{"id":11572125,"date":"2025-07-22T14:40:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T18:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/?p=11572125"},"modified":"2025-07-22T15:23:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T19:23:54","slug":"ban-of-flamer-from-school-libraries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/07\/22\/ban-of-flamer-from-school-libraries\/","title":{"rendered":"Harford school board’s removal of ‘Flamer’ from school libraries sparks protest and some support"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harford County\u2019s school board sparked outrage after removing \u201cFlamer,\u201d a young adult graphic novel that\u2019s been the target of nationwide debate, from school libraries.<\/p>\n

Fifty-five people signed up to speak at Monday night’s school board meeting after the local chapter of Together We Will \u2014 a national group supporting grassroots progressive activism \u2014 in particular urged residents to voice their opposition to the book ban.<\/p>\n

The board plans to set up an informational and listening session in light of the protests, said board President Aaron Poynton, who was also reelected to his position by a 9-1 vote<\/a> at Monday’s meeting.<\/p>\n

“Flamer” is a 2020 semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato, who drew on his experience growing up gay and Filipino-American, as he told the independent National Catholic Reporter<\/a>. The book delves into a teen boy’s summer at a scout camp in 1995 before heading to a Catholic high school and struggling with his sexuality, among other topics.<\/p>\n

Harford’s school board voted June 26 to remove the book, overturning the school system’s approval of “Flamer” for middle-school and high-school libraries. It’s the board’s first such move after the school system launched a Library Materials Reconsideration committee last spring.<\/a><\/p>\n

The county’s chapter of Together We Will said: “Hate has come to Harford County. … This is an example of not listening to the professionals, and substituting personal bias or discomfort in place of professional expertise to the detriment and harm to students who are feeling isolated and bullied, for whom this book may be a lifeline.”<\/p>\n

Poynton defended the ban in a lengthy statement in which he listed the book’s sexually explicit expletives and acknowledged the varying opinions about the book’s removal.<\/p>\n

“This was the first formal appeal under the newly finalized book review procedure \u2014 a process nearly two years in the making, developed with input from staff, board members, and members of the public. The decision we made will likely set precedent for future challenges, and we recognize the importance of clarity,” Poynton wrote in the statement.<\/p>\n

He also countered claims the ban was done in secret, because, he said, the new procedures were developed over the course of a year and invited public comment.<\/p>\n

“This was among the most transparent procedures developments (Harford County Public Schools) has conducted,” Poynton said, explaining all appeals to the school board are made in closed session in order to protect the petitioner’s privacy.<\/p>\n

Poynton extended the public comment period at Monday’s meeting from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. He also said in his online statement the board hopes to revise book review procedures to allow for more nuance, lamenting that the board was forced “into a binary decision: Either keep the book in middle and high school libraries or to remove it.”<\/p>\n

Many who spoke at Monday’s meeting urged the board to reconsider the removal.<\/p>\n

Kurt Doan, president of Upper Chesapeake Bay Pride Foundation, said: “For many LGBTQIA+ students, ‘Flamer’ is a lifeline, showing that they’re not alone in their struggles with identity, bullying, and self-acceptance. This validation is critical for their mental health and sense of belonging. … ‘Flamer’ directly addresses themes of suicidal ideation, bullying and finding hope.”<\/p>\n

He also told the board members who voted for the ban: “If parents don’t want their kids to read this book, there’s an established process, and you know that.”<\/p>\n

Several librarians from Aberdeen and North Harford high schools spoke against the ban and the Harford County NAACP released a statement referencing the 2024 Maryland Freedom to Read Act, “which prohibits the removal or exclusion of school library materials solely on the basis of an author\u2019s background or partisan, ideological, or religious disapproval.”<\/p>\n

“At the core of the FRA is the idea that a small subset of people should not be able to dictate what books are made available in the school library to an entire community. Yet this is what just happened, and it happened over the thoughtful review of fellow citizens charged with evaluating challenged material,” the NAACP statement said.<\/p>\n

Other speakers who said they were with Together We Will said the school board’s reasoning took parts of the book out of context, and said “Flamer” isn’t endorsing vulgar phrases but uses them to show a character’s “true colors.”<\/p>\n

“If a student had made similar claims [as the school board] in their book report, a teacher would be well justified in giving them a low grade for sloppy analysis,” one speaker said. “The board should reverse this ban before it embarrasses itself further.”<\/p>\n

Another said he read the book and “it is actually less bad than I was expecting,” adding books he read as a young person, such as “Catch-22” and “1984,” were more mature in their themes.<\/p>\n

Groups such as the local branch of the conservative national group Moms for Liberty praised the board’s decision.<\/p>\n

“Thank you to the HCPS Board of Education for protecting kids. Our school libraries should be safe and welcoming spaces for all students,” the local Moms for Liberty chapter wrote on social media.<\/p>\n

Several speakers at Monday’s meeting likewise supported removing “Flamer” and some said they don’t consider it a ban.<\/p>\n

“Your reasoning suggests that many more books must be aggressively purged from our libraries. ‘Flamer’ was definitely not the only book that was not age-appropriate and not the book that certainly would have been rated ‘R’ as a movie,” one woman said during the public hearing. “The children deserve to keep their innocence and get an excellent education.”<\/p>\n

A man who said he supported Moms for Liberty said: “Why do we want books that endorse foul language and sexuality?… [The New Testament book of] Ephesians tells us not to participate in the darkness but to expose it.”<\/p>\n

Have a news tip? Contact Bryna Zumer at\u00a0bzumer@baltsun.com, or on X as @brynazumer .<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Flamer” is a 2020 semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato, who drew on his experience growing up gay, Catholic and Filipino-American.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":268,"featured_media":10781043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-07-22T18:40:22Z","apple_news_api_id":"2f923576-f167-485d-b7e7-bf59498e7ad6","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-07-22T18:58:52Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AL5I1dvFnSF23579ZSY561g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"middle","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"subheadline":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[503,84],"tags":[],"feature":[],"location":[325,223],"type-of-work":[],"coauthors":[3305],"class_list":["post-11572125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aegis","category-local-news","location-harford-county","location-maryland"],"post_status":"","edit_last":0,"edit_lock":0,"highlights":"","original_byline":"","original_canonical":"","original_category":"","original_email":"","original_id":0,"original_pubdate":"","original_source":"","primary_section":"503","primary_tag":0,"print_workflow_body":{"deck_headline":"","print_title":"Harford school board's removal of 'Flamer' from school libraries sparks protest and some support","print_subheadline":"","print_priority":"","print_placement":"cover","print_planned_ready":"","print_pub_date":"","print_slug":"AEG-L-BOOKBAN-0723","print_budget_line":"","print_excerpt":"\"Flamer\" is a 2020 semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato, who drew on his experience growing up gay, Catholic and Filipino-American.","print_notes":"","photo_limits":"Photo limits are: 1 featured image, 5 featured gallery images, 5 embedded gallery images and 5 in-article embedded images. Articles that exceed these limits will not export. Please adjust images to reflect these limits.","print_featured_gallery_richtext":"","print_inline_galleries_richtext":"","print_inline_images_richtext":"","print_content":"

Harford County\u2019s school board sparked outrage after removing \u201cFlamer,\u201d a young adult graphic novel that\u2019s been the target of nationwide debate, from school libraries.<\/p>

Fifty-five people signed up to speak at Monday night's school board meeting after the local chapter of Together We Will \u2014 a national group supporting grassroots progressive activism \u2014 in particular urged residents to voice their opposition to the book ban.<\/p>

The board plans to set up an informational and listening session in light of the protests, said board President Aaron Poynton, who was also reelected to his position by a 9-1 vote<\/a> at Monday's meeting.<\/p>

\"Flamer\" is a 2020 semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato, who drew on his experience growing up gay and Filipino-American, as he told the independent National Catholic Reporter<\/a>. The book delves into a teen boy's summer at a scout camp in 1995 before heading to a Catholic high school and struggling with his sexuality, among other topics.<\/p>

Harford's school board voted June 26 to remove the book, overturning the school system's approval of \"Flamer\" for middle-school and high-school libraries. It's the board's first such move after the school system launched a Library Materials Reconsideration committee last spring.<\/a><\/p>

The county's chapter of Together We Will said: \"Hate has come to Harford County. ... This is an example of not listening to the professionals, and substituting personal bias or discomfort in place of professional expertise to the detriment and harm to students who are feeling isolated and bullied, for whom this book may be a lifeline.\"<\/p>

Poynton defended the ban in a lengthy statement in which he listed the book's sexually explicit expletives and acknowledged the varying opinions about the book's removal.<\/p>

\"This was the first formal appeal under the newly finalized book review procedure \u2014 a process nearly two years in the making, developed with input from staff, board members, and members of the public. The decision we made will likely set precedent for future challenges, and we recognize the importance of clarity,\" Poynton wrote in the statement.<\/p>

He also countered claims the ban was done in secret, because, he said, the new procedures were developed over the course of a year and invited public comment.<\/p>

\"This was among the most transparent procedures developments (Harford County Public Schools) has conducted,\" Poynton said, explaining all appeals to the school board are made in closed session in order to protect the petitioner's privacy.<\/p>

Poynton extended the public comment period at Monday's meeting from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. He also said in his online statement the board hopes to revise book review procedures to allow for more nuance, lamenting that the board was forced \"into a binary decision: Either keep the book in middle and high school libraries or to remove it.\"<\/p>

Many who spoke at Monday's meeting urged the board to reconsider the removal.<\/p>

Kurt Doan, president of Upper Chesapeake Bay Pride Foundation, said: \"For many LGBTQIA+ students, 'Flamer' is a lifeline, showing that they're not alone in their struggles with identity, bullying, and self-acceptance. This validation is critical for their mental health and sense of belonging. ... 'Flamer' directly addresses themes of suicidal ideation, bullying and finding hope.\"<\/p>

He also told the board members who voted for the ban: \"If parents don't want their kids to read this book, there's an established process, and you know that.\"<\/p>

Several librarians from Aberdeen and North Harford high schools spoke against the ban and the Harford County NAACP released a statement referencing the 2024 Maryland Freedom to Read Act, \"which prohibits the removal or exclusion of school library materials solely on the basis of an author\u2019s background or partisan, ideological, or religious disapproval.\"<\/p>

\"At the core of the FRA is the idea that a small subset of people should not be able to dictate what books are made available in the school library to an entire community. Yet this is what just happened, and it happened over the thoughtful review of fellow citizens charged with evaluating challenged material,\" the NAACP statement said.<\/p>

Other speakers who said they were with Together We Will said the school board's reasoning took parts of the book out of context, and said \"Flamer\" isn't endorsing vulgar phrases but uses them to show a character's \"true colors.\"<\/p>

\"If a student had made similar claims [as the school board] in their book report, a teacher would be well justified in giving them a low grade for sloppy analysis,\" one speaker said. \"The board should reverse this ban before it embarrasses itself further.\"<\/p>

Another said he read the book and \"it is actually less bad than I was expecting,\" adding books he read as a young person, such as \"Catch-22\" and \"1984,\" were more mature in their themes.<\/p>

Groups such as the local branch of the conservative national group Moms for Liberty praised the board's decision.<\/p>

\"Thank you to the HCPS Board of Education for protecting kids. Our school libraries should be safe and welcoming spaces for all students,\" the local Moms for Liberty chapter wrote on social media.<\/p>

Several speakers at Monday's meeting likewise supported removing \"Flamer\" and some said they don't consider it a ban.<\/p>

\"Your reasoning suggests that many more books must be aggressively purged from our libraries. 'Flamer' was definitely not the only book that was not age-appropriate and not the book that certainly would have been rated 'R' as a movie,\" one woman said during the public hearing. \"The children deserve to keep their innocence and get an excellent education.\"<\/p>

A man who said he supported Moms for Liberty said: \"Why do we want books that endorse foul language and sexuality?... [The New Testament book of] Ephesians tells us not to participate in the darkness but to expose it.\"<\/p>

Have a news tip? Contact Bryna Zumer at\u00a0bzumer@baltsun.com, or on X as @brynazumer .<\/em><\/p>"},"print_workflow_exported_ts":"1753214091","print_workflow_exported_username":"Molly Fellin Spence","print_workflow_shapes":"","print_workflow_side":{"print_section":"24280","print_status":"24232","add_export_buttons":"","print_endpoint":"tribune"},"really_short_title":"","short_title":"","syndication_source":"","market_neutral_title":"","social_title":"","dfm_hub_post_id":0,"paywall_level":"premium","featured_media_content":{"content_type":"image","content":{"id":10781043,"title":"Harford Public Schools Board of Education monthly meeting","filename":"AEG-L-HARFORDBOE-0923-LAM-P4.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AEG-L-HARFORDBOE-0923-LAM-P4.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/harford-public-schools-board-of-education-monthly-meeting\/","alt":"","author":"36","description":"","caption":"Harford Public Schools Board of Education holds its monthly meeting about two weeks after a deadly shooting at Joppatowne High School on Sept. 6. 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