The review of the controversial sexual education book “Sex is a Funny Word,” at Keene Memorial Library has been delayed, because the only copy of the tome has not been returned by a local mother who complained about the text.
Laura England-Biggs, library director for Keene Memorial Library, said local mother Sandra Murray still has the lone copy of “Sex is a Funny Word” in her possession, and without the book, she cannot review it as requested by Murray.
“The clock doesn’t start (on a book review) until I have the material in my hands,” England-Biggs said on Thursday, Jan. 5, referring to the library’s policy on the timeline for a review of contested material. “So far, the material has been withheld from me.”
The controversy over the sex education book aimed at children ages 7 to 10 years old began at the Dec. 27 meeting of the Fremont City Council. At the meeting, Murray and her daughter spoke about how they opposed five books found in the children’s section of the library that dealt with sex education as well as LGBTQ themes and issues.
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The day after the meeting, Dec. 28, Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg, City Administrator Jody Sanders and Library Advisory Board President Linda McClain met with England-Biggs about the books in question. The group reached a mutual decision to relocate “Sex is a Funny Word” and six other common sex education and puberty tomes from the children’s section to the adult section of the library.
On Thursday, Dec. 29, four of the five books that Murray and her daughter complained about were returned to the library, but Murray kept the copy of “Sex is a Funny Word,” saying she did not want children to see or read the explicit and graphic contents of it.
Murray also filed, on Dec. 29, an official “contested” material complaint form with library officials, seeking the total removal and banning of “Sex is a Funny Word” from the library altogether.
Murray told the Fremont Tribune on Jan. 5 that she’d ordered a copy of “Sex is a Funny Word” and had it shipped to the library so England-Biggs could review the book per her request. England-Biggs said library staff had also ordered a new copy of the book, but it would take two months for that edition to be delivered.
“The whole issue is, don’t have sexually perverse books in the library,” Murray added. “They need to remove that book.”
Another controversy that erupted from Murray’s comments to the city council on Dec. 27 was her statements alleging that she had “addressed” the presence and her objection to the sexually explicit books specifically with McClain.
In her comments, Murray named McClain and attributed comments about the books in question to the former city council member and longtime library volunteer.
“This issue has already been addressed with Linda McClain, the library director,” Murray told the council on Dec. 27, comments that are recorded and posted online to YouTube by the city staff. “(Linda) said she felt the content was important and would appeal to certain groups in the community.”
On Jan. 3, McClain contacted the Fremont Tribune, denying she had ever spoken or otherwise communicated with Murray about the books in question and said Murray’s statements to the council were totally false.
“I have since reviewed this video and continue to be bothered by my alleged words. It’s upsetting that anyone can make comments in this portion of a meeting and have them accepted as fact, and part of a permanent YouTube recording,” McClain wrote in an email to the Fremont Tribune.
“For the record, I am not the director of the library. I am President of the Keene Memorial Library Board, an advisory board. I am a volunteer and have dedicated hundreds of hours of my time over the past two years to raising money for a much-needed update of our library for long-term betterment of the Fremont area. I have never had a conversation with Sandra Murray regarding anything related to Keene Memorial Library.”
McClain said she only knows Murray as the owner of a women’s clothing store — Fia and Belle — located in downtown Fremont, a business she has shopped at.
“My only contact with her has been as an occasional customer in her downtown store. In these brief encounters, Mrs. Murray has never mentioned the library, or any issues she has with any sexually explicit books in the children’s area,” McClain added. “Had she done so, I would have listened, referred her to our professional library staff, and made her aware of the process for reconsideration of library materials.”
McClain said because the false comments about her were recorded on the city’s YouTube video of the meeting, false information was being spread about her which she felt needed to be corrected.
On Jan. 5, Murray contacted the Fremont Tribune and said after reviewing her actions in regard to the books, she realized she had never spoken to McClain and that the comments she attributed to McClain in her Dec. 27 speech were not accurate nor said by McClain.
Murray explained that when she became aware of the sexually explicit books, she discussed them with an unnamed acquaintance who is involved with the library in some manner. That woman, who Murray would not identify, reportedly spoke to library officials.
England-Biggs confirmed those comments by Murray, telling the Tribune that a person — who she also refused to identify — that is involved in the library’s renovation project had relayed Murray’s concerns to library staff.
Murray issued an apology to McClain on Jan. 5.
“I got my names mixed up. I did not know who my friend talked to,” Murray added. “But, I did apologize to Linda. I was mistaken and I am sorry I caused (Linda) any grief. I did not talk to (Linda) directly, but thought I had ‘addressed’ it with the library staff. I just want them to get rid of the creepy books.”
While Murray was focused mainly on the book “Sex is a Funny Word,” she also presented four other LGBTQ-themed books she objected to at the Dec. 27 council meeting. When Spellerberg met with library officials seeking books relocated, the four LGBT tomes were left in the children’s section.
Now, Murray would like the mayor to meet with library staff and have the four LGBT books moved, too, she said on Jan. 5.
England-Biggs said she was aware of the new request from Murray to relocate the four LGBT books, but no action has been taken on those as of Jan. 5.
“Those books were never brought to the mayor’s attention,” England-Biggs added. “At the time, he did not understand they do not fall into the same category as the others.”
England-Biggs said the seven books relocated in late December are classified as sexual education or puberty and reproductive learning books. The LGBT-themed books are not in the same category, she noted, and those decisions are made internally by trained, professional librarians.
In addition to relocating “Sex is a Funny Word,” six other sex education books were moved to the adult section of the library: “The Every Body Book,” “Who Has What: All About Girls and Boys Bodies,” “It is So Amazing! A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies and Families,” “The Girls Guide to Growing Up: Choices and Changes in the Tween Years,” “The Boys Guide to Growing Up: Choices and Changes During Puberty,” and a tome titled, “It’s Not the Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends.”
The LGBTQIA books Murray and her daughter complained about included the titles, “It Feels Good to Be Yourself, “10,000 Dresses,” “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” and “A Tale of Two Dads.” Those four books are still in the children’s section of the library as of Jan. 5.
As far as the review of “Sex is a Funny Word,” England-Biggs said she will follow the city-mandated process for review once she gets a copy of the book.
Under library policy, a review can last at most 15 business days after the review of the book begin.
England-Biggs then renders a decision on whether to keep the book or remove it. If her decision is contested by Murray, Murray has 10 business days to appeal that to the library advisory board. The library board would then read the book before placing an item on their meeting agenda to take possible action on the request.
