KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Story courtesy of WVLT) – Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett has ordered public libraries across the state to begin reviewing books in children’s sections that could violate the Trump administration’s definition of inappropriate. Those that don’t could risk losing funding.
Over the last few months, Hargett sent letters to each of the state’s 181 libraries and library directors in the Tennessee Regional Library System. WVLT obtained the letter through a records request; they’re embedded lower in this story.
The letters said since they receive state and federal funding, they must comply with state, federal and local laws, along with Trump’s “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” executive order.
“As the agency that administers grants, it is incumbent on the Tennessee State Library & Archives to remind grant recipients that grant funds must be used consistent with the grant contract as well as federal, state and local law,“ Hargett’s Sept. 8 letter said. ”Libraries receiving grant funds must comply with laws or regulations, whether they have been in place for years or have recently become effective.”
The move is the latest aligning of Tennessee with the president’s initiative to limit children’s access to certain books, with a focus on transgender and other LGBTQ+ issues.
In a follow-up letter, dated Oct. 27, Hargett demanded public librarians begin reviewing all books in their juvenile children’s sections. Beyond that, the secretary of state also requested libraries send his office a report confirming what titles were deemed not age appropriate and have the library and its board of directors respond by Jan. 19.
One specific title mentioned in the Oct. 27 letter was Fred Gets Dressed by Peter Brown. The book, which Brown says is based off his own childhood, tells the story of a young boy who dresses like his mother, in a dress and makeup. While there’s no mention of non-traditional genders and no characters are described as transgender, Hargett said it was still flagged under the executive order.
“Additionally, legitimate concerns about a particular book in your juvenile children’s collection have been brought to my attention,” he said. “Fred Gets Dressed, by Peter Brown, is worthy of review both for age-appropriateness and to determine whether the book and its purchase comply with President Trump’s executive order.”
In the same letter, Hargett said the demand that libraries review their children’s sections is aimed at supporting local control, not limiting it.
“My office and the Tennessee State Library & Archives have long recognized and supported local control and local decision-making in libraries,” he said. “Libraries are best suited to make the decisions regarding the books they purchase, and they also have policies in place to review materials that may be challenged.”
However, he goes on to say that one library in Tennessee not in compliance with the federal order could pose a risk to funding for hundreds of others across the state.
The state-level initiative mirrors many seen across school systems in Tennessee. Tennessee school districts have seen similar orders requesting certain titles be removed from school libraries.
Hargett’s office also sent a statement from the secretary of state via email:
A list obtained by WVLT News from Knox County Schools in May showed that the school system had removed more than 100 books from its libraries. That list included titles like Shel Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic to Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five.
