An assistant principal said Tuesday that 8-year-olds should be able to access books “referencing pornography and dirty magazines” during a hearing before a school board in Florida.
Terwilliger Elementary School Assistant Principal Garrett Jones was grilled on whether sexual literature should be allowed in schools after the book “Melissa,” featuring a transgender fourth grader, sparked backlash among Alachua County Public Schools, according to a petition about the hearing.
“So you think an eight-year-old would be an appropriate age to be reading about pornography and dirty magazines from school?” one woman asked Jones.
Jones first attempted to dodge the question, stating that “it would open up a conversation that we would have” when asked whether he would find it appropriate if his children brought home the LGBT book. He said that he voted “for the 3 to 5 age group” to be able to access the material, clarifying that children ages 8 to 12 consisted of that demographic.
The book “Melissa” was located and temporarily removed from the K-5 library at the elementary school, the petition stated. Objectors of the material cited excerpts about underwear, male genitalia and “dirty magazines” as justification for its removal.
“Melissa” is about a boy named George who identifies as a girl named Melissa, according to a description of the book on Amazon. The young boy wants to play a female role in a school play despite being told by his teacher that boys cannot audition for female roles.
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