Katy parents succeed in canceling talk by author
They also want his books banned, claiming critical race theory
KATY — A speaking engagement from a critically acclaimed children’s book author has been canceled and his books pulled from curriculum after outrage from a small group of Katy Independent School District parents.
Jerry Craft was set to speak virtually at a Katy ISD event Monday morning. His engagement was quietly canceled and his books removed from district libraries after 400 Katy ISD parents demanded that the event be canceled and his books be banned, claiming that Craft’s work promotes critical race theory.
The books are currently under review, said Laura Davis with Katy ISD media relations, meaning they have been pulled from the curriculum but have not been officially banned.
Craft’s graphic novels have been winners of the Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature. His work focuses largely on the culture and experiences of modern-day African American preteens.
The graphic novels are based on the experiences of Craft’s own two sons.
The parents allege that the books promote reverse racism against white children. The petition, which has since been removed by change.org, was authored by Bonnie Anderson, a former candidate for the Katy ISD board of trustees. Anderson made headlines last spring in suing the district for $100,000 for having a mask mandate in the 2020-21 school year.
“This petition is to ask KISD administration and superintendent to cancel the Zoom call and stop promotion of these books which are wrought with critical race theory in the form of teaching children that their white privilege inherently comes with microaggressions which must be kept in check,” the petition states. “Craft’s writings, ‘New Kid’ and ‘Class Act,’ are being promoted to the students and their parents without any notice of the overt Critical Race Theory teachings throughout both books.”
A statement from the district said any parent can challenge a library book and that doing so will result in the book being pulled for review. “Katy ISD library books are routinely reviewed through this process,” the statement said.
The event was canceled and the books were pulled, the statement said, but students may still read the book outside school district hours if they choose.
“Pending the outcome of a review committee, school day activities associated with the selection under review are temporarily placed on hold,” the statement said.
The dissenting parents have been met with their own backlash, as other district parents learned about the canceled event and demand for a ban. In a community forum for the district, many parents railed against the decision.
“We are new to the district, and I am so ashamed to be associated with this racist mentality,” one mother said. “We will all be judged by their ignorance.”
“These books are amazing, and it’s infuriating to see lies, ignorance and hate prevent our KISD students from experiencing this author and his works as part of their education,” another mother said.
Many parents noted that a petition with 400 signatures represents a small percentage of children in the district but that they’re influencing a change that impacts nearly 90,000 children.
“A whopping 444 parents signed the petition … for a district of over 88,000 … Seriously?” a parent wrote.
Jeynelle Branch is a mother of a sixth-grade student in Katy ISD whose son was going to attend the event. The books, Branch said, are about more than just race. They teach showing compassion to people who are different, she said.
“People like to think that in a district like Katy ISD, no one gets called names, and everything is sunshine and rainbows,” Branch said. “But it’s not true, and it extends beyond race, even. What about the kids on buses who get dropped off at apartment complexes or even hotels while their peers get dropped off at a million-dollar home? Kindness to those kids matters, too.”
Branch called the district’s actions “a stain on the district,” noting that families who might be considering coming to the area could reconsider knowing the district bows to racially based censorship instigated by a small number of parents.
“It’s sending a message that there are people in the community that don’t matter,” she said. “Kids should be able to pick up a book and learn about another person’s perspective, and they’ve taken that off the shelves.”
For his part, when a Twitter user asked Craft about the controversy, he replied: “Wait what? How is this book banned? ???????? Apparently I’m teaching critical race theory.”
“It’s sending a message that there are people in the community that don’t matter. Kids should be able to pick up a book and learn about another person’s perspective, and they’ve taken that off the shelves.” Jeynelle Branch, a mother of a sixth-grade student in Katy ISD