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A new Pennsylvania school board president was sworn into her position on Monday with her hand on a stack of controversial books, one of which included sexually explicit content.
Karen Smith, a Democrat who was re-elected to the school board on Nov. 7, was sworn in on Dec. 4 as the new Central Bucks school board president after a vote by the board. As Smith walked up to the podium to be sworn in, her husband followed her with a stack of books.
"Thank you for your trust in me. I do not take this hand lightly. I feel it as a very heavy responsibility, and you have my word, I will do my best for everyone," Smith said. "To my supporters, I am so very thankful. To those of you who have challenged me, I will do all I can to hear your voices and concerns."
Screenshot of Karen Smith, a Democrat who was sworn in as the new Central Bucks school board president at the Central Bucks School Board meeting on Dec. 4, 2023.
The ceremony is part of an annual process that allows the board to name a new president and vice president as well as perform other essential duties.
Smith's ceremony was reportedly accompanied by a tailgate party that happened before the ceremony.
One of the books Smith placed her hand on is "Flamer," written by award-winning author and artist Mike Curato. Released in 2020, Curato's work is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel set in 1995. It tells the story of a character who is bullied at a Boy Scouts summer camp for "acting in a manner considered stereotypical of gay men." The graphic novel includes characters discussing pornography, erections, masturbation, penis size, and an illustration that depicts naked teenage boys.
"Flamer" was written by award-winning author and artist Mike Curato and released in 2020. (Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks)
The book courted controversy across the country, making the American Library Association's list as one of the most "banned books" of 2022. The book has reportedly been challenged in at least 62 schools for its LGBTQ content and sexually explicit material.
According to Phillyburbs, the other books included in the stack that Smith placed her hand on when being sworn in were "Night," written by Elie Wiesel; "The Bluest Eye," written by Toni Morrison; Donna Gephart’s "Lily and Dunkin," and George M. Johnson’s "All Boys Aren’t Blue."
Silvi Haldipur, one of the speakers during the public comment period and a mom of two boys in Central Bucks School District said that two years ago she was "horrified" by LGBTQ and antisemitic remarks made in the boardroom.
Screenshot of Silvi Haldipur, a mom of two boys in Central Bucks School District, at the ceremony. She was one of the speakers during the public comment period at the Central Bucks School board meeting on Dec, 4.
"This community banded together and stood up against the hate," she said.
"In front of me are the most beautiful souls," she said. Addressing the "new board majority," she added that "real meaningful change is coming."
Smith’s swearing-in ceremony along with four new Democratic members who won the election, will now give the board a Democratic majority.
On the same day as the ceremony, the newly elected members and Smith voted to freeze two policies related to library books that passed last year along with other policies.
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Last year, the board voted to update a Library Materials policy that allows residents to challenge books and sets criteria for the selection and removal of a book. Critics contended that the policy targeted the LGBTQ community and people of color.
The board also voted to freeze a policy that restricted transgender athletes from competing in sports and a policy that banned teachers from engaging in "advocacy activities" in the classroom – a move most claimed was aimed at the Pride flag and that garnered attention from the ACLU, who claimed that it violated the civil rights of LGBTQ students and their supporters.
Central Bucks School District presides over 23 schools and 17,570 students.
Smith did not immediately respond for comment.
Fox News' Kristine Parks contributed to this story.
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