(HorizonPost.com) – The president of the Central Bucks School Board was sworn in Monday night, not by placing her hand on a Bible but on a stack of books that the previous Republican majority board had sought to remove from the school district’s libraries, the Bucks County Herald reported.
School Board President Karen Smith explained on Tuesday that she is not “particularly religious” and the Bible holds no significant meaning to her. She said the books the previous school board sought to remove from libraries “do mean something to me” as she is fighting for the district students’ “freedom to read,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Smith’s message was quickly made clear when the new Democrat majority board wasted no time rescinding four policies enacted by the previous board.
With the swearing-in ceremony complete, the board on Monday quickly addressed several controversial policies enacted over the last two years that divided the Central Bucks community.
The board voted to suspend the policy to prohibit “sexualized content” in resource materials and a second policy that initiated a review of school library books containing “sexualized content” to determine which books should be removed from library shelves.
The board also rescinded a policy adopted during the final meeting of the previous GOP-led board that prevented boys from participating in girls’ sports. The board also suspended the policy preventing the display of politicized flags from the classroom and prohibiting teachers from “indoctrinating students.”
In a unanimous vote, the board also voted to authorize a legal review of the severance package the previous board awarded former superintendent Abram Lucabaugh.
Lucabaugh resigned after the Democrats flipped the school board in the November 7 election. In the GOP-led board’s final meeting in November, it approved a severance package of more than $700,000 for Lucabaugh, angering many in the district.
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