The following procedures will be followed when a member of the City School District of New Rochelle community challenges the appropriateness of an item in the collection.
1. Complainant will be asked to complete a Request for Reconsideration of Materials form. This report will be forwarded to the appropriate Principal(s).
2. Complainant will be provided with a packet containing the District’s instruction goals and objectives, the District’s materials selection policy and the District’s policy on the procedure for challenged materials.
3. A meeting will be scheduled at the building level soon after receipt of he request. This meeting will include the building Principal, or a designee, the school librarian and the Complainant. If the complainant concerns a textbook, it may be appropriate to include the teacher using the material in his or her classroom.
4. If the Complainant is unsatisfied with the outcome of the building level meeting, the Request will be forwarded to a library review committee, appointed by the Superintendent of Schools, which will include a district library media specialist, a representative of the district administrative staff, and five members of the district pedagogic staff.
5. A meeting of the library review committee will be scheduled soon after the receipt of the request.
6. Material will be judged by the committee as to its conformance with the criteria for selection listed in this selection policy.
7. The written recommendation of hte committee will be forwarded to the Superintendent who will consider it and render a final decision.
8. The Principal will notify the complainant of the decision. If the work is kept, the complainant shall be given an explanation. If the complainant is valid, the principal will acknowledge it and make recommended changes. If the complaint is not satisfied, the complaint may ask the Superintendent to present an appeal to the Board of Education, which shall make a final determination of the issue. The Board of Education may seek outside assistance in reaching its decision.
9. Challenged materials will remain in circulation until the process is completed.
