From [HERE] Katy ISD officials touched off a social media firestorm this week after they decided to temporarily pull a popular young adult book about racism and police brutality from the shelves of several junior high and high schools in November. The Katy Independent School District (KISD) is a public school district based in Texas with an enrollment of over 70,000 students.

Angie Thomas, author of "The Hate U Give," tweeted on Nov. 30 that a school district in Texas had banned the book, alluding to Katy ISD.

"I'm saddened to hear that a school district in Texas banned #TheHateUGive, but I'm also empowered - you're basically telling the kids of the Garden Heights of the world that their stories shouldn't be told," Thomas wrote, referring to the gang-ravaged neighborhood where the fictional teenage protagonist lives. "Well, I'm going to tell them even louder. Thanks for igniting the fire."

Katy ISD spokeswoman Maria Corrales DiPetta disputed Thomas' account. The spokeswoman said the book was temporarily removed after a parent complained about its language at a Nov. 6 board meeting, and a preliminary review of the book found "pervasive vulgarity. [MORE]