A principal in southern Manitoba is taking legal action against a parent who attempted to have certain books removed from school libraries. The principal, Mary Reimer of Carman Collegiate, alleges that the parent, Raelyn Fox, made defamatory statements on social media suggesting that the principal endorsed the dissemination of child pornography. Reimer is seeking damages and an injunction to prevent Fox from making further statements implying that she supported making pornographic materials available to students or engaged in promoting sexual exploitation or child pornography.
Fox initiated a petition in 2023 urging the Prairie Rose School Division to restrict access to books she deemed sexually explicit in school libraries. Reimer contends that some of the books Fox highlighted as freely available at Carman Collegiate’s library, such as “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur, “Lucky” by Alice Sebold, and “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson, were either not in circulation or placed in a section restricted to mature students, despite Fox being informed of this fact.
Reimer expressed concern that Fox’s social media posts could incite hostility and potential violence in the community. She is also seeking an order for Fox to delete defamatory statements, including one where Fox claimed that the principal supported making porn accessible to children. In response, Fox denied the defamatory nature of her posts, stating that while some books were not physically shelved, they appeared in catalogue records, and she observed similar content during a visit to the school’s library.
The Canadian Library Challenges Database reported that approximately 20 titles, including sex education books and materials with 2SLGBTQ+ content, were under scrutiny at Prairie Rose during the book removal requests. Activists have increasingly targeted schools, with groups like Concerned Citizens Canada and Action4Canada advocating for book removals in various school divisions.
James Turk, the director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, highlighted the rise in requests to censor books in Canadian libraries, often driven by groups advocating for parents’ rights. Despite these challenges, legal protections exist for educational or artistic materials, and Turk emphasized the importance of addressing concerns while upholding intellectual freedom.
Fox, who has targeted multiple Manitoba school divisions through social media, has refrained from commenting on the lawsuit. Turk expressed concerns about potential book removals due to lack of oversight, cautioning against hasty decisions that may compromise intellectual freedom. Reimer and the Prairie Rose School Division declined to provide comments on the matter.