Williamson County is removing one book from its curriculum. But some parents want to see more texts banned.

Williamson County Schools will not be banning more books — at least not for now.

The school board voted Monday night to uphold an earlier decision to remove one book — “Walk Two Moons” — from its curriculum. Some appealed that move, saying they thought it didn’t go far enough.

Dozens of parents, teachers, students and even a child psychologist spoke on both sides of the debate at the hours-long meeting.

“Our history is uncomfortable. Not talking about it and not learning about it does not change it,” one parent said, urging board members not to drastically alter the district’s curriculum.

“I am here as an adult, to protect my children from political influence,” another parent said. “They’re the ones that have spent thousands of hours in counseling, in bed comforting their night terrors and wiping tears away, because their emotional intelligence is exposed to adult problems.”

A high school student told board members learning about diversity, mental health and politics in school helped her to form her own opinions on complex topics. “Sheltering today’s youth from these important issues doesn’t make them disappear,” she said. “If anything, we are opening the door to a generation of ignorant and oblivious individuals who are unable to face the realities of today.”

The debate was one of many in recent months regarding the district’s curriculum, called Wit & Wisdom, which is used in many schools across the country. Great Minds, which created the curriculum, says on its website that Wit & Wisdom, “inspires teachers and students to experience complex texts and ideas on a deeper level by fostering the questioning spirit that will shape the next generation of great writers, thinkers and leaders.”

But parents from Wheeling, Ohio to Laramie County, Wyoming — and, locally, in Williamson County — have criticized Wit & Wisdom’s book selections. Many, including a group called Moms for Liberty Williamson County, have argued the texts aren’t age appropriate and could cause kids distress, especially on topics like racism and gender identity.

Williamson County district officials have received at least 40 complaints about 31 of the curriculum’s 115 texts, according to an email shared at the board meeting. That prompted the district to create a committee to read and review each book. Committee members also fielded feedback from the complainants, parents and teachers.

Earlier this year, the board chose to stop using “Walk Two Moons” in the fourth grade and to recommend that teachers adjust their lesson plans for a few others. But that decision was appealed.

“This outcome is not a victory for parents, children, or their faith in WCS leadership,” the group Moms for Liberty wrote in a statement last month.

The school board discussed the committee’s recommendations once again at Monday’s meeting, after a lengthy public comment period and conflicting opinions among several board members. They ultimately voted to stand by the committee’s original recommendation, with eight votes in favor and two against.

The decision comes as Tennessee has made national headlines for banning a graphic novel about the Holocaust in McMinn County. The state legislature is also considering a bill (HB1723 / SB 2006) that would allow parents to review all their children’s instructional materials and tests.