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A Texas school district recently canceled a visit by a New York Times bestselling author because of tweets in which she used “obscene language.”
Emma Straub, author of “Very Good Hats,” was scheduled to read her book to children at two Katy Independent School District elementary schools on Jan. 13 until officials called her the day before to rescind the invitation.
In a tweet sent out after the Uvalde school shooting, Straub wrote: ‘Fuck guns, to the people who care more about controlling women’s bodies than protecting us all from people with guns! fuck! It’s too much. so heartbroken
School administrators in an email to district families said the author’s language “does not align with the values of our school and community.”
Emma Straub, author of ‘Very Good Hats,’ has been rescinded from reading her book in Texas elementary schools due to ‘obscene language’ used in the tweets.
This is one of the elementary schools where Straub was scheduled to read her book.
The move has sparked backlash from some parents in the district who accused the school of giving in “once again” to parents who “insist on restricting access and experiences.”
According to cronThe district canceled an author event after parents complained that her books espoused critical race theory.
The issue was first raised by parents who found Straub’s tweet on social media and called on the district to “do better” when it comes to vetting guests.
Straub was scheduled to speak to children in kindergarten and first grade at Robertson and Cimarron elementary schools outside Houston.
“As parents, we must be more than what the district and our school allow us to be with our children,” the father wrote in a post shared by another mother.
‘If you don’t defend your children, who will? Katy ISD, you MUST do better!’ continued the father.
The unidentified father’s Facebook post was shared by Anne Russey, another mother in the wards.
This is the Facebook post of a parent who complained about Straub’s reading
Straub’s tweet was posted after the Uvalde school shooting and read ‘f**k guns’
Russey was outraged by the school’s decision to cave in to the other parents and shared her anger in a series of tweets Monday.
“Once again @katyisd caving in to the relentless demands of parents who insist on restricting access and experiences for ALL students and not just their own,” Russey wrote.
In addition to the other parent’s Facebook post, the mother shared several screenshots of the message sent from the district and a flyer for the kickoff event.
“It has come to our attention that this author has regularly used inappropriate and obscene language on her social media platforms, specifically her repeated use of the ‘F’ word,” the administrators wrote in the email.
“This type of language, as you know, does not align with the values of our school and community,” the letter, sent by a principal, reads.
The school official also apologized for any misunderstandings or inconvenience, but went on to say, “However, ensuring that we are consistently modeling appropriate behaviors and expectations for our students, both in the classroom and through other opportunities in the campus, it’s a high priority.”
This is the tweet that caused parents to rebel against his appearance
The school sent this letter to parents and district staff, saying Straub’s language does not “align with the values of the school and community.”
This is the book that Straub was scheduled to read in elementary schools
According to the flyer posted by Russey, schools had initially offered parents the option to opt out of reading.
“At least one elementary school has opted out of the author visit for ALL students, rather than referring parents to the opt-out option available to them,” Russey wrote.
Russey then pointed to the tweet’s date, May 24, as an explanation for the swearing.
Do you remember what else happened on May 24? 19 elementary school students and 2 elementary school teachers were killed by a fucking teenager with a fucking gun while the fucking police waited forever fucking to help the poor fucking dying kids,” the mother wrote.
The mother was referring to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Straub, who was tagged in the tweets, saw the mother’s Twitter thread and responded by apologizing for not being able to come read her book.
‘Thanks. I was sorry I couldn’t read my silly book on hats and imagination to those kids,” she wrote.
‘The only F words in the presentation: funny, feline, feelings, replied the author.
DailyMail.com contacted representatives for Straub and the Katy Independent School District but did not hear back by time of publication.
This is Anne Russey, who first took her outrage over the school’s cancellation of Straub’s appearance.
Straub responded in a tweet saying he was “sorry” that he couldn’t read his “dumb book.”
This was not the first time the school district has faced backlash over claims of ‘censorship’.
In October, the district canceled an event with author and cartoonist Jenny Craft.
Parents had complained that the author’s works promoted critical race theory, and her books were removed from school libraries.
According to Chron, Katy ISD later rescheduled her appearance and returned the books.
In 2021, the district began removing books parents called “generally vulgar” and even opened a submission portal for parents to review a book’s appropriateness.