New details show vigorous, pricey process to identify explicit books in Edmonton schools

Edmonton Public Schools hired 11 teachers last summer to help the school division review and identify sexually explicit books that the Alberta government wanted off the shelves, according to documents newly obtained by CBC News.

The teachers were hired so the school division could comply with a ministerial order issued in July from Alberta Education to remove sexually explicit material from school library shelves.

An internally distributed list of books, which CBC News obtained in late August, included titles such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Brave New World. The list came under fire from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who accused the school division of “vicious compliance.” 

That order was updated in September to prohibit works containing explicit images of sexual acts.

Now, documents obtained by CBC News from Edmonton Public Schools through an Access to Information request show actions taken by the school division to comply with the ministerial order.

The 329 pages of records reveal that 11 teachers were hired to review books in a project that started July 28 and wrapped Aug. 22. Not all teachers worked the entire four-week term.

The school division declined an on-camera interview request.

In response to questions from CBC News, Edmonton Public Schools’ spokesperson Kim Smith said in an email that the summer project cost the school division $43,000.

Summer work

The 11 teachers were from a variety of schools in the division, the records state. A job description outlined they should have a background in English, comparative literature, library and information science or something similar.

A presentation about the project said the books selected for review included: titles that were likely to contain romantic relationships and/or sexual content that were written for teens/young adults and adults; the most borrowed titles at junior high schools and high schools; and books that received the Young Reader’s Choice Award.

The documents further outlined that 500 books were to be reviewed by the teachers, with each review to include details on why the book was added to the school library, whether the title had been previously challenged, and excerpts if it contained sexual content.

A written justification referencing the points in the ministerial order was also required for each title.

A minimum of three teachers were needed to come to a consensus about how a book should be classified — non-sexual content, explicit content or non-explicit sexual content. The documents noted that decisions typically involved between seven and 11 teachers.

The urgency to complete the task before a provincially imposed deadline was apparent.

In an email dated July 16, 2025, a supervisor stressed the impetus to get the work done.

“We’re facing extremely tight timelines, with a deadline of Oct. 1, 2025 and a need to complete significant work before schools resume…. This work is now our top priority,” the email reads.

Smith said a similar method of reviewing each book title was used to comply with the updated ministerial order.

“A smaller group of educators, about three educational staff who work in the central office, reviewed books to comply with the new provincial standards. Staff did not track the number of hours required and the work will be ongoing,” Smith said in an email.

Controversy over first list of books

The controversy around the initial list of books, which included pointed comments from acclaimed Canadian author Margaret Atwood, ultimately led to a pause on the original ministerial order. It was revised in the fall with a scope to remove books containing images of sexual acts.

Books with written descriptions of sexual acts are allowed to stay in schools.

The deadline for compliance was Jan. 5.

Since then, some school divisions have acknowledged how many books they removed but refused requests to identify the titles. EPSB has previously said it had a working list of 34 books to remove. 

When asked what happens to books that have been removed, Smith said that the division has not disposed of any books and said schools may have different ways of storing them, such as in a storage room.

CBC News asked Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides whether the newly released documents affected his support of the premier’s “vicious compliance” comments and whether he was comfortable with the costs incurred by the school division.

Nicolaides was not available for an interview but in a statement said he had been told by a board member that artificial intelligence was used to create a short list.

“It seems like they are having a hard time getting it right,” Nicolaides said in the statement.

“We have been absolutely clear from the start: this policy is about protecting children from explicit images of child molestation, sex toy use, penetration, masturbation and other age-inappropriate images. Nothing more.”

The education minister further said it is up to school boards to decide what to do with books once they are removed from shelves.