A school district in Texas recently canceled a New York Times best-selling author’s visit because of tweets in which she used “swear words.”
Emma Straub, author of “Very Good Hats,” was scheduled to read her book at two elementary schools in the Katy Independent School District on Jan. 13, until officials called her the day before to withdraw the invitation.
In a tweet sent out after the Uvalde school shooting, Straub wrote: “F**k guns, f**k people who care more about controlling women’s bodies than any of us in front of people to protect with guns, f**k! It is too much. So heartbroken.’
School administrators said in an email to families in the district that the author’s language “does not align with the values of our school and community.”
Emma Straub, author of “Very Good Hats,” had withdrawn her invitation to read her book at elementary schools in Texas because of “defamatory language” in tweets
This is one of the elementary schools where Straub should read her book
The move has sparked a backlash from some parents in the district, who accused the school of “again” giving in to parents who “insist on limiting access and experiences.”
According to Chron, the district canceled an author’s event after parents complained that her books advocated critical race theory.
The issue was first raised by parents, who found Straub’s tweet on social media, urging the district to “do better” at screening guests.
Straub was scheduled to speak to preschoolers and first graders at Robertson and Cimarron elementary schools just outside of Houston.
“As parents, we need to be more of what the county and our school allows for near our children,” the parent wrote in a post shared by another mom.
“If you don’t stand up for your children, who will? Katy ISD, you MUST do better!’ The parent continued.
The unidentified parent’s Facebook post was shared by Anne Russey, another mother in the districts.
This is the Facebook post from a parent who complained about Straub’s reading
Straub’s tweet was posted after the Uvalde school shooting and said: ‘Fuck guns’
Russey was outraged by the school’s decision to give in to the other parents and shared her anger in a series of tweets on Monday.
“Once again, @katyisd gives in to relentless demands from parents who insist on restricting access and experiences for ALL students and not just their own,” Russey wrote.
In addition to the other parent’s Facebook post, the mother shared several screenshots of the message sent by the district and a flyer for the first event.
“We have been made aware that this author has regularly used inappropriate and offensive language on her social media platforms — specifically, the repeated use of the ‘F’ word,” administrators wrote in the email.
“As you know, this type of language is not in line with the values of our school and community,” the letter, sent by a principal, reads.
The school official also apologized for any misunderstanding or inconvenience, but continued, “While ensuring that we consistently set appropriate behaviors and expectations for our students, both in the classroom and across other campus opportunities, is a high priority.”
This is the tweet that prompted parents to rebel against her performance
The school sent that letter to parents and staff in the district, saying that Straub’s language is not “aligned with school and community values.”
This is the book Straub should read in elementary schools
According to the flyer published by Russey, the schools had initially offered parents the opportunity to opt out of the reading.
“At least one elementary school has canceled author visits for ALL students, rather than directing parents to the opt-out option available to them,” Russey wrote.
Russey then referenced the date of the tweet, May 24, as an explanation for the expletives.
“Remember what else happened on May 24th? 19 elementary school students and 2 elementary school teachers were murdered by a damn teenager with a damn gun while the damn police waited forever to help the poor damn dying kids,” the mother wrote.
The mother was referring to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Straub, who was tagged in the tweets, saw the mother’s Twitter thread and apologized for not being able to come and read her book.
‘Thank you. I was sorry that I couldn’t read my silly book about hats and imagination to these kids,” she wrote.
“The only F-words in the presentation: funny, feline, feelings,” the author replied.
has reached out to representatives from Straub and the Katy Independent School District, but have received no response as of publication.
This is Anne Russey, who first vented her outrage at the school’s cancellation of Straub’s performance
Straub responded in a tweet, saying she was “sorry” that she couldn’t read her “silly book.”
This wasn’t the first time the school district had faced backlash over allegations of “censorship.”
In October, the county canceled an event featuring author and cartoonist Jenny Craft.
Parents had complained that the author’s works promoted critical racial theory and her books were being removed from school libraries.
According to Chron, Katy ISD later rescheduled her performance and returned the books.
The district began removing books that parents described as “pervasively vulgar” in 2021 and even opened a submission portal for parents to have a book reviewed for appropriateness.