LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (WDVM) — Loudoun County is making national headlines again, after frustrated parents expressed their concerns over a ‘graphic’ novel in the school curriculum.

Heated parents took to the podium at a Loudoun County School Board meeting to read passages from a novel entitled “Monday’s Not Coming” by author Tiffany D. Jackson.

Parents held up large signs with passages from the novel and read them out loud to the school board. The novel, assigned to freshman year students, contains graphic scenes depicting violence towards women and degrading sexual content.

Passages read out loud described a woman being beaten and locked in a closet, as well as sexual acts in a classroom.

Patti Menders, one of the parents who spoke at the meeting, told the board that if adults are uncomfortable discussing the content, then it should not be allowed for children to read.

“If this is inappropriate for me to read to you, this is inappropriate for our children. We’re here because we care, we care about our children. Please get these dirty books out of our schools,” said Menders.

Loudoun County Public Schools says that if a parent feels a text is not appropriate for their child, they can request an alternative novel.