“This Isn’t a Ban,” But It Was: How PAEGP Extremism Sparked Book Bans and Resistance in Central York
In 2021, the Central York School District made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. Its board was led by a faction that included PA Economic Growth PAC’s current education director and then-Vice President of the board, Veronica Gemma. The district enacted a sweeping ban on a list of over 400 diversity-related educational materials. Many of these resources were books written by or about Black and Brown people. Teachers and staff in Central York compiled the list in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. They intended it to be a resource for classrooms and students. The list included books, articles, and documentaries that addressed racism, civil rights, and equity. It included episodes of Sesame Street as well as biographies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks.