Yes, it is fake news. It is
incorrect that they tried to have the books banned. Nuance is important, as sensationalist news articles skip critical details these days:
From the article:
1. "The book series was
not actually banned in classrooms, according to the Central York School District in Pennsylvania."
2. "Instead, the books were included on a list of resources that was later pulled. The four “Girls Who Code” books — “Team BFF: Race to the Finish!” and “The Friendship Code” by Stacia Deutsch, “Spotlight on Coding Club!” by Michelle Schusterman, and “Lights, Music, Code!” by Jo Whittemore — were included in a
Diversity Resource List of some 200 titles the Central York School District curated after the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Shortly after the school district released the Diversity Resource List in 2020, there were complaints, according to The Guardian."
3. "The school board voted to put the resource list on hold and told teachers not to use the titles for class instruction —
with the exception that they could continue to use resources that were already in place before they were put on the Diversity Resource List.
That included the “Girls Who Code” series. The decision to withdraw the list that added Black voices to the curriculum dredged up national attention, and the board then voted to reinstate the list and make the resources available to teachers again in September 2021, according to The Guardian." The key clarifying point here is that the books were never banned nor removed from the school; a Diversity Resource List was withdrawn after complaints, not the books themselves.
So the ACTUAL timeline of events is:
1. After George Floyd was killed, the school district created a Diversity Resource List of books. There were complaints about the list, so the school board puled the list & told the teachers not to use those titles in their
official school curriculum; the exception being they could
still use existing resources before they were put on the list. The "Girls Who Code" books were NOT banned; the Diversity Resource List was simply withdrawn (for reasons unknown, other than the board received "complaints").
The books remained on the shelves & available to teachers & students.
2. Then national news picked up the story & the board voted to reinstate the list (not the books, which were
always available and never banned)...
last year (2021).
3. PEN America published a "
banned books list" this month (2022). The "Girls Who Code" founder got an alert & went on social media with it, which then blew up without appropriate context & got circulated by Insider.
We don't know the nature of complaints about the diversity book list, but the books were never banned nor removed nor made inaccessible by the school, period. Also:
* "She (company founder) tweeted that she was angry and linked the book ban to Moms for Liberty, one of the groups behind banning books in schools. Rhonda Garman, chair of the York Moms for Liberty chapter, said neither the local chapter nor the national group challenged the “Girls Who Code” series." So there was an incorrect accusation against the liberty group & an incorrect accusation about the book being banned in schools. A diversity list containing the book series was withdrawn after complaints & then reinstated after it made national news a year ago.
No banning by the school nor the Moms for Liberty group & no removal of the books from schools.
On the flip side, free marketing for a good cause! I love the concept of the books!