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With schools continuing to find themselves caught in emotional debates over students鈥� access to controversial books, the U.S. Department of Education has hired a new official to oversee its response to content challenges and take action if it finds that removing materials violated students鈥� civil rights.聽聽

Matt Nosanchuk, a former Obama administration official and nonprofit leader whose work has focused on the Jewish and LGBTQ communities, started his job Monday as a deputy assistant secretary in the Office for Civil Rights. In the coming weeks, he鈥檒l lead training sessions for schools and libraries on the shifting legal landscape related to restricting books available to students. The American Library Association will host the聽聽Sept. 26.

鈥淎cross the country, communities are seeing a rise in efforts to ban books 鈥� efforts that are often designed to empty libraries and classrooms of literature about LGBTQ people, people of color, people of faith, key historical events and more,鈥� a department official said in an email to reporters Thursday. 鈥淭hese efforts are a threat to student鈥檚 rights and freedoms.鈥�

The move comes as conservative groups continue to push for the removal of books they argue are inappropriate for students and GOP leaders take action against districts with books that include sexual content or discuss historical racism. 

鈥淭he Department of Education has decided to lawlessly leverage its civil rights enforcement power to coerce school districts into keeping pornography in their libraries,鈥� said Max Eden, a research fellow at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute. 

, an advocacy organization, found almost 1,500 instances of book bans affecting 874 unique titles last school year. In many cases, parents complained that the books were too advanced or graphic for younger readers. But civil rights officials say removing a book just because it has LGBTQ characters or discusses racial violence is a form of discrimination.

In a first-of-its-kind resolution in May, the department found that a Georgia district may have created a 鈥渉ostile environment鈥� when it withdrew several books with LGBTQ and Black characters following parent complaints. The agreement required the Forsyth County Schools to notify students of its library book review process and survey middle and high school students about harassment based on race or sex and whether they feel comfortable reporting it. 

Some parent leaders applauded the appointment. 

鈥淟eadership and energy on this has been a long time coming,鈥� said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union. She hopes 鈥渢o see real action and resources for children, parents and families who have been caught in the crossfire of this hate-filled political campaign for far too long.鈥�

In Florida, for example, a new states that districts must remove books that contain 鈥渟exual conduct鈥� if the material is determined to be inappropriate. Those who disagree with a district鈥檚 decision to keep a book on the shelves can ask for a review by a special magistrate.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one more level of control from the state to overturn what they don鈥檛 like,鈥� said Melissa Erickson, executive director of Alliance for Public Schools, a nonprofit. She鈥檚 expressed concerns about the ability of conservative-leaning school boards to dictate what鈥檚 taught in the classroom.

In 2021, some parents in the Williamson County, Tennessee, district sought to remove the children鈥檚 book 鈥淩uby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story,鈥� an autobiography about Bridges鈥檚 experience as the first Black student to desegregate an all-white school in New Orleans. They objected to the word 鈥渋njustice鈥� and a reference to 鈥渁 large crowd of angry white people.鈥�

In Oklahoma, the state that said officials can downgrade a district鈥檚 accreditation if it has books with 鈥渟exualized content鈥� that an average person might find unfit for students. The rule followed state Superintendent Ryan Walters鈥檚 claims that some included books such as 鈥淕ender Queer鈥� and 鈥淔lamer鈥� that feature graphic illustrations of sex. In several cases, the books had already been removed.

Some advocates say they鈥檝e been unfairly criticized for supporting the rights of parents to restrict their children from access to explicit material.

鈥淲hen people ask questions they’re crucified,鈥� Nicki Neily, president and founder of Parents Defending Education, testified Tuesday in a . 鈥淧retending that objections to minors accessing explicit sexual content is a threat to liberty and literature is a straw man and a distraction from real concerns about the quality of children’s education and whether students are safe in school.鈥�

Margaret Crespo, superintendent in residence for ILO Group, an organization that supports women leaders in education, said Nosanchuk鈥檚 hiring is likely to rankle those who think the federal government should stay out of local school board matters.

She resigned in August as superintendent of the Laramie County School District 1, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where board members pushed for a policy in which books with sexually explicit content would be off limits unless to children without parents鈥� prior permission. The school board is .  

But Crespo acknowledged the department鈥檚 assistance could be helpful to districts.

鈥淢any don鈥檛 have policy or state statute to guide the conversation,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd are struggling to meet the needs of all students.鈥�

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