Manning and fellow board member Laura Hughes also demanded in an email that three other books be banned from the school district. The ridiculous demand also called for Ernest Gaines’ novel “A Lesson Before Dying” and “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison to be banned, as well as “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe. The email was addressed to Virginia Beach School’s Superintendent, Aaron Spence.
“It has been brought to my attention by some parents that there are some disturbing books in our district that are available to students,” she wrote, “I would like to ask that you pull these books from shelves and also block any electronic access by students to getting these books IMMEDIATELY.”
Hughes and Manning also had issues with the books “Good Trouble: Lessons from the Civil Rights Playbook” and “Beyond Magenta” by Susan Kuklin. They also want the library staff disciplined for allowing the books in the first place.
The email accused the novels of containing pedophilia as well as being sexually explicit. Manning admitted in the email that she hasn’t even read “The Bluest Eye.” However, she noted that she tried a few pages resulting in her “utter disgust.”