A school district in Texas is under fire for removing all books that were “challenged” last year from their libraries, according to a report from The Texas Tribune.

Ahead of the first day of school, the Keller Independent School District is removing all books that were challenged last year within the school district, including the Bible, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and a graphic novel adaptation of Anne Frank’s “The Diary of Young Girl.”

Jennifer Price, executive director of Keller ISD’s curriculum and instruction, sent an email to principals which reads:

“Attached is a list of all books that were challenged last year. By the end of today, I need all books pulled from the library and classrooms. Please collect these books and store them in a location. (book room, office, etc.)”

Some residents who send their children to schools in the Keller ISD said they didn’t understand why the books had been pulled since some of them — “The Bluest Eye” and “Anne Frank’s Diary” — had been recommended by a school district committee to remain in school libraries as recently as late last year.

Laney Hawes, who has four children in the district, said she suspects that money donated by a right wing PAC led to the actions taken by the Keller ISD:

“I feel bad for students who, many of them, the only opportunity they’re going to have to learn about really, really difficult topics is in books. I feel bad for the most marginalized kids in our school district, the LGBTQ+ kids and also a lot of the kids of color. I’m sad. I’m disheartened and I’m frustrated and I’m angry.”

It didn’t take long before Twitter also weighed in the banning of books by the school district:

Featured Image: Wikimedia