DCSD School Board Candidate Questionnaire: Brad Geiger

The next Douglas County School District (DCSD) Board of Education Election will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023! Check your voter registration and closest ballot drop box: https://www.douglas.co.us/elections/.

The 2022-23 school year marked an unprecedented escalation of book bans and censorship in classrooms and school libraries across the United States. PEN America recorded 3,362 book bans during the 22-23 school year, an increase of 33% from the 21-22 school year.

Concerned about the censorship movement sweeping across America’s schools, the Douglas County FReadom Defenders sent all the DCSD BOE candidates a brief questionnaire in August. Here’s what District C candidate Brad Geiger had to say:

Do you agree with the following principles?

	Yes	No
All young people deserve to see themselves reflected in a library’s books.	X
Books are tools for understanding complex issues.	X
Limiting young people’s access to books does not protect them from life’s complex and challenging issues.	X
Individuals should be trusted to make their own decisions about what to read.	X
Parents of one family should not make decisions for other parents’ children.	X
Reading is a foundational skill, critical to future learning and to exercising our democratic freedoms.	X

Are there any particular titles or types of books you would like to see restricted or removed from Douglas County schools?

I trust school librarians. They are the experts.

Are there any circumstances in which you would support removing a book from a school or classroom library? Please be as specific as possible.

It would have to be shown to have zero educational value for students of that age. That is a high bar.

Name a book that has influenced you and explain why.

Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. It made me see that the world view we have based on what we are taught is not the only one that could or should exist. I loved fantasy and science fiction as an adolescent because of the diverse ideas of what humans could be.

What role do you believe a school library plays in the school community?

It is the center of the school and a place for all students to access materials to educate them in life.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Free and open access to information is vital to a democracy. There have always been people who want to prevent it, often to achieve their own ends. Good people always must stand up against that.

Will you sign the American Library Association Candidate Pledge to support the freedom to read and unite against book bans?

Yes.

Save the date! We’re hosting a Virtual Town Hall with the candidates on Monday, September 25th at 6PM Mountain Time.

Watch the Recording