“This book convinces its reader – the children of our community – that the police routinely lie when they regularly murder children, while portraying the police as racists,” Kempinski wrote.

Kempinski also says the book exaggerates the number of unarmed blacks killed by police.

“While applauding the Broward Schools for bringing up the difficult subject of social justice, using a book filled with misinformation and a dangerous message that cops are liars, racists and murderers are not good for our children, our community or our future, ”he wrote.

CNN has contacted Rhodes but has not received a response.

In a statement to CNN, the school board said the novel had been used as an additional fiction resource in some classrooms, but was not an integral part of the curriculum. The book had been used in two fifth-grade classrooms, the board said.

“Whenever material outside of those considered as part of the course material adoption process is used in classrooms, there are procedures that teachers must follow: consider age / content; inform parents of the potential (controversy) and allow parents to choose another assignment text, ”the statement read. “These procedures were not proactively followed prior to the awarding of the novel. Subsequently, after receiving concerns from parents, use of the book was discontinued in two 5th grade classes until the procedures are implemented. “

This controversy comes as a growing number of schools grapple with ways to tackle systemic racism in K-12 grades.