The author of the illustrated novel “Flamer” spoke to a crowd in Harford County on Tuesday after his book was banned by the county’s board of education earlier this year.

During the fireside chat in Bel Air, author Mike Curato said he thinks these types of bans diminish people’s rights. “Flamer” was the first book to be removed by the district after it created a process to review books flagged by concerned parents.

“The emphasis of the book banning was on marginalized communities, but now, because we’ve set this precedent of like … we can erase these stories from the shelf, but now that’s opened the door for people to take anything off the shelf,” Curato said.

The award-winning illustrated novel is about a teenage boy who finds himself on a path of self-discovery as he “navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can’t stop thinking about),” according to the author.

Curato said the book is meant to help young people who are going through difficult times and those trying to find themselves.

“A lot of people who ban ‘Flamer’ don’t talk about how the book is about suicidal ideation and prevention,” Curato said. “That’s why I made this book, because I know that there are kids out there right now who are going through exactly what I went through in 1995.”

The book was previously approved by district committees. However, parents said the school board voted to ban the book during a closed-door session in late June, after public appeals.

The event, which was sponsored by Upper Chesapeake Bay Pride Foundation and the Harford County chapter of the American Association of University Women, included an audience question-and-answer segment and a general discussion about the book and book banning.

Parents on book ban

The book and ban have sparked debates between parents and Board of Education members for months. Some argue they want their children to have access to all material.

“I would say I’m frustrated that people are using their political ideations or political thoughts to guide what we are allowed to teach and learn about in schools,” said Olivia Rines, a parent of an elementary school student in the district.

Other parents have spoken out against the book at several board meetings, saying it isn’t appropriate.

“We want to curate the best library possible, so there’s just no room for sexually explicit and vulgar materials in the school library,” Suzie Scott, chair of Moms For Liberty Harford County, said in July.

The conservative group sent the following statement regarding Tuesday’s book discussion:

“Contrary to the shrill accusations and name-calling being directed at parents, taxpayers and school board members who are trying to uphold a basic community standard of what is and is not age-appropriate material for young readers, no parent or Moms for Liberty member is calling for any book to be removed from bookstores, public libraries or Amazon. Challenging the placement of obscene materials in school libraries is not censorship or banning. It is a reasonable demand to prevent children from being exposed to age-inappropriate materials,” the statement read.

The decision to ban “Flamer” has also prompted division among board members, who had a heated debate at a July meeting.

The Harford County Board of Education said it is looking into changing the banning process. One suggestion is to allow the board to simply restrict books based on the age of a student.

Curato said all board members should be required to read and write a report on a book before banning it.

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner. See the original report.