At least one high school librarian is striking back at “anti-woke” movements for school books.
Roxbury High School librarian Roxana Caivano sued Roxbury residents Tom Seretis, Christina Balestriere, Kristin Cobo and Catrina Albo, alleging they worked to discredit her due to the selection of some books within the high school’s library.
Caivano contends she has suffered damage to her reputation alongside “severe and permanent emotional injuries” stemming from the public criticism from the aforementioned residents.
Librarian Lawsuit
The complaint notes a “civil conspiracy to defame her character” first began in the Fall 2022 when the critics equated the books in the library to “hard-core pornography” and that it was “a factual assertion of criminal behavior.”
Caivano’s lawsuit opened with a description of her ties and history in Roxbury, saying she was a citizen since 1978 and employed by the school district since 2007. Additionally, her two children graduated from the high school and she serves as a member of the Roxbury Public Library Board of Trustees.
Caivano Background
“The plaintiff is a well-known resident of the community, has been connected to the community for 45 years, and she has enjoyed an unassailable reputation of service to her community, service to the Roxbury Public Schools, and that reputation has remained of the highest caliber until it was purposefully, systematically and maliciously attacked by the defendants named herein,” says the complaint.
“In her nearly 15 years of employment with the Roxbury Board of Education, plaintiff was never cited, admonished, or disciplined for any reason, nor for works of literature in her library, and until September 20, 2022, enjoyed a reputation of integrity, professionalism, and competency in her profession,” states the lawsuit. “In fact, the plaintiff has never had any brushes with illegal conduct or employment discipline outside of her working life.”
The dispute is centered on the graphic novel “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” which includes some depictions of sex acts, and other materials that have been approved by the state as part of its sex education and gender-identity curriculums.
As the lawsuit makes it way through the courts, Roxbury’s Board of Education said it has created a committee to study the district’s policy of reviewing contested library material, as a lawsuit filed by a school librarian continues.
“They are going to review and come up with recommendations to refine the process in the future,” board President Leo Coakley said at the board’s meeting May 7. “Please allow the committee time to do its review and make a recommendation.”
Coakley said the Roxbury district has assembled a “committee of stakeholders” including students, parents, faculty, administrators and two board members to review current complaints about library content.
Pennacchio Backs Cobo
State Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-26) backed the defendants, and invited Cobo to his office to discuss the issue.
“These moms should have the right to raise concerns about their children being exposed to sexually explicit and highly offensive materials in their schools,” said Pennacchio. “It should not be controversial to suggest that cartoon depictions of young children engaging in sexual acts do not belong in our school libraries.”
A New Jersey Hills report on May 11 said a GiveSendGo online fundraising website has raised $13,488, with a goal of $15,000, for the Roxbury residents who are being sued .
Good for her! We need more people to file suits against these right wing extremists.
No argument is too disingenuous for these radical Republican regressives. They know as well as anyone that parents already have the right to raise concerns. This is exactly what a failed political party does when it knows the few actual policies it has are DEEPLY unpopular.
The same people who just yesterday were whining about “triggered snowflakes” needing “safe spaces” now want GOVERNMENT censorship over public schools and are willing to LIE about pornography to make their case. (Funny how other biology text books aren’t porn even when they show full anatomical detail.)
What next? Will we join red states in firing teachers for the crime of teaching the simple fact that Rosa Parks had to sit at the back of the bus because she was black? (Not a hypothetical. Teachers are literally forbidden BY LAW from teaching this in some states.)
Agree! We should start a GoFundMe for her!
There is nothing these Repubs won’t stoop too that seems presaged by the Nazis. They’re un-American, to put it mildly, but we always had a fascist, nativist, misogynistic, etc., fringe.
YO-YO; Roxbury High School librarian Roxana Caivano, like what’s to Sue?? Look, in this here situation the Parent’s are always Rite!! Since it’s their Children attending that school & it’s their Taxes paying for’n & running this school, so the Parents must always have the Final Say; with No-Question’s asked!! AND; This Roxbury High School librarian Roxana Caivano, should be disciplined & made to stop attacking Parents whom pay her Salary!! AND; If’n she isn’t comfortable with that, then she should GO!! THE END~//