Meet the Parent

"I'm perfectly willing for parents to say, 'I want my kids to read those books,'" Motley says. Just not in classrooms.

"I do think they stimulate the prurient interests in kids," Motley says.

Motley says the debate is about when to introduce this material to children, whether it's age-appropriate. Harper adds that making kids read the objectionable books might be considered sexual harassment.

One idea for a compromise, Motley says, is to have two classes, one for contemporary literature and one for classics approved by his organization. But the Blue Valley Board of Education has yet to bend to ClassKC's will. Motley admits that, without the board's support, ClassKC is stuck.

"If that group [the school board] doesn't like my idea, then I'm done," he says. "The only thing I can do at that point is to vote out board members." So far, though, that strategy hasn't worked, either.

Battles have been lost, but ClassKC is still collecting signatures — 800 at last count — demanding that the district drop the original 14 offending books. Harper's daughter graduated from Blue Valley West High School last year. She says the group's next move is up to Janet Harmon, whose two children still attend Blue Valley West. (The Pitch was unable to reach Harmon.)

Motley wants ClassKC members in churches, rallying people in the pews. He talks about reaching the conservative Christian voting block and harnessing their political power. He's encouraging them to build partnerships with organizations such as the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families. ClassKC also networks with similar organizations in Virginia, Texas, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Illinois. They have received the support of groups such as the conservative Christian nonprofit the Alliance Defense Fund, and Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum.

Meanwhile, Motley continues to follow the example set by the miracle healer John Wimber in Anaheim. Every Tuesday night, Motley presides as a lay preacher for Bible class in his home. He also speaks at churches.

One Saturday morning in early May, Motley was at the First Southern Baptist Church in Topeka for a "Men's Spiritual Fitness" conference — a Promise Keepers-type gathering where men shared their feelings, wept openly and learned to be "godly leaders" at home, at work and in the community.

In front of 25 or so mostly gray-haired men, Motley shared the pain of losing his wife and child. He confessed his addiction to pornography. He implored the men to get over their issues and reach out to the sexually broken.

Presumably, that includes people led astray by books — and average parents who let kids read them.