"According to the Banner, a formal request to have Flamer removed from Harford County schools was filed in November 2024 by a parent who argued that the book does not "meet the values of the community" and "plants seeds in the heads of children that not only are trying to find themselves but could also be experiencing mental health challenges.""
"As CBS News notes, during a sold-out discussion of the book in Harford County last month, Curato acknowledged that Flamer, which is recommended for readers 14 and older, "is about suicidal ideation and prevention." "That's why I made this book, because I know that there are kids out there right now who are going through exactly what I went through in 1995," the author said."
Maryland's State Board of Education reversed a Harford County ban and allowed the young adult graphic novel Flamer back onto middle and high school shelves under the state's Freedom to Read Act. Flamer is a 2020 semi-autobiographical graphic novel portraying a teenage boy bullied for being gay and experiencing his first crush at a Boy Scouts summer camp in 1995. The book ranked among the most challenged titles nationally and has faced bans in multiple districts and regions. A parent filed a removal request citing community values and mental-health concerns. The state law requires districts to adopt review protocols and bars exclusions based on origin, background, or views.
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