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UJCVP Responds to Concerns Anne Frank would be banned in Hampton Schools

On April 22, 2023, The Daily Press published an article detailing how Hampton City Schools, in addition to others in Virginia, have created lists of books found to contain “sexually explicit content” as described in Senate Bill 656, which passed the state legislature last year. The list included a number of Holocaust related books, including The Diary of Anne Frank, The Book Thief, Number the Stars and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The updated Instructional Materials Policy requires teachers to send notices before these materials are taught, warning families that they contain sexually explicit content and giving the option to use an alternative reading.

The UJCVP mobilized to respond and organized a delegation to attend the Hampton School Board meeting. At the meeting, the UJCVP Vice President Steve Shapiro in his public comment asked, “What is the value of misconstruing the content of a book? Silencing the history of the Holocaust has potentially dangerous outcomes, not to mention the message this sends to the many minority students who attend Hampton public schools. Practices such as these have proven to be dangerous in periods of history, such as the Holocaust, and we must learn from and about these periods in history.”

Responding to Senate Bill 656, Shapiro shared that “each reader of the statute and its definition is different; it appears vague on purpose, intending to isolate titles focused on certain topics. Reading is a foundational skill critical for future learning, complex thinking, and the ability for today’s students to become active participants in society in the future.”

The UJCVP convened a productive meeting with senior leadership from Hampton City Schools to discuss its policy and share concerns about how it can impact Holocaust education in the school. Understanding that the district must remain compliant with Senate Bill 656, the district recognized our concerns and committed to take the following actions:

  • The district has eliminated the rating system that categorizes books as having “mild,” “moderate,” or “explicit” sexual content.
  • The list of books containing sexual content will be removed from the Language Arts page on the website pending a full review of the books on the list.
  • This summer, the district will organize teams to review every book on the list, grading the books against a rubric and noting the pages where sexual content is included.
  • The district will create resources to support educators in implementing this new policy that discourages educators from choosing not to use books on the list.
  • The district will reconvene with the UJCVP again in the fall to review. We applaud the school district for responding to our concern with seriousness and committing to meaningful steps that are compliant with the legal code.