IT'S OFFICIAL: GOVERNOR PARSON HAS SIGNED THE BILL THAT COULD PROMPT CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST MISSOURI SCHOOL LIBRARIANS AND OTHERS

This means that school librarians who legally allowed students to check out controversial graphic novels  last school year, would likely be committing a crime if they do it again this school year. 

(Graphic means comic book style.)

Example of a book that falls under the new law: "Gender Queer: A Memoir." 

The new law makes it a class A misdemeanor for anyone officially associated with public or private schools to give content to students that is sexually explicit. More on that below.

WILL THEY RISK IT?

Rockwood has already reviewed controversial books such as "Gender Queer" because of parent complaints. So, they know the sexual content is in there.

The district has also already justified keeping books with sexual content in school libraries, by relying on Missouri's legal definition of pornography. Note the reason given when parents in the Rockwood district formally complained about "Gender Queer:" 

Missouri's pornography law "...does not apply to library books because they, taken as a whole, contain literary value."

This is the full committee report. Below is an excerpt.

Excerpt from report explaining committee 
decision to keep "Gender Queer" in the libraries of 3
of Rockwood's high schools.

Missouri School districts won't be able to rely on the pornography definition anymore when they decide whether to have certain books in their libraries. They will have to use the new legal definition of explicit sex.

We are reaching out to Rockwood to see what changes, if any, they are planning for when the law goes into effect in August.

The law does not only cover books. It also covers any images in any materials that depict the items listed below.

It also is not restricted to librarians and teachers. It affects any person associated with schools in any official capacity, that provides the content to a student. This includes bus drivers, outside speakers, school board members, etc.

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT

EXPLICIT SEX DEFINED: IMAGES ONLY.

Under this new law, known as Senate Bill 775, explicit sex is legally defined as any type of IMAGE given to a student that shows human masturbation, sexual intercourse (deviate and not), stimulation of genitals or depicting post-pubertal human genitals. 

Page 51 of Senate Bill 775, recently signed by the governor.

Records show that Rockwood and other Missouri school districts have at least two books in their school libraries that show such images:

"Gender Queer: A Memoir" and "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic."

Note: Books that don't have images in them are not affected. 

Other posts on this topic:

ROCKWOOD WAS WARNED ABOUT THIS BY A CONSULTANT

A VIRGINIA COURT RULED GENDER QUEER OBSCENE FOR MINORS

EXCEPTIONS

The new law says if the images are works of art, anthropology, or used in classes such as biology, anatomy, physiology, and sex education, they will not be considered explicit sex.

Though the law is largely about sex trafficking and related issues, schools are specifically affected by section 573.550.

Under legislative rules, a new law goes into effect 90 days after the end of the session in which it was passed. Though it was signed by Governor Mike Parson June 30th, according to the Missouri senate page, this new law will go into effect August 28th.

Note:
Missouri's pornography law: 573.010.