FIELD TWP- A recently hired North Woods library assistant is out of a job after students, parents, and staff complained about sexually-explicit books that were discussed and displayed in the school library recently.
Genevieve “Quinn” Krebsbach was hired to a 31.5-hour-per-week library assistant position on Sept. 2, according to school board minutes, but Superintendent Reggie Engebritson confirmed on Tuesday that Krebsbach is no longer at North Woods.
“The person no longer works for us due to the person not being a good fit for the position,” Engebritson said. “That’s all I’m able to say at this time.”
On or about Oct. 9, North Woods Principal Kelly Engman used the school’s Infinite Campus communication app to send this note to parents:
“Reports were made this week of inappropriate displays, books, and discussions about banned books in our school library. Mr. (John) Jirik (assistant principal) and I have investigated all of these reports and have taken action to ensure that our library is a safe place for students, and the content that is available in our school library is appropriate for our students in grades PreK-12.”
Engebritson declined to answer questions about the situation posed by the Timberjay, saying she could not comment because an investigation was ongoing. But through interviews and review of social media, the Timberjay has been able to determine what kind of materials and activities led to Krebsbach’s dismissal.
A whiteboard in the elementary section of the school library had a depiction of a bookshelf with the titles of ten “banned” books, along with the question “How many have you read?”
The list parallels the American Library Association’s “Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024,”all of which have been challenged or banned for sexually explicit content. Various books in the list have been challenged for descriptions of incest, sexual assault, sexual acts, drug use, profanity, and LGBTQ content.
According to multiple interviews, Krebsbach allegedly used the whiteboard as the basis for a short lesson on banned books that she conducted with various classes visiting the library, allegedly including a second- and fourth-grade class.
At least two of the titles, “Gender Queer” and “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” have been top targets for banning campaigns. Both focus on the LGBTQ experiences of the authors, and those were individually displayed on bookstands on a counter in the senior high section of the North Woods library. “Gender Queer,” a comic-book-style publication, includes graphic illustrations of people engaged in oral sex, and both have been challenged for their explicit descriptions of sexual activity.
Both the whiteboard-based banned book discussions and the displayed books raised alarms for parents and students.
Josh Gaskell, of Orr, is the parent of two children who attend North Woods, and a former employee at the school. He said he learned about the lessons and books from friends who still work there who sent him pictures of the whiteboard and the books.
“They sent me a picture of the [Gender Queer] book cover and then sent me a picture of the inside of the book, where it’s showing basically a b*** job,” Gaskell said. “One-hundred percent and honestly, my first thought was ‘This is pornography being taught.’”
Jared Bangs is a parent of four North Woods students and, as a Volunteers in Education tutor and assistant football coach, is at the school regularly. He discovered the white board when someone suggested he go into the library to take a look at it.
“Basically, the whole whiteboard was a promotion of banned books,” Bangs said. “I thought that was something odd to be promoting in an elementary library, and it was on the elementary side. A lot of the titles had to do with gender queer and sexuality, things that are just not appropriate to an elementary library, regardless of one’s position on those topics.”
Bangs sent emails to one of his daughter’s teachers and to Engebritson wanting to talk about the situation.
“I actually didn’t get a response from Reggie, but I think at that point she had probably fielded enough email – I highly doubt I was the first parent to send a concerned email. By then I’m sure the wheels were turning and she didn’t feel the need to respond to each individual parent.”
Bangs felt that the whiteboard was promoting the books by the “How many have you read?” comment.
“I think that specific question was implying ‘Hey, you should go check these out,’” Bangs said. “That’s deeply irresponsible as a librarian. A number of those books are rated teen and above, and they were being promoted to second and fourth graders. It’s absolutely inexcusable.”
While Bangs focused on the whiteboard and discussions, he said he wasn’t aware of the books that were on display in another part of the library. But high school students, including senior Lauren Burnett, were.
“I was sitting with one of my friends just talking, and I looked up and there was a book displayed on the top of one of the book racks,” Burnett said. “We picked it (“All Boys Aren’t Blue”) up and we started reading the names of the chapters, and we knew this wasn’t an appropriate book to have in the school library. We read through some of the chapters and it was just very, very inappropriate stuff. And then there’s a comic book displayed right next to it that had graphic pictures and everything that were very, very inappropriate.”
Word got around the school and to parents quickly, Burnett said.
“Like, half the high school found out about it,” Burnett said, “and all these high schoolers were taking pictures of the books and saying this is not OK to have. And then eventually it got spread to (assistant principal Jirik) and then he and I had a conversation about it with my dad there.”
Bangs said he believed that another student also voiced their concerns to Jirik.
“I think those courageous high school students should be commended,” he said. “They said these do not belong in our library, which is a shared library with elementary students.”
Burnett said that Jirik talked with Krebsbach and removed the questionable items from the library immediately. Burnett, Gaskell, and Bangs were all happy with the actions taken.
“This is the first, the very first time I can say I’m very happy with an outcome,” said Gaskell, who has registered complaints about other issues at the school in the past that he said weren’t resolved to his satisfaction.
Bangs directed his praise to what actually happened at the school.
“I’m not saying the district, okay, but those I know who acted swiftly are the upperclassmen students who seemed concerned for the greater good and concerned for the younger children, and for the one administrator that I know acted promptly, which is Mr. Jirik.”
Bangs was less pleased about communication from the school or the district office after the initial alert.
“They sent an original email saying there were inappropriate materials, and it’s been taken care of. Unless I missed an email or something, I haven’t seen any follow up since then.”
All three people the Timberjay interviewed emphasized that their concern wasn’t specifically with the books with LGBTQ content but rather lies with providing graphic descriptions and images of sexual acts, regardless of the type of relationship, in a school library serving all ages of students.
“I couldn’t care less what you are in your personal life,” Gaskell said. “But these are children. It’s inappropriate.”
Acknowledging the role of a public school to provide resources for all students and families, Bangs suggested that if books that are “highly controversial and highly sexualized” are provided, it would be best to make them available through a school nurse or guidance counselor and not have them in the general library collection. He also recommended adequate parental notification.
And while Bangs welcomes the review of the district’s procedures regarding acquisition and use of appropriate materials, he said the district need to go a step farther.
“I think the hiring of a librarian is an important decision, because that person has at their fingertips the largest breadth of material accessible to students outside of the internet,” he said. “I don’t know how those decisions are made, but the breakdown occurred at the level of the hire. Vetting materials is one thing, but vetting the person in charge of materials is actually the greater issue.”
The Timberjay attempted to find contact information for Krebsbach but was unsuccessful.