By Milt Harris ——Bio and Archives--July 11, 2023
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This drama started back in February of this year at the Sparta Middle School in Sparta, NJ. That’s when a concerned mother had the audacity to complain that her 11-year-old daughter was exposed to a book in the library that contained inappropriate material. The book titled “The Upside of Unrequited,” contains information on orgies and #, explicit discussion of waxing genitalia, how one loses their virginity regarding specific sex acts, underage drinking, and mixing alcohol with prescription drugs.
When the young girl attempted to check the book out she was told by the librarian that she could not do so. Pointing out the number “8” on the book, she explained that only eighth grade students could take the book home. That’s all well and good, (if you believe that the material is appropriate for thirteen-year-old eighth graders) however, as her mother Chistina Korines, correctly explained, the book was not segregated from the other books and that it was available to students of all ages to read in the library.
Following this experience, Korines purchased a copy of the book and did the responsible thing, she contacted the Sparta Superintendent, Matt Beck and Assistant Superintendent Tara Rossi in order to kick start the district’s policy on Public Complaints and Grievances. Even then, Korines stated “I don’t blame teachers, I blame it on leadership.”
The school’s response to Korine’s concerns was nothing short of hateful and disgusting. Instead of stepping back and honestly evaluating the validity of the complaint, the librarians within the district immediately went on the attack. They started a petition called “Let Sparta Students Read.” The petition was established through the New Jersey Association of School Librarians/New Jersey Librarians Association or NJASL/NJLA. People who have signed the petition have access to a discussion group called “Fight For the First,” which is part of the NJASL/NJLA Advocacy Regional Response initiative.
On their website, Fight For the First states, “Fight for the First draws on the power of people like you to create a movement against book bans.”
A local online news outlet called “TAPintoSparta,” posted an article concerning the discussion group that was authored by Jenny Dericks. In the article Dericks writes:
"In that discussion group members identified by first name and last initial share ideas about promoting their message, including reaching out to NAACP, the author of the book, the book’s publisher Root Literary, NJ News 12 and other news outlets."
"Sparta High School Angela DeLuccia introduces herself and Sparta Middle School librarian Kelly Kiff on the discussion thread. Kiff discusses a consideration of creating a “YA [Young Adult] section only accessible to the eighth-grade students.” She laments a “changing climate where people are attacking the library and posting all of over social media rather than simply contacting the school or me with concerns.”
District policy indicates a resource challenge needs to go through the superintendent.
Kiff also questions the parent’s motive for challenging the book.
The discussion group shares the link to the TAPintoSparta article about the issue with the book and in that same thread said, “Here is some additional context, from the NJEA Center for Honesty: The “concerned parent” Christina Korines is part of an online hate group called NJ Fresh Faced Schools and she has been creating problems up for there [sic] over the last year. This is not her first book challenge. She fought against sex ed curriculum too. There is zero chance that her daughter just happened upon this book. This is 100% orchestrated.”
Obviously, Korines has denied the accusation.
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Did you catch the name, “Center for Honesty?” What a joke, this thing is the antithesis of honesty. Look at the attitude that Kiff displays, sarcastically calling Korines a “concerned parent” and referring to a group that she belongs to, “NJ Fresh Faced Schools, as an online hate group.” She then refers to Korines concerns as “creating problems up there for over the last year.” She then essentially calls both Korines and her daughter liars by saying, “There is zero chance that her daughter just happened upon this book. This is 100 percent orchestrated.”
The NJEA has a form on their Center for Honesty webpage that is supposedly there to help them identify issues in their member’s districts. Really? Then why do the instructions on top of the form read like a “Gestapo” survey?
“Please use this form below to help us identify issues in your district so that we can provide our staff and leaders with resources to maintain integrity and honesty in our schools. Be sure to specify the type of issue you’re dealing with, whether it’s aggressive book banning, anti-inclusion activity, organized political groups, or any other problem you are facing.”
In other words, this school district doesn’t give a damn about your concerns, the poisoning of your child’s mind, or even basic right and wrong. What they do care about is their agenda of indoctrination, and whether or not you as a concerned parent are a threat to it.
The problem with this “Center for Honesty,” is that if you complain, your information as well as your child’s, is placed into the Teacher’s Union Database. It is then available to union leaders and can be placed online to intimidate your family.
For creating this petition, these two district librarians Kelly Kiff and Angela Deluccia need to be fired. They shared personal information about a concerned mother and an 11-year-old girl that can lead to direct intimidation, and there is no justification for that. They betrayed a trust that can never be recaptured, just because it disagreed with their agenda. These narcissists think that they can strong arm inappropriate information into the minds of students by going behind the backs of parents, or intimidating them by being the loudest and most devious people in the room.
This entire situation is a travesty, but we need to use it as yet another example of how the left thinks and how they deflect and spin blame. Here is a concerned parent trying to protect not only her daughter, but other children from age-inappropriate material, and they want you to believe that she is wrong and start a campaign against her.
On the “Fight For the First” website, there is another quote that reads: “Never once, in all of human history, have the people banning books and arresting librarians been on the same side as freedom and liberty.”
Funny, when the left was banning Mark Twain and Dr. Seuss they thought they were standing on moral high ground. I guess catchy little sayings only apply when they agree with the left’s morally decrepit political agenda.
Right and wrong, as well as good and evil still exist. The sooner the left understands that we know that, the better off we all will be.
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Milt spent thirty years as a sales and operations manager for an international manufacturing company. He is also a four-time published author on a variety of subjects. Now, he spends most of his time researching and writing about conservative politics and liberal folly.