Tennessee School Board Removes Book From Library After Pastor Starts Reading From It During Meeting

When it comes to fighting the culture war, some Americans might feel that their individual efforts don’t make much difference.

For a pastor and activist in a community near Nashville, Tennessee, however, the decision to stand up for his beliefs clearly paid off.

As in many other communities across the U.S., an objectionable book available in the local elementary school library sparked backlash at a school board meeting. Fox News reported on what happened next:

During the public comment section at the December 10 Murfreesboro City School Board meeting, pastor and activist John K. Amanchukwu called out the district for having the picture book, “It Feels Good to Be Yourself,” on the shelves at Bradley Academy, an elementary school serving pre-K through 6th grade students in the district.

The book introduces the concept of gender identity to readers as young as four, according to its description.

“Some people are boys. Some people are girls. Some people are both, neither, or somewhere in between,” it says.

The book tells the story of “Ruthie,” a transgender girl, and introduces terms like “cisgender” and “nonbinary” to explain different gender identities to younger readers.

After Amanchukwu started to read from the book, board chair Butch Campbell objected to the pastor bringing up the book at the meeting, saying he was going against the rules of only bringing up agenda items during the public comment section.

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The pastor continued to read from inside the book, calling the book’s message about there being more than two genders “a lie” and citing the Book of Genesis.

After about two minutes of the board attempting to get Amanchukwu to stop speaking, they forced the meeting into a recess.

At the January 14 school board meeting this week, the board announced the transgender-themed book had been reviewed by a committee of staff and parents, who recommended removing the book.

Similar controversies have sparked social media discussion over the past several years:

Hard to believe children can check out disgusting Books that resemble Porn! A mom calls out Penfield Central School District in NY board ! pic.twitter.com/RdF36HzV5a

— Johnny Midnight ⚡️ (@its_The_Dr) January 15, 2025

AMAZING. @PRSchools board member Mike Wiethorn BLASTS the school district for allowing p*rn*graphic material like the book "Push" to be available for students in the school library.

We need more brave board members like Mike!

H/T @REVWUTRUTHpic.twitter.com/mDSw8dbF29

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 3, 2025

When school librarians known to be targeting children with inappropriate material also target information moms dads parents use to help determine explicitness of books in schools, school boards can know they are on the right track. https://t.co/NBjl1LSww6 is helpful, for example. pic.twitter.com/Wdl6jQgIk6

— Dan Kleinman of SafeLibraries® (@SexHarassed) December 23, 2024

As the Washington Times reported last year, Amanchukwu has spoken out against inappropriate books in school libraries on previous occasions:

The former North Carolina State defensive end with the booming baritone has crossed the nation confronting boards of education over leftist race and gender concepts being taught in classrooms, often making his point by reading aloud from sexually explicit books found in school libraries.

“I recently went to Reno and read from a book entitled ‘American Psycho.’ That book should be entitled ‘American Sicko,’” Mr. Amanchukwu told The Washington Times. “The school board within 15 seconds got up and walked out because they said the content of the book was too vulgar for the meeting.”

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The book may have been too disturbing for the Washoe County School Board in Nevada, but apparently not for students. The 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis was stocked in three high schools.

“The thing is, if you can’t say it at a school board meeting, why are we giving kids access to the same content?” Mr. Amanchukwu said. “Why can kids read it and see it? It really makes no sense.”

He chronicles his journey in “22 Words: Exposing the Loss of Decency in American Education,” a documentary scheduled for release Thursday [Oct. 3] that follows Mr. Amanchukwu as he seeks to raise national awareness about leftist ideology and graphic sexual content in public education.

The film, which also features allies such as Christian actor Kirk Cameron and Brave Books CEO Trent Talbot, is available on the 22wordsfilm.com website.

In the last two years, Mr. Amanchukwu has spoken before two dozen school boards in 15 states. He’s had board members walk out on him and cut off his microphone. He been kicked out of meetings “about five times.”