out more about their own identities, bodies and health.'
It comes after journalist and Inforwars collaborator Jacob Engel, 27, was removed from a meeting of the Orange County School Board in Florida on October 27 when he began reading vulgar snippets from Kobabe's book.
In a video shared online, chair of the board Teresa Jacobs is heard instructing police officers to remove Engel.
'I'm going to read a passage of a book that's floating around in your schools that has been banned from many other schools,' Engels begins saying.
'As a member of the LGBT community, the fact that this is floating around for children as young as ninth grade is concerning,' he added.
He then reads from the book: 'Fast forward, we've been dating for two months. We've made out. We've had sex. We moved down the sex thing at work...'
Engel goes on to read an explicit part of the text that discusses 'strap-ons' and other sexual devices and imagery.
'Sir, I appreciate...' Jacobs says in an attempt to make Engels stop reading.
'I'd like to continue reading,' Engel replies and keeps on reading an even more detailed sexual account from the book.
'Mr. Engels, you're out of order. Remove him from the chambers,' Jacobs says as other attendees protest.
Engels is eventually removed from the meeting.
Alicia Farrant, a member of Moms For Liberty and the person who recorded the video, is heard saying: 'No way.'
Jacob Engel, 27 was removed from the board meeting after he read an excerpt from 'Gender Queer: A memoir'
Four copies of the 'Gender Queer' by Maia Kobabe were in three of the Orange County School Board's 22 high schools
Journalist and Inforwars collaborator Jacob Engel (right), 27, was removed from a meeting of the Orange County School Board in Florida on October 27 when he began reading vulgar snippets of Kobabe's book
She adds that the problem is precisely that school officials don't know the content made available for children when Jacobs tries to defend herself saying she had never heard of the book.
'I understand the contradiction here. This is the first time I've heard of this and the board has heard of this. We will look into it, and I do hope the book is removed. OK?' Jacobs said.
'And if not, we'll be back here having this conversation again, but I can guarantee you, I did not know that book was in the library,' she added.
Four copies of the book were in three of the board's 22 high schools.
OCPS Director of Media Relations Shari Bobinski said in a statement that the book was removed from the schools' libraries, FOX reported.
Bobinski wrote: 'The School Board was unaware this book was available in school media centers. At this time, the book is not on library shelves and is under review.
'If anyone has a concern about materials or books found in our media centers or in our classrooms, Orange County Public Schools has a process in place for parents or guardians to submit a form to the school principal to address a concern.'
That same week, mother-of-six Stacey Langton, who is leading the fight against pornographic novels in schools, claimed to Fox News’ Fox & Friends that federal agents and unmarked law enforcement vehicles were seen outside a board meeting of the Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia a week earlier.
Langton claimed that there was a heavy federal law enforcement presence just days after she and others protested outside the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.
She made the allegation as Attorney General Garland was accused of treating Fairfax County parents protesting aspects of the school curriculum as 'domestic terrorists'.
The Biden administration’s top prosecutor came under fire over a directive the Justice Department issued in early October promising more law enforcement resources for schools amid a rise in tensions and threats at school board meetings over matters like critical race theory, coronavirus precautions and transgender bathroom policies.
Sen. Tom Cotton (left) questioned AG Merrick Garland (right) last month over a DOJ memo promising to address a 'rise in crime' at school board meetings
In his memo Garland said there had been 'a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation´s public schools.'
While Garland never mentioned or referred to parents as terrorists, his memo came after the National School Boards Association sent a letter to Biden asking for help.
The letter claimed that clashes between the school board and parents could amount to 'domestic terrorism'.
Langton, however, believes she and other parents are being targeted by the feds and says she has received death threats in response to the protests.
'I have threats against my children by name, I have been followed in my car with my children, they have my vehicle, they know where I live, and I don’t know who's putting somebody up to this, but it's obviously meant to intimidate me,' said Langton.
'I'm not getting a lot of sleep right now, nobody’s sleeping in my house because we can’t be sure that we’re safe,' she said.
'So, I understand Merrick Garland is actually testifying today at the Senate and he’s gonna talk about mobilizing the FBI against parents.
'Maybe he should mobilize the FBI into who’s threatening my family.'
Langton posted a tweet on Friday showing a marked Department of Homeland Security vehicle that was operated by the DHS’s Federal Protective Service, the agency unit responsible for safeguarding federal properties.
'Went to @fcpsnews (Fairfax County Public Schools) #schoolboardmeeting last night,' Langton wrote in the caption of a tweet.
'Heavy #Fed presence. Unmarked fed vehicles, @DHSgov vehicles, even helicopter circling overhead with spotlight on Moms & Dads.
'All on the night #DOJ Merrick Garland testifies. A little over the top, no?'
Other internet users, however, claimed that the photo Langton posted was of Gallows Road, a busy intersection in Fairfax County, and that it was not of parked cars outside the school board meeting.
Langton claimed that federal agents and unmarked law enforcement vehicles were seen outside a board meeting of the Fairfax County Public Schools. Langton said that there was a heavy federal law enforcement presence just days after she and others protested outside the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. But the image that she posted appears to show flowing traffic near where the school board meeting was held
Social media users also noted that northern Virginia is home to several federal buildings, and it is not uncommon to see federal law enforcement personnel driving by.
The school board meetings are usually held in a location on Gallows Road, but the image Langton posted appears to be that of flowing traffic, and not a parking lot as she suggested.
'This is something that is incredible in America and it’s ridiculously un-American,' Langton told Fox & Friends of the alleged law enforcement presence.
DailyMail.com reached out to Langton, the Fairfax County Public Schools, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice seeking comment.
Langton last month forced FCPS to remove two books from school libraries, including an illustrated memoir that contains explicit illustrations of sexual encounters involving children.
She questioned the school board at a public meeting in September about the books’ availability in high school libraries.
As she quoted from explicit passages in the book, a school board member interrupted her and chastised her for using explicit language.
Another school board member defended the books by saying they are available only in high school libraries, not in grade schools.
The school system then announced that it was pulling Gender Queer: A Memoir and Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison from circulation pending a more detailed review.
Gender Queer, an illustrated memoir, contains explicit illustrations of oral sex and masturbation.
The novel Lawn Boy contains graphic descriptions of sex between men and children.
Both books were previous winners of the American Library Association's Alex Awards, which each year recognize 'ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18.'
The controversy is the latest to befuddle Fairfax County's school board, and other across Virginia and the country as conservative parents object to masks in schools, anti-racism curriculum, and policy changes requiring transgender students be referred to by their preferred pronouns.
Republicans say Garland went too far in instructing Justice Department divisions to coordinate with local law enforcement.
An accompanying news release had mentioned the FBI, the department´s criminal division, national security division, civil rights division and other departments.
'The obligation of the Justice Department is to protect the American people against violence and threats of violence and that particularly includes public officials,' Garland said.
Meanwhile, the NSBA has since apologized for comparing parents to domestic terrorists.
'As you all know, there has been extensive media and other attention recently around our letter to President Biden regarding threats and acts of violence against school board members,' the NSBA wrote in a memo.
'We wanted to write to you directly to address this matter.'
'On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for the letter,' the NSBA said, noting that 'there was no justification for some of the language included in the letter.'
The NSBA had called for the use of measures like the PATRIOT Act, which is typically used to address terrorism.
Sen. Tom Cotton tore into Garland during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the end of October, telling him to 'resign in disgrace.'
'Thank God you are not on the Supreme Court,' the Arkansas Republican said, bringing up the touchy subject of Garland's failed confirmation to the high court in 2016. President Obama appointed him and then-Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked his confirmation because it was an election year.
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