Fox News Flash top headlines for August 29
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A mother in Oklahoma says a former public school teacher should face "criminal charges" after giving students access to a book database that included "pornographic material."
"This is pornographic material," mother Laney Dicksion told Fox 25 of a book on self-identity and sexuality. "No one would be allowed to disseminate this to children, much less a teacher in our public schools systems. [Teacher Summer Boismier] has access to children and to minors."
"The woman should not have access to children now or in the future. She should be stripped of her certifications. To be perfectly frank with you, she should have criminal charges against her," the mother added.
Dicksion said former Norman High School English teacher Summer Boismier provided students with a QR code this school year to a Brooklyn Public Library database called "Books Unbanned." Dicksion’s daughter did not use the QR code to look at the list of books on the database, but her mother did and found books she described as pornographic.
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Concerned Oklahoma mother Laney Dicksion speaks to Fox 25 during an interview. (FOX 25/KOKH)
"What I found was the books unbanned program," Dicksion said. "It said, 'Read banned books. Here's our next upcoming event: reading the book, 'Gender Queer.'"
"Gender Queer" is a 2019 memoir about the author’s "journey of self-identity," "grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears," according to the book’s description on Amazon.
Dicksion was holding the book during her interview with Fox 25 but shied away from reading passages on air, explaining, "I'm not sure if I can even say these things on camera to be honest with you."
The mom said she had filed a complaint with the school over the teacher giving students access to the database by providing them the QR code. Boismier told Fox 25 that she was placed on leave earlier this month and ultimately resigned.
"I have made the decision to resign from my position at Norman High School. I will say that the district did offer me back my job, allowing me back in the classroom as of tomorrow morning," Boismier said in a statement of her resignation, Fox 25 reported.
"However, there were some fundamental ideological differences between myself and district representatives that I just couldn’t get past. HB 1775 has created an impossible working environment for teachers and a devastating learning environment for students. For the second year in a row, students at Norman High will be without a certified English teacher for a substantial amount of time. The fault for that lies with Governor [Kevin] Stitt and Republican state leadership," the teacher continued.
Stitt signed House Bill 1775 last year, prohibiting public schools in the state from discriminating on the basis of race or sex.
"Public schools in this state shall be prohibited from engaging in race or sex-based discriminatory acts by utilizing these methods, which result in treating individuals differently on the basis of race or sex or the creation of a hostile environment," HB 1775 reads.
Oklahoma's House voted 77-18 in favor of the bill, with Republicans championing it as a measure to ban critical race theory and "Marxist ideology" from classrooms. All Democrats in the state's House opposed the measure.
Educators in the state and the ACLU soon filed a lawsuit over the law, arguing it interferes with teachers' and student's First Amendment rights.
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As part of the new law, Norman Public Schools had teachers sign a form before classes began this school year, ensuring that teachers fully reviewed classroom libraries and removed some materials available to kids.
Boismier confirmed to Fox 25 that she had shared the QR code for "Unbanned Books" and told the outlet that she has "no regrets, would do it again, will do it again."
"In response to unfounded calls from state leadership for widespread censorship, I did share a library-linked QR code with my students. Immediately after this, I was removed from my position and placed on leave," Boismier told Fox 25. "Teachers across the district have been told by administration to either remove or restrict student access to classroom library texts for fear of a potential accreditation downgrade associated with any perceived violations of HB 1775."
Photo of former Norman Public Schools teacher Summer Boismier speaking to Fox 25. (FOX 25/KOKH)
Dicksion said it’s "frightening" that the former Norman teacher has "no regrets."
"Parents need to be aware of what's being given to their children, what's being pushed upon their children, and that's this [book]," the mother said. She also noted to Fox 25 that she’s more concerned with pornographic materials being available to students than books on critical race theory.
Republican state Sen. Rob Standridge also weighed in on the controversy, echoing Dicksion's claim that disseminating the book to kids could put teachers in legal jeopardy.
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"If you were living alone down the street from me, and my kids went to your house, and they walked in there and you hand them this book, I bet the DA would press charges against you," Standridge told Fox 25.
Fox News Digital reached out to Norman Public Schools on Monday morning.
Google Maps photo shows exterior of Norman High School in Oklahoma. (Google Maps)
The school district told Fox 25 last week that "a concern centered on a Norman Public Schools teacher who, during class time, made personal, political statements and used their classroom to make a political display expressing those opinions."
The school district also pushed back on claims that the teacher was terminated or placed on leave.
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"Like many educators, the teacher has concerns regarding censorship and book removal by the Oklahoma state legislature. However, as educators it is our goal to teach students to think critically, not to tell them what to think. We addressed the issue and expected the teacher to return to class as normal Wednesday. At no point was the teacher ever terminated, suspended or placed on administrative leave but, unfortunately, we understand the teacher has publicly expressed their intent to resign," the comment continued.
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