Sarasota County Superintendent Brennan Asplen has removed at least two books from the media centers of local high schools, without following the Challenged Materials procedures in Sarasota School Board Policy 4.30.  These procedures are in place for a reason, so that a proper review can be made starting with the school principal meeting with the complainant and then by qualified committees at both the school and district levels and then a review by the full School Board, after all other levels of appeal are exhausted. These committees would include parents and knowledgeable teachers/media specialists. 

Please sign this petition demanding that Dr. Asplen return all books to the shelves pending the outcome of the Policy 4.30 process for all books being challenged and that he adhere to the procedural requirements of Board Policy 4.30. Dr. Asplen does not have the legal authority to short cut the process or to remove any books from the media centers pending the outcome of the full challenge process.  Remind him that parents/guardians who object to their children reading a book contained in school media center, have the right to ask the media center to tag books that they do not wish their child to read.  There is no reason to pull books from the shelves BEFORE the full procedures are followed in Board Policy 4.30.