THE books of David Walliams will remain in school libraries “at the present time”, following allegations of serious sexual misconduct by the best-selling children’s author and comedian.
Mr Walliams has been accused has been accused of using his celebrity status to prey on young women and teenagers for sex. He has denied allegations of sexual misconduct.
The former Britain’s Got Talent judge has sold more than 50 million copies of books including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy.
The allegations against him have led to a number of schools and libraries across the UK withdrawing his books.
However, an Education Department spokesperson said that children should be encouraged to read and that the book options available to them should not be restricted.
They said: “Across our libraries and schools, collections are managed in line with established professional and ethical principles, with a commitment to providing access to a broad range of books.
“We want to encourage children and young people to read and do not want to discourage that by unnecessarily restricting the choice of books available to them.”
An injunction preventing the media from naming Mr Walliams and publishing the allegations against him lapsed on Wednesday.
The Education Department spokesperson added: “Jersey Library takes seriously its responsibility to protect people’s freedom to read. The starting point is that books should remain available to readers unless their content is illegal, and its collections are continually reviewed and refreshed in response to reader demand.”
“Schools similarly review and refresh their library collections to ensure they remain appropriate, relevant and engaging for pupils. Decisions about individual books are made by schools using professional judgement and taking into account factors including age appropriateness and the needs and interests of their pupils.
“David Walliams’ books therefore remain available in Jersey Library and school libraries at the present time. We will monitor developments following recent reporting concerning David Walliams and review the position if further relevant information or guidance becomes available.”
