Attorney General Jeff Landry of Louisiana announced on Monday the launch of a new tip line where the public can submit library books that could contain content inappropriate for children.
The “Protecting Minors” tip line opens a gateway for the public to submit books found in public libraries which “contain extremely graphic sexual content that is far from age appropriate for young audiences,” according to its website. It asks tipsters to describe “how this type of taxpayer-subsided sexualization of children” has impacted them or their families, as well as detail interactions with “librarians, teachers, school board members, district superintendents, and/or library supervisors.”
The tip line was announced during a meeting with the Slidell, Louisiana, public about the “important work [the] Cyber Crime Unit does every day to protect Louisiana children from exploitation,” the Office of the Attorney General told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a prepared statement.
The meeting also “outlined the very real risks & potential consequences of the early sexualization of children, and encouraged parents and guardians to remain not only engaged in their child’s development but also vigilant over their content consumption,” the statement read.
“Since taking office, Attorney General Jeff Landry has been committed to working with Louisiana communities to protect minors from exploitation, including early sexualization, grooming, sex trafficking, and abuse,” the statement read. “Recently, he spoke with parents and grandparents who are concerned about specific books of a sexual nature that are not age-appropriate yet remain accessible to young children within public libraries.”
The tip line “was created to give parents across the State a voice in this matter,” according to the statement. (RELATED: Dems Plan Resolution To Keep Explicit Books In Schools)
The tip line is similar to a tip line announced by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia in January 2022. The tip line, conducted through an email address to the governor’s office, invited parents to report “divisive content” being taught in classrooms. The email, however, was deactivated win September, VPM News reported.
The Louisiana office told the DCNF in the statement that it “remind[s] the community that local public libraries are controlled by their local governments, and the community should have a say in those standards.”
The tip line puzzled Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director for the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, who told Daily Advertiser that the AG’s announcement “puzzled” her.
“Libraries have long had policies on the books that allow any library user to raise a concern about a book,” she said. “Every book has its reader. Public libraries serve a wide range of information needs for everyone in the community. There are going to be books that people disagree with or don’t think are suitable for their kids. But they’re there because they serve the information needs of someone in the community.”
The American Library Association did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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