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Texas state education officials are investigating their first case of 鈥減ornographic鈥� books in schools following Governor Greg Abbott鈥檚 demand that any violators who provide such material to minors be prosecuted 鈥渢o the fullest extent of the law.鈥�

蜜桃影视 has learned the Keller Independent School District in the suburbs of Fort Worth is currently under investigation by the Texas Education Agency following Abbott鈥檚 order last month that school districts be investigated for providing students with 鈥渙bscene” content.

The probe into Keller is focused on whether state policies were followed in the purchase of school library books.  

One of the books Abbott is 鈥淕ender Queer,鈥� a graphic novel that and was available at one Keller ISD high school library in the 42-school district. Abbott charged that the book contained 鈥減ornographic drawings.鈥� 

A Keller district spokesperson said a librarian immediately retrieved the book and after parents鈥� complaints surfaced in October. Five more books have also been pulled from library shelves this school year. 

The to prosecute anyone who provides 鈥減ornography鈥� to minors comes as parents across the state and country have railed against local school boards for having books with sexually explicit passages in their school or classroom libraries, often related to the LGBTQ experience. 

One San Antonio school district pulled 鈥渙ut of an abundance of caution鈥� to 鈥渆nsure they did not have any obscene or vulgar material.鈥� The district pulled the books after Fort Worth Republican Rep. Matt Krause, who chairs the Texas House General Investigating Committee, released a list in October of nearly 850 titles he suspected would pertain to race, sexuality or 鈥渕ake students feel discomfort鈥� and asked schools to account for how many copies were in their libraries and classrooms.  

The TEA can only investigate issues that fall within education law, but such an investigation could provide the agency with enough information to refer the case to law enforcement, an agency spokesperson said.

鈥淭he decision to undertake a criminal investigation or pursue criminal charges in any particular instance would rest with law enforcement,鈥� the TEA said in a statement to 蜜桃影视.

The TEA would not comment on what its own investigation would entail, although it will likely include tracing how book-buying decisions were made. 

Keller ISD officials told 蜜桃影视 the district would cooperate with the investigation.

Other than 鈥淕ender Queer,鈥� a spokesman said five the books have been taken off the shelves this school year amid parent complaints: 鈥淔lamer,鈥� by Mike Curato, 鈥淚nfinity Reaper鈥� by Adam Silvera, 鈥淛ack of Hearts鈥� by L.C. Rosen, 鈥淟8r g8r,鈥� by Lauren Myracle; and 鈥淧anic鈥� by Sharon Draper.

When a book is challenged as 鈥渋nappropriate,鈥� the complaint is referred to a Book Challenge Committee, made up of parents, teachers and members of the community, a Keller spokesperson said. 

Under Texas law, it is illegal to provide to a minor. State law specifies the material must be 鈥渦tterly without redeeming social value for minors.鈥�  

The Texas penal code , however, that it is a defense that the material was provided by a person having 鈥渟cientific, educational, governmental, or other similar justification.鈥� 

Legal and library experts have on whether prosecutions are likely to be successful, noting the legal complexity of cases that often rely on whether sexual content is obscene or protected by the First Amendment. 

The governor has also publicly pointed to Leander Independent School District, located just north of Austin, as another school system that had books with inappropriate sexual content. Namely, he singled out 鈥淚n the Dream House鈥� by Carmen Maria Machado, a memoir about domestic abuse within a same-sex relationship that the district removed from its book club. The book is still available in campus and digital libraries, a district spokesman said.

The district has received no notice it is under investigation, said Matt Mitchell, a spokesman for LISD. 

鈥淲e haven鈥檛 heard from anyone yet,鈥� said Mitchell. 鈥淥ur district has worked and will continue to work hard with our community and with our parents, and if there are materials that they don鈥檛 approve of, we welcome those conversations.鈥� 

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