tempers flared in Hunterdon County last night over a controversy that's rearing its ugly head again parents and Educators packed into the theater of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School for the latest school board meeting and hurled harsh words at administrators and Librarians over a handful of books on Library shelves reading material they claim should be banned because it's too explicit for high school students supporters of the books pushed back and chastised the board for failing to protect employees from threats and harassment they faced throughout the dispute senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan has the story some 50 speakers lined up for a contentious clash in the more than two-year-long culture War over Banning books at the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School library emotions ran high in the auditorium for the school board meeting rescheduled to accomodate the large crowd where one parent waiting to speak exploded in anger police escorted him outside moments later he left quietly the controversy over embattled school librarian Martha Hickson and her refusal to yank illustrated sex ed books like let's talk about it off the shelves highlighted a deep divide this is a far cry away from the days of showing reproductive parts in health class and discussing abstinence now we have Librarians with hardcore agendas pushing books that promote anal sex butt plugs children being raped by family members and howto manuals to assist kids in sexting and internet hookups let's talk about it is sex education for teenagers not pornography and I'm going to add here I was also sexually abused as an adolescent and knowing about my body and about consent would have been really helpful at the time Hixon attended the meeting but didn't speak her supporters slammed the board for failing to fully defend her against online harassment including Facebook attacks allegedly posted by the husband of board member Cynthia Reyes it is shameful I repeat shameful that a teacher or a librarian can be harassed or threatened for doing their job as spouse of one of your sitting board members is harassing your employee on social media and so far we have not heard about any actions being taken against the harassers board president Glenn farb banish did open the meeting by stating support for free speech and noting they refer any threats to police board is fully committed to supporting our staff in the proper performance of their educational duties let me be very clear we will not and do not accept or condone the use of violent or threatening language or resorting to disparaging or profane profane language directed our staff or anyone else during a break we asked Reyes a parental Choice supporter for comment but a board spokeswoman refused the board president already gave a statement on behalf of the board she doesn't speak for herself she's not going to be answering any questions I do not feel protected by my school district Hixon welcomed speaker support but wanted to hear it specifically from the board I would like them to emphatically state that this uh harassment this bullying is unacceptable I would like them to firmly state that I am doing my job and doing so with Excellence the board pointed out that no official forms challenging any particular book have been filed here but public debate raged anyway and it often got political I've been through this orchestrated textbook Rodeo already Tom serenus of Roxbury is one of four parents sued for defamation and liable by his school district librarian in another book Banning battle I we that defendant Tagg like a badge of honor like a batter getting hit by a pitch taking one for the team on the way to first base speakers here vow to hold school board members accountable by recall if necessary both sides marshaled outside organizations as resources and argued over how book Banning impacts lgbtq students the odds are too great as we heard from some of these speakers that would see it return to a dark time when students had to closet themselves didn't see themselves in the books and the literature they're not asking to remove all books about gayness or anything like that just a few of them that are clearly educationally unsuitable or pervasively vulgar the board took no vote on the issue in anandale Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight News