Girl Scout fights back, says Hanover censored project during Gold Award recognition

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Some say the voices of our young people are the voices of our future.

Girl Scout Kate Lindley has been a vocal advocate for students’ free access to literature. The high school senior has actively opposed the appointed Hanover County School Board’s decision to ban more than 91 books from school libraries.

After being honored on Wednesday, Lindley took to the podium thanking the board for their “censorship” of her Gold Award, the highest award within the Girl Scouts organization. She said the summary of her work commended at the meeting did not match the description she submitted.

Prior to the individual recognitions, county leaders flooded soundwaves with words of appreciation and adoration for the four Girl Scouts from Troop #789 receiving their proclamations of commendation for receiving their “Gold Awards.”

Descriptors like the “leaders of tomorrow” and “outstanding young women” rippled through the auditorium.

One speaker commended the girls’ character, focusing on a specific quality.

“The girls respect authority, but correctly do not blindly follow it,” a speaker said.

When taking the stand, Lindley said her version of a self-submitted Gold Award project summary didn’t match what leaders read out loud and read the original description she provided.

“You have bestowed upon me the greatest honor you could,” the Girl Scout said. “Greater than that of any proclamation… in your censorship of my Gold Award project.”

Her summary detailed her creation of “Banned Book Nooks,” which granted kids across the county access to pieces of literature the school board removed from school shelves. Her work also involved the creation of a “Free-To-Read” app, which educates users about banned books and where to find them. The board chose to leave out the word “banned” and limited describing pieces of Lindley’s project, effectively, in Lindley’s words, censoring her award.

“You have shown the world that you are afraid to call something what it is,” Lindley said. “Be that a banned book or a ‘de-selected’ one.”

Other community members — including troop leaders and former Girl Scouts — spoke out in support of Lindley.

“The difference between the Girl Scouts of my grandmother’s generation and the Girl Scouts of my daughter’s generation is that Girl Scouts is willing to change. Hanover County apparently is not. Well, outside of what we’re teaching in Girl Scouts,” a speaker said.

One Board of Supervisors member reiterated his belief that certain content doesn’t belong in schools – regardless of public pushback. He referenced specific pieces of work that included sexual content.

“It is not educational, that is not appropriate to be in taxpayer-funded libraries,” said the Board of Supervisors member.

Lindley said she’s still empowered and not done fighting against book bans.

“Things need to change in Hanover County to reverse the tide of book bans,” Lindley said. “Our school board banned books because of a fundamental ignorance of the importance of celebrating diverse perspectives.”

A vocal audience cheered Lindley on throughout the meeting. Her initiatives remain in action. Click here for more information on her “Free-to-Read” movement.

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