EXPLICIT SEX IN BOOKS AT SCHOOL

WARNING: Mature Content

AVAILABLE TO 14 YEAR OLDS
Rockwood and other school districts provided this sexually explicit content to kids as young as 14 years old. All of it was legal, until a new law took effect in August of 2022. 

Information about what's legal and what's not, and the list of dozens of books Rockwood has removed, is below. 

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IMAGES THAT ARE ILLEGAL FOR SCHOOLS TO GIVE STUDENTS

The following content is not intended for minors, even though it was available to them in Rockwood's high school libraries. 

They are some of the images found in books that Rockwood removed.

This Book Is Gay 

Rockwood librarians removed it in August of 2023, a year after it should have been removed. A parent alerted them to the images in the book.

The image to the right is one of the images that caused the book's removal.

STATUS: Now removed because of the new state law. Was in 3 of Rockwood's high schools until August 21, 2023.

Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human 

Images in the book explain sexting, how to masturbate, tells kids to research sex fantasies on the internet, and encourages them to talk to strangers online about the fantasies.

STATUS: Removed in August 2022 because of the new state law.

The Handmaid's Tale The Graphic Novel  

This book has been removed because of the images, but, the same book, in written form (without the images), is still in Rockwood libraries. 

STATUS: Removed because of the new state law.

"A Court of Mist and Fury"  

"He nudged my legs apart with his knees, spreading me as he gripped my hips......Rhys pulled out and plunged back in..."

STATUS: 
Currently in the libraries of all 4 Rockwood high schools.
There are no sexually explicit images in this book; sexually explicit writing is not against the law.

"Gender Queer"         

One of the illustrations: a mouth on a "strap-on" dildo.

Parents formally challenged the book, but failed. Rockwood's review committee wrote in the report: "It is difficult to find these types of books. It is extremely well done, literary, intelligent and honest."

Status: 

Removed due to the new state law.

"Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic  

One of the illustrations: a mouth on pubic hair.

The author tells the story of growing up as a lesbian with a gay father who was "in the closet" and killed himself. 

Rockwood rejected the formal challenge from parents because it was in the library for the former Individualized Learning Center, which was temporarily closed to students, and because they said it was lost.

After the new law was passed, though, Rockwood removed it from its library database.

Status: 
Removed due to the new state law.

"All Boys Aren't Blue"

ONE OF THE EXCERPTS

page 266: “He reached his hand down and pulled out my dick. He quickly went to giving me head."

Parents formally challenged the book, but failed. The Rockwood review committee that voted to keep the book in the district's libraries had this in its report: "I loved the Book! My children are going to be encouraged to read it." 

STATUS: Formal parent challenge failed.

Still in Rockwood libraries.

"The Haters"  Gratuitous profanity: 500+ instances of standard cuss words + smut  

ONE OF THE EXCERPTS

page 346: "The moment she put me inside her I came. FUCK I said and I curled up around her like a snail and kept coming about a hundred times, and I said fuckfuckfuckfuck..."

Parents formally challenged the book, but failed. The Rockwood review committee that voted to keep the book had this in its report: "If we want to engage readers, this is the perfect book."

STATUS: Formal parent challenge failed.
Still in Rockwood libraries.

Note: This list is not exhaustive. The above books were brought to our attention by parents. For additional books that have concerned Rockwood parents, including others with sexually explicit content, click here.

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LEGAL: NO IMAGES

It's NOT illegal to have writing that is sexually explicit in Missouri school library books. The new law only pertains to sexually explicit images that are available to students. According to the law, Missouri schools are committing a class A misdemeanor if they provide sexually explicit images to students. 

Because of the law, Rockwood has removed 26 books from its libraries so far, that contain sexually explicit images. If a book has sexually explicit writing in it, but no sexually explicit images, it's not against the law. 

Link to the list of removed books on Rockwood's site. 
The underlined books remained in Rockwood's libraries even after the law took effect.

This was the list as of September 7, 2023. 22 of the books were removed prior to the law taking effect, in August of 2022.

LAW VIOLATION
The 4 that are underlined in red remained in Rockwood's libraries, apparently illegally, until librarians realized it and removed 3 of them in April 2023.

They removed the fourth one (This Book Is Gay) on August 21, 2023.

HOW'D THEY MISS THEM?

We don't know. In the case of "This Book Is Gay," it was likely because librarians only checked graphic novels when the new law was set to take effect."This Book Is Gay" is not a graphic novel. It is mostly written word, with some images. (Graphic novels are nearly all images, written like comic books.)

For more on why the books were in Rockwood libraries, click here.