Assistant principal says 8-year-olds should access books ‘referencing pornography and dirty magazines’

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – An assistant principal said Tuesday that 8-year-olds should be able to access books “referencing pornography and dirty magazines” during a hearing before a…

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – An assistant principal said Tuesday that 8-year-olds should be able to access books “referencing pornography and dirty magazines” during a hearing before a school board in Florida.

Terwilliger Elementary School Assistant Principal Garrett Jones was grilled on whether sexual literature should be allowed in schools after the book “Melissa,” featuring a transgender fourth grader, sparked backlash among Alachua County Public Schools, according to a petition about the hearing.

“So you think an eight-year-old would be an appropriate age to be reading about pornography and dirty magazines from school?” one woman asked Jones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7daUa1w5hk

Jones first attempted to dodge the question, stating that “it would open up a conversation that we would have” when asked whether he would find it appropriate if his children brought home the LGBT book. He said that he voted “for the 3 to 5 age group” to be able to access the material, clarifying that children ages 8 to 12 consisted of that demographic. 

The book “Melissa” was located and temporarily removed from the K-5 library at the elementary school, the petition stated. Objectors of the material cited excerpts about underwear, male genitalia and “dirty magazines” as justification for its removal.

“Melissa” is about a boy named George who identifies as a girl named Melissa, according to a description of the book on Amazon. The young boy wants to play a female role in a school play despite being told by his teacher that boys cannot audition for female roles.