Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that Edmonton Public Schools engaged in “vicious compliance” after a list of books to be removed from public school libraries was released and included books such as Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
The Alberta government announced in May that it would require school boards to remove books that had been identified as “inappropriate,” containing graphic content on topics like sexual activity, nudity, and molestation. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides signed a ministerial order with guidelines in July.
Edmonton Public Schools’ board released a list, distributed internally, of more than 200 books it would be removing from its shelves to comply with the directive. The list was leaked and shared online on Aug. 28. The division verified the list on Aug. 30, saying anyone who was concerned about the list should contact the education minister….