Maryland’s school board is reversing Harford County’s removal of a book from public school libraries — the first time the state has intervened in a local decision about what’s appropriate for students to read.

The decision Tuesday comes after the Harford County school board banned the young adult graphic novel “Flamer” by Mike Curato last summer.

That action sparked backlash among community members who were upset that a book was banned — and that the decision happened behind closed doors. Some argued the removal defied the state’s Freedom to Read Act.

The local board had overruled the superintendent and a review committee who had decided to keep “Flamer” in middle and high school libraries.

“We reverse the decision of the local board and find that the local superintendent’s decision to retain ‘Flamer’ in HCPS secondary school libraries stands,” the state school board said in its decision document, obtained by The Banner.

The state board also called on the Harford County school system to revisit the procedures it established to evaluate library books to “ensure members of the HCPS community have notice and an opportunity to participate in appeals of decisions regarding objections to school library materials,” according to the decision.

The school system said in a statement that it received the state board’s ruling.

“Prior to this decision, in conjunction with the [local school] board, and based on parent and community feedback, we are strengthening our practices and procedures,” the statement said.

Aaron Poynton, president of Harford’s school board, said he was disappointed by the state’s ruling. He said Wednesday that he had not yet read the full decision but planned to do so and discuss it with his colleagues.

He said he believes that reading certain library books “should be a parental decision and not a school system decision.”

“Flamer,” he noted, is recommended for high school-age students. The author’s website recommends it for kids 14 and older, or with adult supervision.

This is the first time the state board has ruled on a local book ban since the 2024 passage of Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act. The decision could set a precedent as to what happens if a book is challenged locally.

It’s not common for the state to interfere with local school board decisions; however, Maryland regulations say the state can step in if a local board’s decision is deemed “arbitrary, unreasonable, or illegal.”

Curato’s “Flamer” is about his experience being bullied as a kid for being gay.

A formal request to remove the book from Harford schools was submitted last November. The parent making the request argued it didn’t “meet the values of the community” and it “plants seeds in the heads of children that not only are trying to find themselves but could also be experiencing mental health challenges.”

Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act states that school libraries shouldn’t exclude books because of the author’s background or “because of a partisan, ideological or religious disapproval.” It requires local school systems to create their own policies and procedures to review objections to library books.

Harford County schools created a review committee of parents, students and employees to review challenged books.

When reviewing “Flamer,” that committee voted to keep it in middle and high school libraries. Harford’s superintendent agreed and authorized “Flamer” to remain on the shelves.

However, Harford’s procedures also allow parents to appeal a decision to the local school board.

In a private meeting in June, board members voted 5-3 to remove the book, citing age-appropriateness, Poynton said in an interview afterward.

“The record is not clear on how the HCPS community was informed of the local board’s decision,” the state board said in its Tuesday ruling.

Poynton said appeal decisions always happen in closed meetings and that a state ethics board agreed the June meeting wasn’t a violation of the Open Meetings Act. Board members also talked about their decision to the public afterward, he added.

Neil and Tarsi Thompson, Harford residents whose grandchildren attend public schools, learned about the ban through word of mouth. They joined other community members to appeal to the state school board.

The Thompsons are part of the grassroots group Together We Will, which advocates for social justice and has opposed the ban of “Flamer.”

Neil Thompson said in an interview that they want their grandchildren, and the rest of Harford’s students, to have access to a variety of materials in school libraries.

The Thompsons were ecstatic when they learned about the state’s decision.

“If we were healthy enough to do backflips, we would’ve,” Neil Thompson said.

But Together We Will members recently learned through a public information request, reviewed by The Banner, that another book is being challenged for removal from Harford school libraries. That title, “Girlmode,” by Magdalene Visaggio, is about a transgender girl who is adjusting to her new high school.

The state school board stepping in when a book is banned locally adds a layer of protection amid attempts by conservative activists to pull books they view as inappropriate.

In the case of “Flamer,” Harford’s board claimed the review committee failed to “critically evaluate the book on its age appropriateness, its extensive profanity, sexual situations and demanding observations of females.”

However, the state board said, Harford board members gave no specifics of how the committee’s and superintendent’s review was flawed.

The local board can overturn a superintendent’s decision only if it is considered arbitrary or unreasonable. No evidence was given to support that, the state said.

It’ll be up to Harford’s superintendent to decide whether “Flamer” returns to school libraries.

Poynton said the board and administration have been revising the district’s steps for evaluating library books. Current procedure, he said, doesn’t allow for “tailored decisions” such as removing “Flamer” from middle schools but not high schools.

The policies could be updated within weeks, he said.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.