Out of 3,619 children鈥檚 books the reviewed in 2023, only 16% depicted African/African American characters. And the numbers were even more dismal for other characters of color: 13% of books depicted Asian Pacific Islander/Asian Pacific American characters, 8% of books depicted Latino characters, and only 3% of books depicted Indigenous characters.

In today鈥檚 climate, this absence is even more alarming. Consider that the U.S. Department of Education has its Diversity & Inclusion Council, canceled diversity, equity and inclusion training contracts, and removed DEI-related resources from its website. For the third year in a row, my home state, Florida, ranked number one in restricting and removing books from schools.

Whether you’re a parent or educator, this should make you uncomfortable. These efforts to suppress and erase diverse perspectives only make it harder for children to ask questions about identity and appreciate the full beauty of the world. And communities 鈥� not just in Florida but nationwide 鈥� need to come together to protect inclusive learning spaces by organizing and showing up to local school board meetings. Fear-driven policies should not define what children are allowed to know.

Books can serve as powerful tools to teach children how to interrogate the world. Children are constantly asking questions about identity. These conversations are coming up organically, after all, we do live in a racialized society. But what happens when schools suppress ideas that could help them make sense of all they are seeing and hearing?

Well, that silence loudly communicates that educators don鈥檛 care about their thoughts and feelings, that the subject isn鈥檛 worth talking about, or that the subject must be avoided or feared. When those thoughts and comments go unaddressed, it leaves children to find answers elsewhere, sometimes from unreliable or inaccurate sources.

In addition, offering children more books with diverse characters can be incredibly affirming. For example, in my work at an education nonprofit, one day I stood observing a tutor complete a literacy assessment on a 4-year-old Black boy. As the tutor read from an assessment storybook, the boy noticed a Black in the book. 鈥淭hat boy is as Black as me!鈥� he exclaimed. The tutor looked at me, at a loss for words. I looked at the student, smiled and said, 鈥淗e sure is! And you鈥檙e both very handsome.鈥� I then looked at the tutor and gave him a gentle nod to continue the assessment. In that moment, that student鈥檚 very existence felt affirmed.

Reading books with diverse characters also helps develop empathy. I recall when a friend told me about her cousin who is a first-grade teacher in Florida. She had done a mock presidential election in her class between two book characters: Grace, a brown girl, and a duck. After the students voted, the teacher had the students explain why they voted for a particular candidate and created a chart to reflect their responses.

Some of the students who voted for the duck, responded 鈥淕irls can鈥檛 be president.鈥� Others said they voted against her because 鈥淪he鈥檚 brown.鈥� My first thought was 鈥淲ow, these are 6- and 7-year-olds. How did they even arrive at this conclusion?鈥� But I already knew the answer. We are all part of a racialized society, and our children are already having these conversations 鈥� on the school bus, in the lunchroom, on the playground.

This is why children should be exposed to diverse characters. They need to see the potential and possibilities that all people can have. Because if they don鈥檛 see it, it can be difficult to believe it, especially at an age when you鈥檙e still developing ideas of identity and self concept.

So educators and communities must do all they can to share stories that reflect a variety of experiences to help children build empathy, understanding and pride in themselves and in one another. That鈥檚 why the Children鈥檚 Book Prize announcement filled me with such hope. Representation does matter. Banning books that could impart critical lessons of understanding sends the wrong message.

So show up to your local school board meetings, make your voices heard. Young children need to cultivate a positive identity of themselves and others; they need to know that all people have stories worth telling; and they need to believe in their unlimited potential.

State lawmakers across the country filed more bills to restrict or protect libraries and readers in the first half of this year than last year, a new report found.

The split fell largely along geographic lines, according to from EveryLibrary, a group that advocates against book bans and censorship.

Between January and July 2025, lawmakers introduced 133 bills that the organization deemed harmful to libraries, librarians or readers鈥� rights in 33 states 鈥� an increase from 121 bills in all of 2024. Fourteen of those measures had passed as of mid-July.

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At the same time, legislators introduced 76 bills in 32 states to protect library services or affirm the right to read, the report found.

The geographic split among these policies is stark.

In Southern and Plains states, new laws increasingly criminalize certain actions of librarians, restrict access to materials about gender and race, and transfer decision-making power to politically appointed boards or parent-led councils.

Texas alone passed a trio of sweeping laws educators of certain legal protections when providing potentially obscene materials; public funding for instructional materials containing obscene content; and over student reading choices and new library additions.

lowered the bar to prosecute educators for sharing books that might be considered 鈥渉armful to minors.鈥�

A bill likewise would鈥檝e made it easier for parents or the state attorney general to bring civil actions against school employees for distributing material deemed harmful to minors, but it was vetoed by .

In , a new law allows for real-time alerts for parents every time a student checks out a book. requires libraries and schools to install filtering software. New laws in Idaho the requirements to form library districts and stricter internet filtering policies that are tied to state funding.

In contrast, several Northeastern states have passed legislation protections for libraries and librarians and anti-censorship laws.

, , 听补苍诲 have each enacted 鈥渇reedom to read鈥� or other laws that codify protections against ideological censorship in libraries.

Connecticut also took a major step in modernizing libraries in the digital age, the report said, becoming the first state in the nation to pass a regulating how libraries license and manage e-books and digital audiobooks.

Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at rsequeira@stateline.org.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.

Karen Grant and fellow school librarians throughout New Jersey have heard an increasingly loud chorus of parents and conservative activists demanding that certain books 鈥� often about race, gender and sexuality 鈥� be removed from the shelves.

In the past year, Grant and her colleagues in the Ewing Public Schools just north of Trenton updated a 3-decade-old policy on reviewing parents鈥� challenges to books they see as pornographic or inappropriate. Grant鈥檚 team feared that without a new policy, the district would immediately bend to someone who wanted certain books banned.

Around the same time, state lawmakers in Trenton were readying legislation to set a book challenge policy for the entire state, preventing book bans based solely on the subject of a book or the author鈥檚 background or views, while also protecting public and school librarians from legal or civil liabilities from people upset by the reading materials they offer.

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When Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed that measure into law last month, Grant breathed a little easier.

鈥淲e just hear so many stories of our librarians feeling threatened and targeted,鈥� said Grant, who works at Parkway Elementary School and serves as president of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians. 鈥淭his has been a wrong, an injustice that needs to be made right.鈥�

Amid a national rise in book bans in school libraries and new laws in some red states that threaten criminal penalties against librarians, a growing number of blue states are taking the opposite approach.

New Jersey at least five other states 鈥� California, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington 鈥� that have passed legislation within the past two years that aims to preserve access to reading materials that deal with racial and sexual themes, including those about the LGBTQ+ community.

Conservative groups have led the effort to ban materials to shield children from what they deem as harmful content. In the 2023-24 school year, there were 10,000 instances of book bans across the U.S. 鈥� nearly three times as many as the year before, according to by PEN America, a nonprofit that advocates for literary freedom.

鈥淐ertain books are harmful to children 鈥� just like drugs, alcohol, Rated R movies and tattoos are harmful to them,鈥� Kit Hart, chair of the Carroll County, Maryland, chapter of Moms for Liberty, a national organization leading the book banning effort, wrote in an email.

But some states are now safeguarding librarians and the books they offer.

鈥淪tate leaders are demonstrating that censorship has no place in their state and that the freedom to read is a principle that is supported and protected,鈥� said Kasey Meehan, director of the Freedom to Read program at PEN America, which has been tracking book bans since 2021.

The drive to ban certain books is not waning, however. While a handful of states fight censorship in school libraries, some communities within those states are attempting to retake local control and continuing to remove materials that conservative local officials regard as lurid and harmful to children.

鈥楲ives are in the balance鈥�

The New Jersey not only sets minimum standards for localities when they adopt a policy on how books are curated or can be challenged but also prevents school districts from removing material based on 鈥渢he origin, background, or views of the library material or those contributing to its creation.鈥�

The law also gives librarians immunity from civil and criminal liability for 鈥済ood faith actions.鈥�

New Jersey state Sen. Andrew Zwicker, a Democrat who introduced the legislation, said until recently he thought that book bans were a disturbing trend, but one limited to other states. But early last year, he went to a brunch event and met a school librarian who told him she faced a torrent of verbal and online abuse for refusing to remove a handful of books with LGBTQ+ themes from her library鈥檚 shelves.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I realized that I was so horribly mistaken, that these attacks on librarians and on the freedom to read were happening everywhere,鈥� Zwicker told Stateline. 鈥淚 went up to her and asked, 鈥榃hat can I do?鈥欌��

He said he鈥檚 already heard from lawmakers in Rhode Island who are considering introducing a similar measure this year.

A child who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community can read a memoir like 鈥溾�� by Maia Kobabe and feel seen for the first time in their lives, he said.

鈥淚 do not think it鈥檚 an overstatement to say that lives are in the balance here, that these books are that important to people, and that librarians are trusted gatekeepers to ensure that what鈥檚 on the shelf of a library has been curated and is appropriate,鈥� Zwicker said.

These new state laws, several of which are titled the 鈥淔reedom to Read Act,鈥� passed almost entirely along party lines, with unanimous Democratic support.

In New Jersey, Republican state Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, who has worked in schools for the past 18 years, including as an English teacher, vehemently opposed the measure. She did not respond to an interview request.

鈥淭his isn鈥檛 puritanical parents saying, 鈥極h, I don鈥檛 want my child to learn how babies are made,鈥欌�� during a September committee hearing. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 ridiculous, and we all know it.鈥�

She added, 鈥淲hat I do want is for us to be able to have an honest conversation about some of what is in these texts that is extraordinarily inappropriate for that grade level.鈥�

Enforcement and penalties

Legislation differs by state, including in enforcement and how to penalize noncompliant localities.

In Illinois, for example, school districts risk losing thousands of dollars in state grant funding if they violate the state鈥檚 new law discouraging book bans. But as the Chicago Tribune , that financial penalty was not enough to persuade many school districts throughout the state to comply, with administrators saying they are concerned about giving up local control on school decisions.

Several school districts in other states have similarly rebelled.

North of Minneapolis, St. Francis Area Schools鈥� board last month it would consult with conservative group BookLooks to determine which books it will buy for its school libraries. BookLooks uses a 0-through-5 that flags books for violent and sexual content.

Under its rating system, books that have long had a place in school libraries 鈥� such as the Holocaust memoir 鈥淣ight鈥� by Elie Wiesel or 鈥淚 Know Why the Caged Bird Sings鈥� by Maya Angelou 鈥� would require parental consent to read.

Asked about the school district potentially violating state law, school board member Amy Kelly, who led the drive to use BookLooks, declined to be interviewed. Karsten Anderson, superintendent of St. Francis Area Schools, also declined an interview request.

In Maryland, Carroll County schools the state in banning books in recent years, removing in the 2023-2024 school year at least 59 titles that were 鈥渟exually explicit,鈥� according to a tally by PEN America.

Schools should not allow children to see 鈥渒ink and porn,鈥� wrote Hart, of Moms for Liberty. She got involved in the effort more than three years ago, saying she wanted to protect her five children and parents鈥� rights to make educational decisions.

She pointed to one book to make her point: 鈥�: The Teen鈥檚 Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human,鈥� a nonfiction book in graphic novel form by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan that seeks to educate teenagers about anatomy and consensual and safe sex. The book explores other issues of gender and sexuality, as well. Hart likened the book鈥檚 illustrations showing different ways of having sex to 鈥渆rotica.鈥�

鈥淧arents who provide their children with alcohol or drugs, or to give them a tattoo would rightly be charged with crimes,鈥� she wrote Stateline in an email. 鈥淪chools that provide children with sexually explicit content are negligent at best.鈥�

The future of book bans

Around 8,000 of the more than 10,000 instances of banned books during the 2023-24 school year were in Florida and Iowa schools, according to PEN America. Lawmakers in those states enacted legislation in 2023 that created processes for school districts to remove books that have sexual content.

Iowa now that reading materials offered in schools be 鈥渁ge-appropriate,鈥� while the Florida ensures that books challenged for depicting or describing 鈥渟exual conduct鈥� be removed from shelves while the challenge is processed by the district.

Some of those banned books classics, such as 鈥淩oots鈥� by Alex Haley and 鈥淎 Tree Grows in Brooklyn鈥� by Betty Smith.

Over the past year, lawmakers in Idaho, Tennessee and Utah passed measures that ban certain reading materials that deal with sex or are otherwise deemed inappropriate, according to from EveryLibrary, an Illinois-based organization that advocates against book bans. Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs similar legislation in June.

Laws that allow for book bans have been the subject of in recent years, as plaintiffs argue those measures violate constitutional protections of free expression.

Late last month, a federal judge parts of a 2023 Arkansas law that threatened prison time for librarians who distribute 鈥渉armful鈥� material to minors. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, a Republican, announced the state would appeal the decision.

EveryLibrary is 26 bills in five states that lawmakers will consider this year that would target books with sexual and racial themes.

The organized effort to remove books because of LGBTQ+ or racial themes will continue, said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association鈥檚 Office for Intellectual Freedom.

The association, which book bans as part of its mission to support libraries and information science, found that most of the around the country had LGBTQ+ protagonists.

鈥淟ibrarians have always been all about providing individuals with access to the information they need, whether it鈥檚 for education, for enrichment, for understanding,鈥� she said in an interview. 鈥淐ensorship is diametrically opposed to that mission.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org.

Librarians and schools weary from escalating efforts to ban books have new protections under legislation Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Monday.

The 鈥淔reedom to Read Act鈥� limits book bans in public schools and libraries and shields librarians from lawsuits and criminal charges filed by folks who find library materials obscene or otherwise objectionable.

Murphy signed the bill in the children鈥檚 section of the Princeton Public Library, surrounded by a crowd of smiling librarians, lawmakers, civil liberties advocates, and parents.

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鈥淭his law will strengthen, not diminish, the rights of parents to choose what reading materials their children should or should not have access to by ensuring that every family can make their own determination about what books are appropriate for a child,鈥� Murphy said.

Under the new law, the state鈥檚 education commissioner 鈥� in consultation with the state librarian, the New Jersey School Boards Association, and the New Jersey Association of School Librarians 鈥� will develop policies on how library materials are selected and how challenges to books on library shelves should be evaluated. Local school boards and library boards then must adopt their own policies using this model.

The law also bars school and library boards from removing books because of the 鈥渙rigin, background, or views鈥� of the material or those contributing to its creation, and allows only people with a 鈥渧ested interest鈥� to challenge a book in a school library.

It also gives librarians and library staff immunity from civil and criminal liability for 鈥済ood faith actions.鈥�

It will take effect in one year, giving state education officials and libraries time to devise the required policies.

Republicans and conservative activists have fought the measure, warning it would give children access to obscene materials and protect librarians who share obscene books with children.

But Sen. Andrew Zwicker (D-Middlesex) said the new law, which he introduced, is a 鈥渂old response to this growing wave of censorship.鈥� Many of the  reported during the 2023-24 school year were of books with characters or themes centered on people of color and the LGBTQ community, he added.

鈥淭hat is not a coincidence. These bans are a deliberate effort to erase voices and perspectives that challenge the status quo, often under the guise of protecting children from discomfort,鈥� Zwicker said.

Zwicker said he was inspired to draft the legislation after hearing Martha Hickson, a recently retired librarian, speak.

Hickson, who successfully fought efforts to ban five LGBTQ-themed books at North Hunterdon High School, got hate mail, was shunned by colleagues and antagonized by administrators, and endured calls for her firing and arrest.

She was there Monday to watch Murphy sign the bill into law.

鈥淚鈥檓 certainly not the only victim of these politically motivated attacks,鈥� Hickson said. 鈥淭he students I serve feel the pain, too, when the books that describe their lived experience were called disgusting, obscene, and depraved. Students recognized that those insults were also intended for them.鈥�

She applauded the new law and shook Murphy鈥檚 hand as he gave her the pen he used to sign it.

鈥淣ew Jersey citizens now have protections to read about the topics that interest them in their libraries. When concerns about books arise, parents now have a clear process for raising issues without resorting to bullying. And for librarians across the state, the dignity of our work will now be recognized and preserved,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll of that is truly cause for celebration.鈥�

The bill signing received boos from three GOP lawmakers 鈥� Sen. Parker Space and Assembly members Dawn Fantasia and Michael Inganamort 鈥� who said the law will eliminate protections that have kept obscene material out of the hands of children.

鈥淥ur school libraries are meant to be a peaceful place for learning, not littered with lewd or inappropriate materials that distract from a child鈥檚 education,鈥� they said in a joint statement. 鈥淓nabling the distribution of obscene material is reprehensible, but absolving accountability for its distribution is heinous and inexcusable.鈥�

The law was a bit pared-down from what its sponsors initially intended. To appease critics, Zwicker and his bill co-sponsors Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) and Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis (D-Somerset) removed language that would have amended the state鈥檚 obscenity statute to add protections for librarians and teachers and state anti-discrimination law to bar employers from considering librarians鈥� actions on book removal requests in hiring decisions.

The bill ultimately passed the Legislature after lengthy committee hearings largely along party lines, with the Senate  by a 24-15 vote and the Assembly voting 52-20 for it in June.

A poll released earlier this year showed most New Jersey residents  about book bans, with more worried about censorship than classroom content.

Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, said book bans are related to attacks on other freedoms that have sprung up in recent years as politics have become more polarized 鈥� and will worsen under President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 second term.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a subset of the population that wants to control what children have access to, regardless of whether or not they parent those children. Whether we鈥檙e talking about book bans or sex ed or abortion rights or critical race theory or DEI initiatives, those are all part of the same ecosystem,鈥� Sinha said.

The new law protects the freedom of intellectual choice, he added.

鈥淣o one parent or no one community member gets to decide what books are appropriate for everybody in that community,鈥� he said.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.

During the 2023-2024 school year, Florida schools removed nearly twice as many books than the year before following challenges from parents and community members.

Schools removed 732 titles during the , on top of .

Twenty-three districts contributed to the list, with Clay, Indian River, and Volusia counties making up significant portions.

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The removals stem from requiring school boards to adopt protocols for screening books deemed to be pornographic or contain sexual content.

Florida book removals have been the subject of lawsuits claiming censorship and limiting freedom of expression.

鈥淭here are no books banned in Florida, and sexually explicit materials do not belong in schools,鈥� Florida Department of Education Communications Director Sydney Booker said in an email to the Phoenix. She added that of the more than 700 books on the list, some of the same titles have been counted in multiple districts.

The number of book challenges may have been too high in the eyes of legislators.

A law passed earlier this year, after the reporting period for the above data, could lower the number of challenges in the years to come. limits nonparents living in a school district to one book challenge per month.

PEN America report

Less than two weeks ago, of books that had been removed from Florida school libraries during the 2023-2024 school year.

By PEN America鈥檚 count, schools removed about 4,500 books from Florida libraries. The methodology between the freedom of expression advocacy organization and the state differs, though.

PEN鈥檚 list includes books temporarily removed while awaiting a final decision from the school board, and administrative removals, another method to take books off shelves.

The state鈥檚 count includes only books removed by school boards and does not include books removed pending challenges.

By PEN鈥檚 tally, Florida removed more books than any other state during the previous school year.

and several authors of removed books argues state definitions of 鈥減ornographic鈥� and 鈥渄escribes sexual content鈥� are unconstitutional and have resulted in censorship.

The publishers argue that 鈥渧agueness and ambiguity result in overbroad interpretations of [the law鈥檚] prohibition on content that describes sexual conduct and chill protected speech.鈥�

The Florida Department of Education stands by the limitations put on school libraries.

鈥淥nce again, far left activists are pushing the book ban hoax on Floridians,鈥� Booker said. 鈥淭he better question is why do these activists continue to fight to expose children to sexually explicit materials.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on and .

Florida topped every state in the nation for the number of books removed from school libraries during the 2023-2024 school year.

That鈥檚 4,500 books from July 2023 to June 2024, according to an annual report from PEN America, a nonprofit advocating for freedom of expression.

That represents nearly half of nationwide removals, which numbered 10,064. Iowa, which removed more than 3,600 books, was next closest to Florida.

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Florida鈥檚 2023 law, HB 1069, created a legal process for removing books, including a requirement that they be pulled while schools respond to challenges filed by parents or citizens. The list compiled by PEN includes books permanently removed from schools, removed pending investigation, and restrictions based on grade level or requiring parental permission.

Thirty-three school districts in Florida removed books, according to PEN鈥檚 report.

Escambia, Clay, Collier, and Orange counties鈥� removal numbers were among the highest in the state.

Escambia accounted for 1,582 of Florida鈥檚 removals. A great deal of them were 鈥渂anned pending investigation鈥� in August 2023, shortly after the book removal law took effect.

During the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers passed a law limiting book challenges by residents without a child in school to one per month.

A group of book publishers against the Florida Board of Education in August, claiming the book removal law is overboard and has caused a chilling effect.

Nationwide

The 10,064 removals nationwide included 4,231 unique titles across 29 states and 220 school districts. In 2022-2023, schools removed 1,557; in 2021-2022, the number was 1,643.

Of that total, 43% were complete removals.

鈥淚t is important to recognize that books available in schools, whether in a school or classroom library or as part of a curriculum, were selected by librarians and educators as part of the educational offerings to students,鈥� reads the PEN America news release.

鈥淏ook bans occur when those choices are overridden by school boards, administrators, or even politicians on the basis of a particular book鈥檚 content.鈥�

Among the titles removed in more than one district, more than half, 57%, included sex-related themes and 39% included LGBTQ characters or people.

The most banned book was 鈥淣ineteen Minutes鈥� by Jodi Picoult. Other most commonly removed titles include 鈥淟ooking for Alaska鈥� by John Green, 鈥淭he Perks of Being a Wallflower鈥� by Stephen Chbosky, 鈥淐rank鈥� by Ellen Hopkins, 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥� by Margaret Atwood, 鈥淭he Bluest Eye鈥� by Toni Morrison, and 鈥淎 Court of Frost and Starlight鈥� by Sarah J. Maas.

鈥淗aving the most banned book in the country is not a badge of honor 鈥� it鈥檚 a call for alarm,鈥� Picoult said in PEN鈥檚 news release.

鈥�鈥�Nineteen Minutes鈥� is banned not because it鈥檚 about a school shooting, but [] because of a single page that depicts a date rape and uses anatomically correct words for the human body. It is not gratuitous or salacious, and it is not 鈥� as the book banners claim 鈥� porn. In fact, hundreds of kids have told me that reading 鈥�19 Minutes鈥� stopped them from committing a school shooting, or showed them they were not alone in feeling isolated.鈥�

The nonprofit states that its numbers present a 鈥渟napshot of the total number of book bans and the distribution of book bans across states and districts are likely an undercount. Book bans from schools and districts often go under-reported or unreported.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on and .

These tensions escalated last year when a teacher disagreed with the superintendent’s decision to follow the advice of the school district’s lawyer and honor a transgender student’s request not to share their transition with their parents. The teacher went public and the results were swift and intense.

Hundreds of people descended on the next school board meeting. A local talk radio host said the superintendent wanted to 鈥渋ndoctrinate their children and 鈥� make them become gay and transgender.鈥� Community members verbally accosted the schools chief in public saying, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e gonna go to hell. You never read the Bible.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

The fiscal consequences were also considerable, forcing the district to divert funds from planned professional development. Ultimately, five educators left their jobs in response to the spreading unrest.

This small community鈥檚 turmoil is one of many accounts included in a new , which tries for the first time to put a dollar amount on the costs of the culture war conflicts that have consumed school districts over the past several years. The researchers estimate that the nation鈥檚 public schools spent approximately $3.2 billion in 2023-24 dealing with divisive public debates over race, gender and sexual orientation, forcing them to spend money on legal fees, security, public relations and employee hours responding to misinformation, disinformation and public records requests. 

And although the researchers said their figures don鈥檛 account for the emotional and social toll on educators and students, their numbers do include a significant and related expense: staff turnover.  

鈥淭here are many different costs that are really consequential and are undermining the ability of educators to support student learning and well-being,” said John Rogers, a professor at UCLA鈥檚 School of Education and Information Studies and the report鈥檚 lead author.

Data from the report comes from a national survey of 467 superintendents across 46 states conducted during summer 2024, followed by interviews with 42 superintendents across 12 states. Of those interviewed, 12 had taken the survey and reported moderate or high levels of conflict; the remaining 30 hadn鈥檛 taken the survey and were identified through professional leadership networks.

School districts were categorized as having either high, moderate, or low levels of conflict based on a series of questions about the nature of conflict related to culturally divisive issues, the frequency of and topics associated with personal or professional threats to superintendents and district staff and the financial and human resource costs.

Moms for Liberty, a high-profile parental rights group, was named specifically in the report in relation to board members they supported and other far-right groups accusing a western school district of indoctrinating students around sexual health issues. That superintendent cited having to spend roughly $100,000 to hire 鈥渁rmed plainclothes off-duty officers鈥� and more than $500,000 in legal fees. Superintendents and school board members being attacked as pedophiles, groomers or sexual predators was a common refrain in the report.

Moms for Liberty did not respond to a request for comment. Closely aligned with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, the group鈥檚 influence over school board elections is seen as waning even if battles over curriculum content and library books are still being waged.

Of the districts surveyed, roughly one-third experienced low levels of conflict, just over one-third experienced moderate levels and just under one-third experienced high levels. About 2.5% of superintendents reported no conflict. Overall, Rogers said those surveyed 鈥渓ook a lot like superintendents from the entirety of the (national) pool鈥� in terms of their race, gender and whether they lead urban, rural or suburban districts.

Half of the schools chiefs reported that they experienced at least one instance of harassment in the 2023-24 school year. One in 10 said violent threats were directed toward them and 11% experienced property vandalism.

In order to calculate the overall fiscal costs, researchers asked superintendents about direct expenditures during the 2023-24 school year that were above and beyond what they previously would have spent for resources such as legal services or security; indirect costs, such as redeployed staff time; and employee turnover costs. 

To determine the cost of redeployed staff time, researchers took the number of hours that superintendents reported across these different activities and assigned them a dollar figure based on average district administrator wages from the . For each staff member that left the district, researchers assigned a dollar figure related to recruitment and new staff training based on research out of the .

Rogers noted that 鈥渢here鈥檚 a certain imprecision鈥� when it comes to calculating the cost of staff turnover because 鈥測ou鈥檙e asking superintendents to draw upon the knowledge that they have to make this determination鈥� of why educators and administrators left their positions. Follow-up interviews, he added, helped to bolster the reliability of these figures.

The researchers, who also include Rachel White of the University of Texas at Austin, Robert Shand of American University and Joseph Kahne of the University of California, Riverside, estimated that in their entirety, the conflict-related costs were more than enough to expand the national school breakfast program by 40% or hire 鈥渁n additional counselor or psychologist for every public high school in the United States.鈥�

Beyond the dollar figures, when speaking with superintendents, Rogers said he was particularly struck by the ways in which violent threats were playing out and how frequently it appeared there was a 鈥渃oncerted effort to disrupt, to foment conflict for the sake of fomenting conflict.鈥�

For example, he heard from a number of superintendents whose districts spent an immense amount of time fulfilling public records requests they felt had been filed in bad faith. Once the materials were compiled, they often went unused, Rogers said.

The lasting implications of these in-district battles 鈥� beyond the fiscal costs 鈥� still remain unknown and appear to be shifting with the changing landscape. Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of the History of Education at The University of Pennsylvania, recently on his previous work around the culture wars鈥� impact on history teachers, writing, 鈥淚t seems like I might have exaggerated them.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

But, he noted in an interview with 社区黑料 this week, the effects on other educators and administrators are ongoing. Within the culture wars, he鈥檚 noticed less of a focus on race and critical race theory and more on gender and sexuality, hypothesizing that this may mean history teachers feel a lesser impact than English teachers, who might be more likely to teach directly about gender.

His sees the report as a reflection of the country’s 鈥渂rittle and abusive鈥� political culture. 

鈥淭his is the school politics chapter of a much broader story about the way that politics is conducted in America,鈥� he said.

It appears that even as some of these more divisive players move on or are voted out, their political agendas may persist. That鈥檚 been the case in Pennsylvania鈥檚 Bucks County, one of the most closely watched regions for these debates. 

According to recent New York Times , despite Democrats sweeping the last school board election, not all contested books have been returned to school library shelves nor have teachers been allowed to display identity markers, like rainbow flags. Nearly a year after the Moms for Liberty-backed candidates were ousted, their presence is still felt. 

A moderate from an elite world versus a MAGA-backed veteran. 

An attorney general versus a lieutenant governor. An ardent supporter of public education versus a skeptic who called educators 鈥溾�� and wants to strip schools of federal funding. 

North Carolina鈥檚 governor race, dubbed the its final moments. But in the aftermath of several scandals and increasing political fanfare, the swing state known for nail-biting election days is almost certain to elect Democrat Josh Stein over Republican nominee Mark Robinson.

In late September, as polls were already showing a slight lead for Stein, reported Robinson called himself a 鈥淏lack Nazi鈥� and posted 鈥渟lavery is not bad鈥� anonymously on a porn site. Once his cheerleader, former President Donald Trump has since gone silent about Robinson and has not been seen with him in public, even while campaigning in North Carolina. In recent weeks, Robinson has taken to of Trump.

鈥淭he expectation is with everything dragging Robinson down, Stein should have a good night,鈥� said Michael Bitzer, North Carolina elections expert and politics chair at Catawba College. 

But beyond the controversy that鈥檚 encircled Robinson 鈥� who has kept education debates centered on eradicating the presence of 鈥減olitics鈥� and 鈥渋ndoctrination鈥� in schools, and 鈥� educators and students across the state told 社区黑料 their top concerns are school safety and mental health, teacher pay and recruitment, and school funding. 

Their worries reach beyond the gubernatorial race, as the future of who will determine state education policy is in limbo. The state superintendent race is , with Democrat and former large district superintendent Mo Green holding a tiny lead over far-right candidate and homeschooling advocate, , who praised 鈥減atriots鈥� outside the White House during the January 6 insurrection.

But whether the next governor is Stein or Robinson, the state leader will also appoint individuals for , subject to confirmation by the assembly. At least in March 2025, and five of Cooper鈥檚 picks have yet to be confirmed. The agency is in charge of policy, including credentialing criteria and what textbooks get used statewide. 

鈥淓lection day has got everybody a little nervous in the education world in North Carolina,鈥� said Patrick Greene, president of the statewide school leader association and principal of Greene Central High School in Snow Hill, a town just over an hour鈥檚 drive southeast of Raleigh. 

鈥淚 think a lot of us are trying to get people to understand that the implications for this race go beyond party lines,鈥� Greene said. 鈥淲e need to do a better job of being advocates for people outside of the [education] world to understand how these policies directly affect them, their children, their communities.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

There鈥檚 a strong chance North Carolina鈥檚 next governor will also in the state legislature, where lawmakers have repeatedly overridden current Governor Roy Cooper鈥檚 vetos to push through of laws including a 12-week abortion ban, restrictions on sports and medical treatments for transgender youth, and limitations on classroom discussions about gender 鈥� moves condemned by the . 

鈥淭hose of us who are boots on the ground need progress. We would love for the General Assembly and whichever gubernatorial candidate and state superintendent candidate wins to find some common ground 鈥� let’s get some stuff done,鈥� Greene said, advocating for , teacher prep expansion and 鈥渁ll the things we want to do to make schools as good as they can be, rather than more and more rhetoric each time and blaming each other.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Stein鈥檚 top priority as governor, according to , is to improve public education. He has also supported to address the youth mental health crisis, and wants to expand support and access to community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The two education issues Robinson and Stein have some alignment on are raising teacher pay and expanding career and technical education. The question of how to afford educating the state鈥檚 most vulnerable populations, however, is another matter.

鈥榃e need more than we鈥檙e getting鈥�

Both Robinson and superintendent candidate Morrow have pushed to expand school vouchers, which would send more public funds to private schools. Governor Cooper called the effort the .鈥�

Educators are also anxiously tracking the state supreme court as it wades into a , in which parents argued the state formula denied quality education to their impoverished, often rural areas. 

Today, the state where more residents live in rural areas ranks , more than $4,000 below average.听

The vast majority of North Carolina children are educated in public schools, with a little over . Similar trends held true in Arizona, another swing state where a recent revealed low income families were not accessing the voucher programs marketed to them.

鈥淸Families] have options and they’re still choosing us,鈥� said Greene.

Further worrying education advocates, for the states鈥檚 schools. 鈥淚f I had my way about it, they鈥檇 send the check and I鈥檇 say, 鈥極h, no, you can have it. I don鈥檛 want your money. Your money comes with too many rotten obligations. We don鈥檛 want it.鈥欌��

Last school year, North Carolina received more than , which went predominantly to low-income schools, students with disabilities, career and technical education, and health programs like nutrition, mental health care and substance abuse support. 

鈥淭hat’s scary in the world of the people who legally are bound to provide that. We don’t know where the resources would come from,鈥� Greene added. 鈥淨uite honestly, we need more than we’re getting, I think like a lot of states that are predominantly rural.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Legacies of 鈥榟ateful rhetoric鈥� 

Following in Trump鈥檚 footsteps, Robinson originally appealed to voters with a compelling personal story. He grew up a poor child in Greensboro, had faced multiple bankruptcies, and was a furniture-maker-turned lieutenant-governor in his first political bid after brief virality for a speech . 

Despite threats to preserving quality education for poor students, those with disabilities and LGBTQ youth, North Carolina students interviewed by 社区黑料 are eager to vote and share optimism for the future.

鈥淲ith all of this really extremist speech, I get to see firsthand how students my age are two things: either unmotivated to vote or talk about politics at all, or they’re really motivated because they’re frustrated and angry,鈥� said Tai Stephan, 18, a first year student at the University of North Carolina and child of educators. 鈥淭hey’re educating themselves, they’re voting, they’re talking about things and to anyone that’s unmotivated.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Voting for the first time, Stephan said he is supporting candidates promoting equality and safety. His campus is one of several universities acting , including ending 59 staff positions. People 鈥渟o beyond angry鈥� are acting to change the policy they believe to be unjust, hosting teach-ins, speeches and considering lawsuits, risking possible disciplinary action. 

鈥淭hey’re so frustrated that it goes beyond their educational prestige. It’s really scary to see a lot of groups at risk for losing the oasis they have in within schools鈥� It shows that a lot of minority students are being attacked via legislation and where our country is moving if we don’t get out and vote.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;  

For Evan Keith, 18 and a senior at Forest Hills High School in the southern, central North Carolina town of Marshville, it鈥檚 been difficult to see his peers feel discouraged by politics, with many thinking 鈥渆ven if we vote for a certain person, not a lot will change.鈥�

At a time when educators and students are also fueling charges to curb the prevalence of school shootings, a Stein governorship feels like a safer choice.

鈥淚 hope that our governor, whoever it is, will really push to make safety a top priority, and mental health, as [they] really do affect everything: grades, performances on tests, and job confidence with our employers,鈥� said Keith, also a first time voter this November. 

While it remains to be seen how Hurricane Helene recovery, early voting has yielded a. 

Education advocates are urging voters to to 鈥渄o their homework and find the person that’s gonna help kids the most,鈥� said Greene. 鈥淎nd if they don’t know, talk to somebody who works in education, because usually we’re happy to tell you.鈥�

Local libraries are currently facing almost a dozen different book challenges, with critics of stories like 鈥淏ye-Bye Binary鈥� and 鈥淭he Blackbird Girls鈥� calling for their removal from shelves.

But these books and other challenged stories are still available on the shelves in Anne Arundel County, thanks in part to protections county officials recently put in place.

The Anne Arundel County Public Library this month became the first library system in Maryland to be designated a 鈥渂ook sanctuary,鈥� dedicated to collecting and protecting endangered books, and holding book talks and other events designed to make them broadly accessible.

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鈥淲e want to preserve everyone鈥檚 ability to read the things they want,鈥� said Rachel Myers, the branch manager of Discoveries: The Library at the Mall, one of the county system鈥檚 libraries.

Declaring the library a book sanctuary, Myers said, shows that, 鈥淲e are steadfast in our dedication to being a place that is protective of books and of people鈥檚 freedom to read.鈥�

After beginning in 2022 in Chicago, sanctuary libraries have since spread to 12 other library systems in North America.

In Anne Arundel County, the library鈥檚 board of trustees鈥� decision follows passage of the Freedom to Read act in the last legislative session. took effect on its signing in April.

The new law says that any library receiving funding from the state has to follow certain standards and can鈥檛, among other things, remove material due to partisan, doctrinal, ideological or religious disapproval.

Over the past five years, Maryland public libraries have seen a dramatic increase in staff threats and bomb threats related to book bannings, according to the . More than half of them have also faced book challenges, officials said.

These attempts have been happening 鈥渘ot just in our state, but in our county of Anne Arundel,鈥� said Del. Dana Jones (D-Anne Arundel), the lead sponsor on the Freedom to Read Act. She spoke at a news conference held last week during the national observance of Banned Books Week.

During the event, County Executive Steuart Pittman the entirety of Anne Arundel county to be a book sanctuary.

Once the announcement concluded, Myers rang a big silver bell to announce that it was time for 鈥淏anned Book Storytime,鈥� featuring a book called 鈥淕randad鈥檚 Camper,鈥� by Harry Woodgate.

Woodgate鈥檚 illustrated story 鈥� about a little girl traveling with her granddad after his male partner鈥檚 death 鈥� has been challenged nationwide. But now it finds refuge in Anne Arundel County, and that means something to librarians.

鈥淭o have that backup as a professional, you can鈥檛 understate how much that means,鈥� Myers said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just us out here alone trying to do it. It鈥檚 backed by so many people.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org. Follow Maryland Matters on and .

Jennifer Edwards was a teenager in Arizona when she first read 鈥淏eloved,鈥� Toni Morrison鈥檚 haunting novel about sexual violence and the brutal realities of American slavery.

鈥淚t had a profound effect on me,鈥� she said, citing the empathy, historical understanding, and critical thinking skills the book imparted.

Now a mother of two sons and living in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Edwards wants teens in her community to have access to her all-time favorite book.

But under a broadening the definition of what school library materials are prohibited, her local board of education is set to vote Thursday on whether to pull the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and six other books with mature themes from the shelves of Rutherford County Schools.

鈥淏anning books is not OK,鈥� Edwards told the board last month as it began reviewing the materials. 鈥淛ust because you don鈥檛 like what the mirror shows you doesn鈥檛 mean you put the mirror down.鈥�

This week鈥檚 vote comes after the district, south of Nashville, already removed from its libraries this year under a previous policy, part of a wave of purges on campuses across Tennessee and other states.

In Tennessee, that wave started under requiring periodic reviews of catalogs to ensure materials are appropriate for the ages and maturity levels of the students who can access them. Librarians and teachers had to for parents to view. Early removals included books about marginalized groups, including people who identify as LGBTQ+, and descriptions of slavery and racial discrimination throughout U.S. history.

This spring, scrutiny escalated. Republican lawmakers added a definition of what鈥檚 鈥渟uitable鈥� and, based on the prohibited any material that 鈥渋n whole or in part contains descriptions or depictions of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence, or sadomasochistic abuse.鈥�

In the absence of state guidance on how to interpret the changes 鈥� What constitutes excess violence, for instance? Are photographs of nude statues allowed? What about Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淩omeo & Juliet鈥�? 鈥� some school boards like Rutherford County鈥檚 are putting questionable material to a vote. Educators in many other districts are quietly culling their shelves of certain books.

A recent survey of members of the Tennessee Association of School Librarians found that more than 1,100 titles have been removed under the changes, with more under review. One librarian anonymously reported pulling 300 titles at a single school since the start of the academic year. Only a sixth of the organization鈥檚 members responded to the survey.

鈥淲e may never truly know the level to which books have been removed from school libraries in Tennessee,鈥� the organization said in a statement, noting that large-scale removals may cause some libraries to fall under the state鈥檚 minimum standards for collection counts.

鈥淎 literal interpretation of this law may have the unintended consequences of gutting resources that support curriculum standards for fine arts, biology, health, history, and world religions, to name a few, especially in high schools, where AP curriculum and dual enrollment courses require more critical texts,鈥� the group said.

Lindsey Kimery, one of the organization鈥檚 leaders, said the law鈥檚 rollout has created 鈥渃haos and confusion鈥� for school librarians.

鈥淪ome librarians have received guidance from their central office; some have not,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome boards are updating their policies for handling book challenges to align with the law鈥檚 changes. Some districts have interpreted the law to mean they should preemptively go through their collections and pull anything they think has one of the prohibited topics in it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all over the map,鈥� Kimery added.

Seven books that could be banned

Seven books are under review by Rutherford County Board of Education for possible removal from the district鈥檚 library shelves:

• 鈥淏别濒辞惫别诲鈥� by Tony Morrison
• 鈥淨ueen of Shadows鈥� by Sara J. Maas
• 鈥淭ower of Dawn鈥� by Sara J. Maas
• 鈥淗omegoing鈥� by Yaa Gyasi
• 鈥淪kin and Bones鈥� by Sherry Shahan
• 鈥淭he Perks of Being a Wallflower鈥� by Stephen Shbosky
• 鈥淲icked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West鈥� by Gregory Maguire

鈥楶hantom book banning鈥�: Censorship in the shadows

The quiet censorship is being noticed by First Amendment advocates, from the ACLU of Tennessee to Julia Garnett, who graduated last spring from Hendersonville High School in Sumner County, north of Nashville.

Garnett started a free speech club at her high school during her senior year. Now a freshman at Smith College in Massachusetts, she is the youth spokesperson for the American Library Association鈥檚 , Sept. 22-28.

Last week, she searched her alma mater鈥檚 online library catalog to look for books by Sarah J. Maas and Ellen Hopkins, whose popular young adult novels are due to their mature themes and sexual content.

None were listed.

鈥淭hey used to be there, but they鈥檝e disappeared,鈥� said Garnett. 鈥淚 call it phantom book banning, where libraries are being censored, but not in a public way. I think that鈥檚 what scares me the most.鈥�

The law is vulnerable to a federal challenge on First Amendment grounds, said Kathy Sinback, executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee. The statute鈥檚 vagueness, a lack of compliance guidance from the state, and the uneven way the law is being applied across Tennessee are among issues that open the door to a lawsuit.

鈥淏ut we鈥檇 love to see the legislature fix the problems next year without having to pursue litigation,鈥� Sinback said. 鈥淲e鈥檇 like to see it made constitutional in a way that will ensure our children have access to the literature they deserve.鈥�

Legal precedents support students鈥� First Amendment rights

The House sponsor of the law鈥檚 recent revisions, Rep. Susan Lynn of Mt. Juliet, did not respond to emails asking if she鈥檇 be open to revisiting the law. Some of her critics worry the goal is ultimately to take a legal challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a majority.

The Senate sponsor, Joey Hensley of Hohenwald, said he believes the law is constitutional.

鈥淚鈥檓 always open to making laws better,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut I don鈥檛 think this interferes with people鈥檚 First Amendment rights, and I鈥檓 personally not hearing about problems with it. The law鈥檚 intent is simply to ensure public schools do not give children access to materials that are not appropriate for their ages.鈥�

Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association鈥檚 Office for Intellectual Freedom, said higher courts have consistently sided with First Amendment advocates on challenges to content in school libraries, even as

The school library is supposed to be a place of voluntary inquiry 鈥� a safe space for students to explore ideas under the supervision of adults instead of alone on their cellphones.

鈥淭his gets to the core of the First Amendment,鈥� she said, 鈥渢he idea that libraries are a marketplace of ideas, and elected officials should not be able to dictate their contents.鈥�

But it鈥檚 also possible that another school library case could someday reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Two book ban cases from Iowa and Texas are already making their way through the federal courts.

Current legal precedent stems from the high court鈥檚 involving a school board in New York state that wanted certain books removed from its middle and high school libraries. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled against the board and held that 鈥渢he right to receive ideas is a necessary predicate to the recipient鈥檚 meaningful exercise of his own rights of speech, press, and political freedom.鈥�

Justice William Brennan wrote that while 鈥渓ocal school boards have a substantial legitimate role to play in the determination of school library content,鈥� the First Amendment doesn鈥檛 give government officials the power to ditch books because they don鈥檛 like them or disagree with their viewpoints.

Ken Paulson, director of the Tennessee-based and a former editor-in-chief of USA Today, also cites the importance of a establishing that students have constitutional rights, too.

The case involved students in Des Moines, Iowa, who wore black armbands to their public school in silent protest of the Vietnam War. The court sided with the students.

鈥淏ecause someone is 12 or 14, we sometimes think they don鈥檛 have constitutional rights,鈥� Paulson said. 鈥淏ut they do, and they鈥檙e surprisingly robust. Students are not just students; they are citizens.鈥�

Middle Tennessee district is a book ban hotspot

In Murfreesboro, a college town that is home to about 50,000 students in Tennessee鈥檚 largest suburban K-12 district, most titles removed so far were in high school libraries. They generally were contemporary young adult novels containing sexual content and other mature themes, from child abuse and suicide to substance abuse and LGBTQ+ issues.

The books were flagged as 鈥渟exually explicit鈥� material by school board member Caleb Tidwell and removed this spring without going through the district鈥檚 library review committee that includes a principal, teachers, librarians, and a parent.

Xan Lasko, who recently retired as a high school librarian in Rutherford County, said the directives she received from Superintendent James Sullivan bypassed the district鈥檚 usual review process for handling complaints. Instead, Tidwell cited a provision of board policy requiring the immediate removal of sexually explicit material. Sullivan concurred, according to their email exchange obtained from the district through a public records request from Nashville TV station

Tidwell, a Republican who was reelected to the school board in August, said he made the requests on behalf of individuals who have expressed concerns but who feared retaliation from the media and individuals in the district.

In his opinion, all of the materials in question violate both the state鈥檚 obscenity law and local board policy. Most, he said, have 鈥渆ducation value near zero, or very low.鈥� For those that provide historical context, other books that go into those topics 鈥� but without sexually explicit language 鈥� are available.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very contentious topic,鈥� said Tidwell, who has three school-age children. 鈥淏ut if we focus on the content, most of this stuff is pretty clear. Yes, there is some subjectiveness to it, but there鈥檚 also a line. We need to determine what the line is, and then hold it.鈥�

Lasko, the former librarian, said that鈥檚 what librarians and educators do.

鈥淢y biggest issue is that a small number of people were making the judgment to curtail what students are able to read using a vague law,鈥� said Lasko, who now chairs the intellectual freedom committee of the Tennessee Association of School Librarians.

鈥淲e have master鈥檚 degrees in library science. We know what we鈥檙e doing,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut a lot of times, we weren鈥檛 being consulted.鈥�

New library policy diminishes the role of librarians

In advance of this week鈥檚 vote on Tidwell鈥檚 latest request to remove more books, the board revamped its library materials policy to add language from the revised state law. It also eliminated the 11-member review committee appointed annually by the board to consider book complaints.

Instead, materials that district leaders deem to be in violation of the state鈥檚 obscenity law are to be immediately removed from all school libraries and then reviewed for a final decision by the board.

A second avenue for removal 鈥� through complaints filed by a student, parent, or school employee 鈥� also requires a board vote after receiving recommendations from the principal and superintendent and a review by an ad hoc committee.

鈥淏efore,鈥� said the ACLU鈥檚 Sinback, 鈥渢here was a thorough process where every person on the review committee had expertise and would read the book. They鈥檇 look at the questionable content but also the overall quality of the material and how it could impact kids exposed to it in both a positive and negative way.鈥�

Now, she said, the decision rests completely with board members.

The changes concern school librarians like Brian Seadorf, who oversees the collection at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro. He asked board members and parents to 鈥渏ust talk to us鈥� if they have concerns about certain books.

鈥淲e are educators, we are parents, we are grandparents. 鈥� We are good people,鈥� Seadorf told the board on Aug. 22.

Angela Frederick, a Rutherford County resident and school librarian in a neighboring district, added: 鈥淭he titles you鈥檙e considering removing are for older students approaching adulthood. It is developmentally appropriate for teenagers to mentally wrestle with difficult topics. It is also excellent preparation for higher education. Shielding them from books like these does not prepare them for anything but ignorance.鈥�

Edwards, the Rutherford County parent who also spoke to the board about the proposed removals, is upset that is on the chopping block, even though she knows it鈥檚 a deeply sad and painful book to read. (Morrison, who died in 2019, said she was inspired to write the novel based on the true story of an enslaved woman, Margaret Garner, who killed her own daughter in 1856 to spare her from slavery.)

鈥淚 remember it took me several weeks to finish 鈥楤eloved鈥� when I was 15, because I had to put it down every few days,鈥� recalls Edwards, now 42. 鈥淚 had to have time to process what I was reading.鈥�

鈥淏ut to restrict literary genius,鈥� she continued, 鈥渋t just doesn鈥檛 make sense to me.鈥�

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

But in mid-2021, dismayed by screaming matches over COVID protocols that often broke out at school board meetings, she decided to meet individually with the board members to discuss her concerns. She found them kind and professional, so she encouraged leaders of her local chapter to do the same thing. 

鈥淚 said 鈥業 think you’d like them,鈥� and they said 鈥楴ope, we don鈥檛 want to do that,鈥� 鈥� Christian recalled. 鈥淎ll of a sudden, I was the bad guy. It was very polarized.鈥�

After initially attending some of their meetings and supporting their cause, Christian cut ties with Moms for Liberty. To her, the moment demonstrated the uncompromising way the conservative group became a force in today鈥檚 Republican party. Keeping divisive issues like sexually explicit books and lessons on racial discrimination in the spotlight was a in 2022 as Moms for Liberty-endorsed school board candidates scored victories across the country, especially in Florida where the organization originated. 

Since then, the group hasn鈥檛 been able to repeat its success at the polls. But there are signs that taking control of school boards isn鈥檛 Moms for Liberty鈥檚 top concern right now. They鈥檙e spending money to mobilize voters for like-minded GOP candidates and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris鈥檚 running mate, an 鈥渁nti-parent radical candidate.鈥� Max Eden, a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, suggested the group is focused on preparing 鈥渇or the two alternative futures they stand to face.鈥�

鈥淚f Trump wins, I expect that whomever he picks for [education] secretary will be tasked with a strong emphasis on the issues that they care about,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f he loses, there鈥檚 an expectation that Harris will double down hard on social issues from the left.鈥�

Eden described Moms for Liberty鈥檚 recent strategy to join four Republican-led states in over the new Title IX rule as a 鈥渃oup鈥� from both an organizational and membership perspective. The revised regulation extends protections against sexual discrimination to LGBTQ students and gives transgender students the right to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. Moms for Liberty鈥檚 legal move spurred a federal court to issue an injunction, blocking hundreds of schools across the country from enforcing the new Title IX regulations. Moms for Liberty also used the ruling as an opportunity to so they could block the new provisions in more schools. 

鈥極utraged over something鈥�

The success of Moms for Liberty鈥檚 endorsed candidates, however, is still a way to measure the future of a 鈥減arental rights鈥� movement that seeks more control over curriculum and opposes attention to race and social-emotional issues in school.

Former Florida school board members Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich founded the organization in 2021. At the time, their primary cause was battling mask mandates. But their approach quickly resonated with many disillusioned parents in the wake of COVID school closures and the intense reactions to school equity efforts often labeled as critical race theory.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to think of another education advocacy organization that has grown to such national prominence so quickly,鈥� Brookings Institution in March.

In the 2022 election cycle, the group took in , and of its endorsed candidates were elected. But in 2023, the percentage of Moms for Liberty candidates winning school board seats dropped to , in part because other organizations to endorse their own candidates and slow down the group鈥檚 progress. This year鈥檚 results seem on track to mirror last year鈥檚, but the group is not completely out of the running. 

Sue Woltanski, a school board member in Monroe County, Florida, has monitored and Moms for Liberty鈥檚 influence across the state, where it has joined forces with Gov. Ron DeSantis to endorse conservative candidates. A critic of their approach, she called Moms for Liberty members 鈥減eople who have been outraged over something scary at their kid鈥檚 school.鈥�

This year, the group targeted 14 school board races in Florida. Its candidates won just three of the open seats in the August primary. Another five are headed to November runoffs. In a statement, Justice and Descovich counted those candidates who advanced among their victories, saying they were 鈥渢hrilled that Moms for Liberty saw a 60% win rate.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

But the group鈥檚 tactics 鈥� like reading aloud the most salacious passages from sexually explicit library books at 鈥� often are aimed at making 鈥減eople question whether it’s safe for their kids to go to public schools,鈥� said Woltanski, who defeated one of their endorsed candidates two years ago. Moms for Liberty also embraces private , which continues to in Florida, causing public school enrollment in several districts to decline. 

鈥淚n my little vacation community, if we don’t have high-quality public schools we’re going to just be a resort,鈥� she said. A lot of school boards have conservative members, she added, 鈥渂ut they are still in favor of public education.鈥�

鈥楿s-versus-them mentality鈥� 

Examining Moms for Liberty鈥檚 win-loss record is just one way to measure its impact. Researchers at Michigan State University watched hours of school board meetings to better understand the overall effect of the group鈥檚 presence on rhetoric and behavior during the convenings. 

If Moms for Liberty-backed candidates took the majority of seats following the 2022 elections, they often acted quickly to fire superintendents, place restrictions on books and issue bans on critical race theory or lessons on sex and gender. Members of the public 鈥渢urned out in high volume鈥� to both support and oppose their policies, the researchers said.

鈥淪uccessfully winning a majority of seats on the board seemed to deeply entrench the us-versus-them mentality, leading to increased and divided engagement at meetings in the post-election period,鈥� they wrote. 

But even in districts where Moms for Liberty didn鈥檛 鈥渇lip鈥� the board, the researchers found an overall increase in insults, threats and disorder, like outbursts from the audience, compared to the period between late 2019 and early 2020. 

鈥淚 don’t really think they have any true plans to govern,鈥� said researcher Rebecca Jacobsen. She called their style the 鈥減olitics of disruption.鈥�

There were more displays of anger 鈥� a speaker banging their first on the podium, for example 鈥� and an increase in incidents in which police intervened and removed protesters. Before the pandemic, they found that police only got involved once. But in 2021 and 2022, as Moms for Liberty chapters were spreading across the country, they identified nine board meetings across five school districts where the police intervened.

The Moms for Liberty website urges chapters to push for policy changes, but some critics, like Christian in Florida, say members are more focused on national issues than local concerns, like school safety, bullying and curriculum.

鈥淚 thought they were going to educate moms and dads how to stand up for their children,鈥� she said.

鈥楥lose ties to powerful individuals鈥�

At Moms for Liberty鈥檚 Washington, D.C., summit in late August 鈥� which featured a lengthy conversation between Justice and Trump 鈥� there was no evidence that the group had lost its edge. Despite a poor showing at the polls in Florida, members had other victories to celebrate. 

Three of their leaders, from Naples, from Palm Beach and from Brevard County, had won primary races for Florida House seats and made it onto the ballot in the general election.

鈥淭his is huge for us because it represents the momentum of change we are making across the country as we take our schools back from the union bosses,鈥� the statement from Justice and Descovich said. Justice and Descovich declined 社区黑料鈥檚 requests for an interview.

As the November election approaches, Moms for Liberty has further turned its attention to increasing membership and mobilizing more voters, spending $3 million in , like Arizona and Georgia. With chapters in 48 states, the Brookings researchers said Moms for Liberty still carries a lot of influence.

鈥淸Moms for Liberty] is a well-financed group with close ties to powerful individuals and institutions in conservative politics,鈥� they wrote. The organization 鈥渞epresents a voting bloc that Republican political operatives are actively trying to court in the 2024 elections and beyond.鈥�

McALLEN 鈥� On May 17, with just one week to go until the end of the school year, the superintendent of the South Texas Mission school district received an email with a list of 676 books a group of local pastors believed were 鈥渇ilthy and evil.鈥�

The email came from the personal assistant of Pastor Luis Cabrera, who leads a church in Harlingen, about 30 miles east of the Mission school district.

The email was clear. Cabrera and 鈥渢he community鈥� wanted them removed.

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The email cited state law, , that requires vendors to rate their books and materials for appropriateness, based on the presence of sex depictions or references, before selling them to school libraries.

Despite that law being blocked by a federal appeals court, then-superintendent of the Mission school district, Carol G. Perez, replied within five minutes that the district would check to see if they had the books to remove them.

Later that evening, Deputy Superintendent Sharon A. Roberts asked the district’s director for instructional technology and library services, Marissa I. Saenz, to look into removing them.

Reference:

“Can you prioritize researching these books to ensure we remove them from the school libraries? Can your IT coaches help you track the location of the books to expedite this request?” Roberts wrote in an email.

The emails, which The Texas Tribune obtained through an open records request, offer a window into how close the 14,500-student district was to removing a trove of books over the summer break. It also illustrates the continued pressure 鈥� public and private 鈥� school leaders in every corner of the state face over access to books that discuss race, religion and LGBTQ+ themes.

School district and community libraries have been inundated with requests since 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd鈥檚 death. The public backlash started in the suburbs of Dallas. But communities have wrestled with these questions.

Prior to the May 17 email, Cabrera had made similar requests to other school districts in the Rio Grande Valley. He spoke during public comment at several school board meetings last spring. Cabrera was following, in part, the lead of an organization called Citizens Defending Freedom.

Established in 2021, the nonprofit empowers 鈥渃itizens to defend their freedom and liberty, and place local government back into the hands of the people.鈥� Until recently, most of its work had been in North Texas counties.

Now at the dawn of a new school year, a coalition of Rio Grande Valley faith leaders are denouncing the effort to remove books from South Texas school libraries.

The McAllen Faith Leaders Network, a group of religious leaders in the upper Rio Grande Valley, wrote a to local school districts after hearing about the Mission school district鈥檚 鈥渒nee jerk response鈥� to the Christian conservative group鈥檚 request.

The local faith leaders’ open letter had specifically taken issue with the inclusion of “Anne Frank鈥檚 Diary” on the book list. A spokesperson for Citizens Defending Freedom, Dan Thomas, clarified that that title referred to the graphic novel, an adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

This month, seven members of the McAllen Faith Leaders Network signed the letter, which called for a separation between religious organizations and public entities.

“We don鈥檛 believe that a religious organization should exert decision making power over our public schools or any public body,” the religious leaders said.

Rabbi Nathan Farb of Temple Emanuel in McAllen said in an interview with The Texas Tribune that this coalition does not have a political agenda and members of the group often disagree politically and on other topics.

“We thought it was important as faith leaders to speak up and let our educators know that this individual was not speaking on behalf of all faiths, not speaking on behalf of all Christians, was not representing the religious voice of the entire Valley.”

Rev. Joe Tognetti of St. Mark United Methodist Church in McAllen said limits on what is accessible to schoolchildren can be appropriate. However, the process to determine which books are appropriate should be determined among parents, students and teachers 鈥� not a national conservative nonprofit.

Ultimately, the Mission school district did not remove any books, the district told the Tribune late last week.

A few days after the district received the request to remove the books, Saenz, the library director, replied she would review the list against the district鈥檚 collection to ensure any books that did meet the standards set in state law were weeded out.

However, Saenz noted that Cabrera appeared to misunderstand the extent of state law and pointed out that some of the books on the list might not be sexually explicit.

For books that do not meet the criteria in state law, Saenz said board policy states only parents, students 18 years or older, an employee or a resident of the school district can challenge the appropriateness of books.

The school district assured that no books had been reconsidered, restricted, or removed at this time.

“Mission CISD understands the concerns that have been raised regarding this situation,” a district spokesperson said in a statement. “We remain committed to meeting the educational needs of our students within the district.”

Mission was not the only school district to receive requests to remove books last spring. At a May 7 meeting, Cabrera threatened to sue the Brownsville school district if it did not remove certain books.

The district, which serves about 38,000 students, removed five books from its shelves, according to a May 24 email from the district鈥檚 chief operations officer to the superintendent.

Cabrera had just begun his partnership with Citizens Defending Freedom when he began contacting Rio Grande Valley school districts, according to Thomas, the spokesman for the citizens group. The group did not supply the list of books and Thomas said the manner in which Cabrera had approached the school districts was not their usual process.

Cabrera did not respond to a request for comment.

Thomas said they typically take action when people within school districts reach out to them with their concerns.

Thomas also argued that they were not exerting decision-making power on school districts, as the local faith leaders had accused, by trying to remove “vulgar” books.

“Our position is simple,” Thomas said. “We would like school libraries to contain books that have educational value. We do not think it’s appropriate to have vulgar books with no educational value in public school libraries.”

Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.

This article originally appeared in 听a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

The Iowa law prohibiting school libraries from having books containing sexually explicit material can go into effect, federal appeals court judges ruled Friday.

The three-person panel moved to lift the injunction blocking the law from enforcement Friday. Portions of the were previously blocked in January by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled that Locher鈥檚 decision was based on a 鈥渇lawed analysis of the law.鈥�

The law prohibits school libraries from including books with written and visual depictions of sex acts from, in addition to banning instruction and materials involving issues of 鈥済ender identity鈥� and 鈥渟exual orientation鈥� for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. These regulations will now be allowed to take effect as legal challenges continue.

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The law is being challenged by multiple parties, including the, Iowa Safe Schools, as well as the publisher Penguin Random House and due to the law.

Iowa State Education Association President Joshua Brown said in a statement that the organization was 鈥渄isappointed鈥� by the appeals court decision.

鈥淏anning essential books in our schools is a burden for our educators, who will face punishment for not guessing which book fits into a supposed offensive category, and for our students, who are deprived of reading from great authors with valuable stories,鈥� Brown said in a statement. 鈥淚f Iowa鈥檚 elected leaders truly valued education professionals, they would leave important classroom decisions to the local school districts and the experts who work in them 鈥� not make what we teach our students a game of political football.鈥�

Critics of the measure say that the law will keep classic literature 鈥� like the books 鈥淏rave New World鈥� and 鈥淯lysses鈥� 鈥� from being available in school libraries, but that a majority of the books removed from school shelves are those focused on stories about race and LGBTQ+ issues, like 鈥淕ender Queer,鈥� 鈥淎ll Boys Aren鈥檛 Blue,鈥� and 鈥淭he Color Purple.鈥�

Educators have criticized the state for not clarifying the rules surrounding the law, as the Iowa Department of Education to provide more information on what materials are considered 鈥渁ge-appropriate鈥� under the law. The state department has said they plan to address allegations of noncompliance on a case-by-case basis.

But Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said the appeals court decision was a win for Iowa parents.

Gov. Kim Reynolds also released a statement supporting the court opinion.

鈥淭oday, the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit confirmed what we already knew 鈥� it should be parents who decide when and if sexually-explicit books are appropriate for their children,鈥� Reynolds said. 鈥淗ere in Iowa, we will continue to focus on excellence in education and partnerships with parents and educators.鈥�

The lawsuit found that the district court decision did not properly evaluate the law under existing precedent 鈥� referring specially to the 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision in , a lawsuit involving speech on social media platforms. However, the judges also rejected the state鈥檚 argument that school library materials constitute 鈥済overnment speech.鈥� They also found that a transgender student whose school district banned gender-sexuality alliance clubs due to concerns about the law has standing to sue.

The ACLU of Iowa, alongside Lambda Legal and the Jenner & Block law firm, plaintiffs in the lawsuit, issued a join statement saying that Iowa families and LGBTQ+ students were 鈥渄eeply frustrated and disappointed鈥� by the court鈥檚 decision, especially as the 2024-2025 school year approaches.

鈥淒enying LGBTQ+ youth the chance to see themselves represented in classrooms and books sends a harmful message of shame and stigma that should not exist in schools,鈥� the legal organizations said in the statement. 鈥淲e are, however, encouraged by the Eighth Circuit鈥檚 complete rejection of the State鈥檚 most dangerous arguments, and we look forward to renewing our request for relief from this law鈥檚 damaging and unconstitutional effects on LGBTQ+ students. 鈥� We will ask the district court to block the law again at the earliest opportunity.鈥�

The decision returns the case to district court for further action.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on and .

The Iowa law prohibiting school libraries from having books containing sexually explicit material can go into effect, federal appeals court judges ruled Friday.

The three-person panel moved to lift the injunction blocking the law from enforcement Friday. Portions of the were previously blocked in January by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled that Locher鈥檚 decision was based on a 鈥渇lawed analysis of the law.鈥�

The law prohibits school libraries from including books with written and visual depictions of sex acts from, in addition to banning instruction and materials involving issues of 鈥済ender identity鈥� and 鈥渟exual orientation鈥� for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. These regulations will now be allowed to take effect as legal challenges continue.

Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for 社区黑料 Newsletter

The law is being challenged by multiple parties, including the, Iowa Safe Schools, as well as the publisher Penguin Random House and due to the law.

Iowa State Education Association President Joshua Brown said in a statement that the organization was 鈥渄isappointed鈥� by the appeals court decision.

鈥淏anning essential books in our schools is a burden for our educators, who will face punishment for not guessing which book fits into a supposed offensive category, and for our students, who are deprived of reading from great authors with valuable stories,鈥� Brown said in a statement. 鈥淚f Iowa鈥檚 elected leaders truly valued education professionals, they would leave important classroom decisions to the local school districts and the experts who work in them 鈥� not make what we teach our students a game of political football.鈥�

Critics of the measure say that the law will keep classic literature 鈥� like the books 鈥淏rave New World鈥� and 鈥淯lysses鈥� 鈥� from being available in school libraries, but that a majority of the books removed from school shelves are those focused on stories about race and LGBTQ+ issues, like 鈥淕ender Queer,鈥� 鈥淎ll Boys Aren鈥檛 Blue,鈥� and 鈥淭he Color Purple.鈥�

Educators have criticized the state for not clarifying the rules surrounding the law, as the Iowa Department of Education to provide more information on what materials are considered 鈥渁ge-appropriate鈥� under the law. The state department has said they plan to address allegations of noncompliance on a case-by-case basis.

But Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said the appeals court decision was a win for Iowa parents.

鈥淭oday, the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit confirmed what we already knew 鈥� it should be parents who decide when and if sexually-explicit books are appropriate for their children,鈥� Reynolds said. 鈥淗ere in Iowa, we will continue to focus on excellence in education and partnerships with parents and educators.鈥�

The lawsuit found that the district court decision did not properly evaluate the law under existing precedent 鈥� referring specially to the 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision in , a lawsuit involving speech on social media platforms. However, the judges also rejected the state鈥檚 argument that school library materials constitute 鈥済overnment speech.鈥� They also found that a transgender student whose school district banned gender-sexuality alliance clubs due to concerns about the law has standing to sue.

The ACLU of Iowa, alongside Lambda Legal and the Jenner & Block law firm, plaintiffs in the lawsuit, issued a join statement saying that Iowa families and LGBTQ+ students were 鈥渄eeply frustrated and disappointed鈥� by the court鈥檚 decision, especially as the 2024-2025 school year approaches.

鈥淒enying LGBTQ+ youth the chance to see themselves represented in classrooms and books sends a harmful message of shame and stigma that should not exist in schools,鈥� the legal organizations said in the statement. 鈥淲e are, however, encouraged by the Eighth Circuit鈥檚 complete rejection of the State鈥檚 most dangerous arguments, and we look forward to renewing our request for relief from this law鈥檚 damaging and unconstitutional effects on LGBTQ+ students. 鈥� We will ask the district court to block the law again at the earliest opportunity.鈥�

The decision returns the case to district court for further action.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on and .

This story was updated on May 28 at 5 p.m.

Patrick Keefe says he just wanted to teach Toni Morrison鈥檚 鈥淏eloved.鈥�

The high school English teacher has long included the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about slavery in his curriculum at Litchfield鈥檚 Campbell High School. And in the past, he had questioned students about whether Morrison鈥檚 themes about the legacy of slavery applied to the present.

But after a state law passed in 2021 that regulated how teachers may talk about race and other concepts to students, Keefe became more cautious, he testified in a deposition last year. Any student-led discussion about structural racism might lead to a complaint under the new law, and might cause Keefe to lose his teaching license, he feared.

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On Tuesday, a federal judge cited Keefe and other teachers鈥� examples in an order striking down the law, siding with teachers unions and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire and ruling that the law is unconstitutionally vague.

In , Judge Paul Barbadoro held that the law, known by opponents as the 鈥渄ivisive concepts鈥� or 鈥渂anned concepts鈥� law, violated teachers鈥� 14th Amendment rights because it is too vague for them to follow.

鈥淭he Amendments are viewpoint-based restrictions on speech that do not provide either fair warning to educators of what they prohibit or sufficient standards for law enforcement to prevent arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement,鈥� Barbadoro wrote, referring to the statutory changes passed by the law.

The law prohibits K-12 public school staff from any instruction that advocates for four concepts: that a person of any race, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristic is inherently 鈥渟uperior鈥� to another; that any individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive against another for any characteristic; that an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment for any characteristic; and that people of one characteristic 鈥渃annot and should not attempt to treat others without regard to鈥� one of their characteristics.

The characteristics covered by the law are a person鈥檚 鈥渁ge, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, marital status, familial status, mental or physical disability, religion, or national origin.鈥�

The law, which was in part modeled after an executive order by President Donald Trump that applied to federal employees and was repealed by President Joe Biden, was presented by Republican lawmakers as an anti-discrimination statute meant to ensure that all students were treated equally. It came as Republican lawmakers raised concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts implemented in public schools, and argued that teachers were espousing 鈥渃ritical race theory鈥� in classrooms.

The law allowed parents to bring complaints to the state鈥檚 Commission for Human Rights against teachers and school staff who they believed violated the new anti-discrimination statute. And it gave the State Board of Education the power to revoke educators鈥� teaching licenses if they were found by the commission to be in violation.

But teachers unions and others raised concerns that the prohibited concepts were too unclear to follow and would result in educators self-censoring instruction around certain topics such as race or gender for fear of losing their teaching credentials.

In his order Tuesday, Barbadoro sided with the state鈥檚 two teachers unions 鈥� the National Education Association of New Hampshire (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers of New Hampshire (AFT) 鈥� who had argued that the law violated their 14th Amendment rights because it did not provide clear guidance of what teachers should or shouldn鈥檛 teach.

Barbadoro鈥檚 ruling grants 鈥渄eclaratory relief鈥� to plaintiffs, meaning he is ruling that the law is unconstitutional, but it does not grant 鈥渋njunctive relief鈥� 鈥� a stricter ruling that would have stopped the state from carrying out the law. In his order, Barbadoro wrote that he didn鈥檛 believe he needed the latter relief because he believed the state would respect the ruling and stop enforcing the law.

The ruling was a setback for the state, which had argued that the Attorney General鈥檚 Office had given teachers sufficient guidance in a 鈥淔requently Asked Questions鈥� released in 2021 that outlined scenarios in which teachers would violate or not violate the law.

There are no known cases of New Hampshire teachers who have been found by the Commission for Human Rights to have violated the law.

But Barbadoro said there were a number of scenarios that the FAQs did not address. One such unanswered question centered on Keefe鈥檚 attempts to teach 鈥淏eloved.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

According to his deposition, Keefe had asked for clarity from his school鈥檚 administration but 鈥渨as told there was none available other than the Attorney General鈥檚 Frequently Asked Questions,鈥� Barbadoro noted.

Barbadoro also noted the example of Jennifer Given, a former high school social studies teacher at the Hollis Brookline High School who 鈥渇elt the need to significantly modify her teaching methods 鈥榦ut of fear that [she] would be accused of鈥� violating the Amendments, regardless of whether she was actually doing so.鈥�

And he argued that the uncertainty applied to extracurricular activities as well, citing the testimony of Ryan Richman, a high school history teacher at Timberlane Regional High School. Richman said as a faculty adviser for the school鈥檚 Model United Nations team, he felt the law hampered his ability to help students for their competition in fear of saying something that might be seen as a violation.

Barbadoro used the examples to bolster his larger conclusion.

鈥淭he Amendments are vague not because they subject teachers to severe professional sanctions, but because they fail to provide teachers with sufficient notice of what is prohibited and raise the specter of arbitrary and discretionary enforcement,鈥� he ruled.

He also said that the vagueness would allow state officials to apply their own arbitrary interpretations to enforcement.

鈥溾�� Because the Amendments fail to establish 鈥榤inimal guidelines to govern [their] enforcement,鈥� officials are free to 鈥榩ursue their personal predilections鈥� when applying the law,鈥� Barbadoro wrote.

The decision was hailed by the plaintiffs; Gilles Bissonnette, legal director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, called it 鈥渁 victory for academic freedom and an inclusive education for all New Hampshire students.鈥�

鈥淣ew Hampshire鈥檚 鈥榖anned concepts鈥� law stifled New Hampshire teachers鈥� efforts to provide a true and honest education,鈥� agreed NEA-NH President Megan Tuttle in a statement. 鈥淪tudents, families, and educators should rejoice over this court ruling which restores the teaching of truth and the right to learn for all Granite State students.鈥�

And it was cheered on by Democrats, including the two lead Democratic candidates for governor. Former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig praised the plaintiffs who 鈥渇ought this unconstitutional law.鈥� In her own statement, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington said, 鈥淭eachers should be free to teach 鈥� the truth 鈥� and students should be free to learn.鈥�

Republicans said they would redouble efforts to pass the bill. In a statement, former state Senate President Chuck Morse, a Republican candidate for governor who had helped push for the law in the Senate, said he was 鈥渄eeply disappointed鈥� in the decision but vowed to press on.

鈥淎s Governor, I will work tirelessly with lawmakers, educators, and community leaders to draft and pass a stronger bill that addresses the court鈥檚 concerns while keeping our fundamental goal intact: to prevent the dissemination of any materials that promote racial superiority or inferiority,鈥� Morse said.

In a post on X, State Rep. Keith Ammon, a New Boston Republican, wrote: 鈥淛udge Barbadoro just put stopping Critical Race Theory back on the ballot in November.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Hampshire Bulletin maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Dana Wormald for questions: info@newhampshirebulletin.com. Follow New Hampshire Bulletin on and .

Colorado legislators are advancing a last-minute bill that would require public libraries to implement guardrails on how they review and remove materials in their catalogs.

would require boards for public libraries across the state to establish written policies on how they acquire, display and use library resources, as well as a process for reconsidering materials. State Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Littleton Democrat sponsoring the bill, said many libraries already have these processes in place and will be able to keep them.

The bill鈥檚 introduction comes shortly before the end of the 2024 legislative session, and months after lawmakers killed a similar bill, , in February. The new version has broader support given its focus solely on public libraries 鈥� the previous bill included school libraries as well, but many school districts opposed the policy. Cutter said that otherwise, the provisions in the new bill are almost exactly the same.

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The bill would require libraries to adhere to certain procedural standards when a member of the public seeks to remove material from their collections. During the review, the material would have to remain in circulation, and the results of the review must be made available to the public. Library materials covered by the bill include digital and physical book collections, as well as displays and community programs.

The bill would also require that someone challenging a book or other library material lives within the service area of that library. Materials would also be eligible for reevaluation once every five years. Cutter said both of these requirements are intended to protect library staff from 鈥渂an bombing鈥� to ensure they aren鈥檛 overwhelmed with hundreds of requests.

Cutter said librarians work hard to curate materials that patrons will benefit from under a tight budget, but attacks from 鈥渃ulture war extremists鈥� have threatened the ability for other library patrons to access the materials and programming they need. The bill would also prohibit retaliation, such as demotion, firing or discipline, against someone working at a library who refuses to remove a library resource before it has gone through the review process.

鈥淭his is a very thoughtful process that librarians go through, and instead of simply choosing not to attend an event or check out a book, other people want to make those choices for others,鈥� Cutter said at the bill鈥檚 committee hearing Monday. 鈥淧ublic libraries have a duty in our system to challenge censorship and to stand firmly against partisan or doctrinal disapproval when making their decisions.鈥�

While she said she was disappointed after the first bill failed, Cutter still wanted to establish standards for public libraries, many of which strongly supported the legislation. She said Senate leadership knew the bill was a priority for her and she鈥檚 grateful to have introduced it before the end of session.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really interesting to learn about other experiences and other cultures and broaden your worldview,鈥� Cutter said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited that we鈥檙e going to help support the idea that a wide range of literature should be available for people to enjoy and learn from and explore without unnecessary restriction.鈥�

Support from librarians

Mark Fink, executive director of Anythink Libraries, the public library system in Adams County, testified in support of the bill on behalf of the Colorado Association of Libraries. He said the bill challenges censorship and protects the right to read freely, as well as library workers.

鈥淥ur community is becoming more diverse and our library needs safeguards so we can amplify all the voices and experiences of our residents and include diverse items in our collection that resonate with them,鈥� Fink said. 鈥淭his bill protects our ability to do this important work.鈥�

Fink said parents are entitled to determine what they want their children to read, but that right does not extend to other children.

鈥淲hile a specific book may not be the right fit for one child, that doesn鈥檛 mean it isn鈥檛 the perfect fit for another child,鈥� Fink said.

In the last few years, and censorship spurred by parents and right-wing groups has targeted books that center on the LGBTQ+ community, Black history and diverse stories across the country. Douglas County Libraries to ban four LGBTQ-focused books after months of meetings and public comment.

State Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Commerce City Democrat and co-sponsor of SB-216, said at least 136 book titles were challenged across Colorado in the first eight months of 2023 鈥� a 143% increase from 2022, according to the American Library Association. Fink added that materials representing LGBTQ and BIPOC voices made up 47% of the titles targeted in Colorado last year.

鈥淩egardless of background, zip code or socioeconomic status, we have a right to read a wide range of materials that provide us with the knowledge base and the critical thinking skills that we need to be informed citizens who will contribute positively to our democracy,鈥� Michaelson Jenet said at the committee hearing. 鈥淥ur communities deserve to be represented in public spaces like public libraries, and codifying those legal standards demonstrates our commitment to protecting all Coloradans.鈥�

The Senate Education Committee approved the bill in a 4-3 vote along party lines. Republicans on the committee thought the five year limitation on material review was too long.

The committee approved two amendments to the bill, making changes to some definitions and wording to better align with library terminology and to win support from the Colorado Municipal League.

The bill will now go to the full Senate for consideration. The 2024 legislative session will conclude on May 8.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on and .

As a small illustration of her long, idiosyncratic writing career, Joy Hakim likes to tell the story of a chance encounter in an Oakland elevator.

On the way down after a speaking engagement, a woman handed her a slip of paper 鈥� it contained the phone number of her son鈥檚 private school. He and his classmates, she said, could really benefit from their school swapping out its traditional history textbooks for a set of Hakim鈥檚.

Asked who she was, the woman admitted that she was a representative of one of the big publishing houses.

鈥淚 was appalled,鈥� Hakim remembered. 鈥淏ut this is an industry where almost no one believes the books educate well 鈥� and scores prove that.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Hakim doesn鈥檛 know if the school ever switched over. But the episode underscores her uncomfortable place in an industry that has never quite embraced her. By turns raw, thrilling and eye-opening, her writing offers young people a look at history that they rarely get between the covers of mass-produced textbooks.

Her most well-known work, a 10-volume history of the United States that began appearing in the early 1990s, remains in print. And at age 93, she鈥檚 still in the fight: Her newest series on biology debuted in September, continuing her tradition of wrestling with complicated ideas and difficult historical and scientific questions. 

But even after three decades, she remains unsure that she鈥檚 made much of an impact as textbooks with bigger promotional budgets enjoy much wider readerships. 

That view is belied by her legions of admirers. Praised by leading historians like David McCullough and James McPherson, she also may be the only textbook author to reliably receive fan mail. At one of her kids鈥� houses sit cases of letters, testament to the gratitude of two generations of readers. 

, podcaster and author of , who has championed deep subject matter knowledge in all areas of study, called Hakim 鈥渁 force of nature.鈥�

鈥淢ost textbooks are either extremely dry or so encyclopedic in their attempts to cover the universe of topics that they’re highly superficial and therefore boring,鈥� Wexler said. 鈥淛oy Hakim understands how to use the power of narrative to bring topics in history and science to life.鈥�

Wexler predicted that if more schools adopted Hakim鈥檚 titles, reading scores would jump because her work offers both the knowledge and vocabulary kids need to succeed on tests. 

And as the nation grows increasingly polarized about history, Hakim鈥檚 work eschews easy categorization. It is championed by liberals for not glossing over our dark past 鈥� and by conservatives for offering rigorous, challenging texts and sophisticated arguments.

, a senior fellow at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute and a former New York City teacher, said Hakim鈥檚 history series 鈥渉ad a place of honor in my fifth-grade classroom and deserves a place of privilege in every school. It’s beyond her power to reverse the long-running and in American education, but she’s done her part to make real history accessible and interesting to those who seek it out, or who are engaged by it.鈥�

Hakim鈥檚 books, he said, offer an important antidote to those that aim to trick kids into learning a little history via historical fiction or lightweight, fantasy-driven fare. 鈥淗akim is winningly anachronistic by comparison: She takes history 鈥� and more pertinently her young readers 鈥� seriously.鈥�

But she has often had to fight simply to be heard by school districts under adoption systems she sees as backwards. Teachers and students are hungering for good books, Hakim said, yet the adopted titles often stem from publishers鈥� long-standing relationships with state education bureaucrats, whom they lobby furiously. 

鈥�I don’t think that they sell whether they’re good or crappy,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey sell because of this massive promotional effort that goes into them.鈥�

鈥業 sat down and I started writing鈥� 

Hakim鈥檚 career as a writer for young people began simply, on a long car drive.

A one-time teacher and journalist 鈥� she taught in Baltimore for a spell and was both a business and editorial writer for The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk鈥檚 daily newspaper 鈥� by the 1980s, she was freelancing in Virginia Beach and raising three kids with her husband, a grain importer. She happened upon a notice for a hearing in Richmond, the capital, by a board looking for ways to improve school textbooks. At that pre-Internet time, it was a topic that aroused national attention. Hakim (pronounced HAKE-im) decided to check it out.

She expected to hear testimony from writers and editors. Instead, the publishers sent salespeople, who in her view stonewalled the proceedings by rhapsodizing about how beautifully designed and illustrated the books were.

鈥淭he whole thing was just a hoax,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淭he publishing industry was not serious about doing anything.鈥�

Steaming, Hakim climbed back into her car and began the two-hour drive home. At some point, she thought to herself: Why not write her own history book?

鈥淚 sat down and I started writing,鈥� she said.

Hakim didn鈥檛 stop for seven years, telling vivid personal stories of America鈥檚 founders, pioneers and others.

As she conceived it, the book aimed for a fifth-grade audience. To get direct feedback, she tapped a small group of 10-year-olds in her neighborhood, offering five dollars apiece to critique her manuscript. Hakim instructed the readers 鈥� mostly boys 鈥� to scrawl one of three reactions in the margins: G for Good, B for Boring and NC for Not Clear. 

Next, she invited classroom teachers to use the manuscripts in exchange for feedback. 

That one book ultimately became a 10-volume manuscript called . 

The books covered much of what she鈥檇 decided was important in American history 鈥� as she told one interviewer, from 鈥減eople coming over the Bering Strait鈥� to Bill Clinton’s inauguration.

And they offered children a thrilling narrative. In a chapter on Columbus鈥� voyages, she wrote that after surviving the treacherous waters of the Sargasso Sea, the explorer鈥檚 men wanted to turn back: 鈥淭he sea seems endless. On October 9 they say they will go no farther. Columbus pleads for three more days of sailing. Then, he says, if they don鈥檛 see land they may cut off his head and sail home in peace.鈥�

But for all the books鈥� originality, Hakim lacked a publisher. Eventually she met a literary agent who successfully garnered the attention of Oxford University Press.

, in a review titled, 鈥淪howing Children the Dark Side,鈥� said Hakim 鈥渇rees children from the grasp of hoary American myth nurtured by novelists and historians; without sermonizing, she allows them to glimpse the horrific underside of the once magical word 鈥榝rontier.'” 

Hakim, for instance, was among the first writers for young people to address the 1839 Amistad rebellion, devoting an entire chapter to the slave uprising four years before the incident rose to prominence with the .

Historian David McCullough called the series “a big breath of fresh air and the best possible news for the youngsters who get to read these books.” 

Princeton University historian James McPherson said he was 鈥渋mpressed by the accuracy and the depth of her research,鈥� telling one reviewer that Hakim鈥檚 books represented women and minorities in ways others hadn鈥檛.

鈥業 have done something that鈥檚 quite different鈥�

Like many authors, Hakim felt Oxford did little to publicize the series, leaving her to do much of the promotion herself. But in 1993, a family friend opened a key door: The composer BJ Leiderman, a long-ago classmate of one of her children, was by then writing for National Public Radio. He suggested to colleagues that they feature her, and soon Hakim found herself in front of a microphone at the network鈥檚 Norfolk affiliate. The result was a lengthy 鈥淢orning Edition鈥� segment that helped introduce her to the world.

In the interview, she told host Bob Edwards, 鈥淭he history books that are out there, most of them are committee-written, and committees can’t write. Committees have to be bland. So, I am doing something 鈥� that’s quite different.鈥�

Looking back on the reception she got in 1993, Leiderman said Hakim was 鈥減rogressive in the best sense of the word, searching out all different areas鈥� to study.

All the same, he recalled, selling the books 鈥� sometimes on her own 鈥� struck him as a long, tough slog reminiscent of veteran rock stars playing small clubs to keep their music alive.

Despite the struggle 鈥� or perhaps because of it 鈥� 鈥淎 History of US鈥� soon became one of Oxford鈥檚 rock-solid titles, selling hundreds of thousands of copies, said Damon Zucca, the publisher鈥檚 director of content development and reference. The series has also received 鈥渢he most fan mail from kids, parents, and teachers, who have been sending ardent missives about these books to Joy and to us for nearly thirty years now.鈥�

But keeping them in classrooms has been a battle. Hakim recalled visiting Oakland schools a year after the district adopted her books, curious how they were being used. She couldn鈥檛 find them anywhere. 鈥淭hey’d all been replaced,鈥� she said. A few teachers told her they鈥檇 saved their copies and were literally hiding them in closets to keep administrators in the dark. 

At one point, Hakim even sued after textbook giant Houghton Mifflin purchased the books鈥� distributor, D.C. Heath. Fearing it was a bid to bury the titles, she pursued an antitrust violation. Civics-geek alert: The case eventually landed before the federal bench of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who 14 years later would rise to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Hakim eventually got the books out from under the big publisher鈥檚 purview. Now Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it didn鈥檛 respond to a request for comment. 

Eventually, 鈥淎 History of US鈥� gave rise to a companion with all-star voice talent including Morgan Freeman, Julia Roberts and Robert Redford. But by then Hakim was on to something new: a three-book series about the history of science, from Aristotle to Einstein.

Then as now, Hakim鈥檚 most fervent buyers are often private school teachers and homeschooling parents who are free to use materials that appeal to them. She also holds a kind of magnetic appeal to cultural conservatives like Lynne Cheney who have derided public school readings they view as mushy and politically correct.

Yet conservatives have also protested Hakim鈥檚 books. In one case, Texas parents organized a letter-writing campaign, telling state officials that the books were unpatriotic.

They鈥檝e been banned at least twice, as far as Hakim knows 鈥� once quite recently after a parent complained that they were too liberal. She jokes that the honor puts her in good company. 

Asked how she鈥檇 categorize herself, Hakim doesn鈥檛 hesitate. 鈥淚’m just a teacher,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y books talk. I’m in a conversation with these kids and I respect their intelligence 鈥� and they understand that.鈥�

鈥楾his is a tough chapter鈥�

Ask about her workflow and Hakim will tell you that she is blessed with 鈥� or cursed by 鈥� a journalist鈥檚 penchant for accuracy, which often prolongs her creative process. In the case of the science books, she finished the last one 鈥� on Albert Einstein鈥檚 theory of relativity and the origins of quantum mechanics 鈥� and her new publisher had submitted it for peer review, when she received an unsolicited email from an unfamiliar name with an mit.edu address.

It was from renowned physics professor , also editor of the American Journal of Physics. He鈥檇 read a piece in TIME magazine about her plan to write about Einstein and offered to read the manuscript.

Hakim sent him the first four chapters. A few days later, Taylor wrote back asking if someone had actually reviewed them.

He and Hakim met a few times and, in Taylor鈥檚 words, 鈥済ot to know 鈥� and respect 鈥� each other.鈥� In all, they spent the next year-and-a-half revising the book, to the chagrin of Smithsonian Books. 鈥淭hey were not happy with me,鈥� Hakim recalled. 鈥淏ut I’m so happy that I did it.鈥�

In the book鈥檚 introduction, Hakim wrote of the 鈥減rivate tutorial with one of the greatest physics teachers this country has produced,鈥� adding, 鈥淪ometimes my head hurt with all the stretching.鈥�

The book won several best-of-the-year awards, which she credits largely to Taylor鈥檚 influence. For his part, Taylor told 社区黑料 that Hakim 鈥渕ade great contributions to high school science teaching鈥� and deserves wider recognition. 

As with the history series, the science books found a devoted audience as Hakim challenged young readers to grasp hard topics and complex ideas. In a chapter explaining Galileo’s writings on relativity, Hakim urged them to “catch your breath, relax and be prepared to stretch your mind.” 

In the chapter, she described how an observer on shore, watching a ball fall from the mast of a moving ship, sees it move in an arc, while an observer on deck sees it travel in a straight line. Acknowledging that the idea seemed outlandish, she warned: “This is a tough chapter; stick with it; the ideas here are important.”

Indeed, when journalist and scholar Alexander Stille set out to capture the essence of Hakim鈥檚 history books in 1998, he concluded, 鈥淚nstead of talking down to children in simplified language, her books invite children to make an effort.鈥� He that 鈥渁 grandmother from Virginia鈥� could produce books superior to those of most publishing houses.

鈥楾he world has changed鈥�

Now, nearly 20 years after the science texts first appeared, Hakim is out with a new series for teens about the history of biology.

gave the first volume a coveted starred review, calling it 鈥渢horoughly engrossing and highly recommended.鈥澨�

The second book is due out in April, part of a planned four-volume series. Published by MITeen Press, the last two books won鈥檛 appear until 2025 and 2026 respectively, but Hakim jokes that at her age she may not live to see it in readers鈥� hands.

She has asked her publisher to pick up the pace.

At the same time, she remains unsatisfied about her previous work: Three decades after 鈥淎 History of US鈥� began appearing on shelves, Hakim says the series could use a refresh. 

鈥淚 wrote it 30 years ago, so some of it is really dated,鈥� she said with a self-conscious laugh. For one thing, she wants to recast the role of women, a topic she didn鈥檛 adequately address in the 1990s, mostly due to her own blind spot. An avowed feminist, she now sees she didn鈥檛 step back enough and appreciate the importance of the women鈥檚 movement. 

鈥淭hirty years ago, we were different people than we are today,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he world has changed.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Yet, oddly, little has changed in Hakim鈥檚 career. Her husband is gone and the 鈥済randmother from Virginia鈥� is now a great-grandmother, but she still feels like a disruptor and an outsider, angry that we don鈥檛 have 鈥渂etter books鈥� in schools. After millions of words on the page and cases of fan mail, she admits that she has barely struck a blow in the nation鈥檚 larger battle with historical illiteracy.

The textbook industry that she set out to disrupt in the 1980s is still dominated by a handful of publishers 鈥� actually, consolidation has , not more, choices. Together, they still produce what she considers bland, formulaic books that are making the nation鈥檚 reading crisis worse, not better.

鈥淚’ve worked all these years and I’m not sure what I’ve achieved,鈥� she concluded. 鈥淚’ve sold some books, but I haven’t changed the field.鈥�

Since their creation three years ago, the conservative parental rights organization Moms for Liberty has emerged as a major player in national education politics in the U.S., and certainly in Florida, where the group began in 2021.

鈥淲e started with two chapters, Brevard and Indian River. And in three years, we are now at 310 chapters in 48 states with 130,000 members and I think that鈥檚 remarkable. It鈥檚 because of the work that you started here in Florida,鈥� Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich said on Friday while speaking in front of a crowd in Florida鈥檚 Capitol courtyard in Tallahassee.

Moms for Liberty emerged in the wake of schools shutting down during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, with parents feeling in some cases that local school boards weren鈥檛 listening to their concerns over remote learning and mask mandates.

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And they had a receptive audience in Tallahassee under Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-controlled Legislature, resulting in legislation such as the (the 鈥淒on鈥檛 say gay鈥� bill) and in the 2022 legislative session.

The group is still considered controversial: It鈥檚 been labeled as an and a 鈥渇ar-right鈥� organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

SPLC writes: 鈥淢oms for Liberty and its nationwide chapters combat what they consider the 鈥榳oke indoctrination鈥� of children by advocating for book bans in school libraries and endorsing candidates for public office that align with the group鈥檚 views. They also use their multiple social media platforms to target teachers and school officials, advocate for the abolition of the Department of Education, advance a conspiracy propaganda, and spread hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community.鈥�

Co-founder Tiffany Justice rejected that assertion, that 鈥渨e are a group of moms and dads and grandparents and aunts and uncles, community members that are very concerned about the direction of the country,鈥� according to Fox News Tonight, in June 2023.

Justice, Descovich and Sarasota鈥檚 Bridget Ziegler were the three original co-founders of Moms for Liberty, though Ziegler, a Sarasota School Board member, left the organization shortly after its creation. Ziegler has been in the spotlight recently after it was reported that she and her husband had a consensual with another woman, among other concerns.

Descovich said that while Moms for Liberty originally focused on turning around members of school boards, the group learned quickly that they needed to invest energy in state legislatures to change laws, she said on Friday in Tallahassee.

鈥淔lorida started forming organically a legislative committee, and that was the model that is now being used in 18 states of Moms for Liberty with legislative committees,鈥� she said.

Meanwhile, Brevard County School Board member Jennifer Jenkins says that the culture wars of the past few years, pushed by DeSantis, appear to be losing some of its steam.

But she also says that Moms for Liberty鈥檚 impact isn鈥檛 going away in Florida.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 scary though is that the reason (Moms for Liberty) rose and were viable in Florida still exists,鈥� Jenkins says. 鈥淭hat infrastructure didn鈥檛 fall apart, right? I think that they鈥檙e going to continue to thrive here and create this fa莽ade that they鈥檙e the driving force and the moving force. I don鈥檛 know if that will die down. Perhaps someone will try to conquer that.鈥�

Organizers at Friday鈥檚 event didn鈥檛 speak much about the future, but they are expected to again get involved in local elections later this year.

The Florida chapter that they say, 鈥渟tand with parents.鈥� The list includes both of Florida鈥檚 two U.S. GOP senators, Rick Scott and Marco Rubio.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on and .

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the Texas Education Agency on Wednesday from enforcing a state law requiring booksellers to rate the explicitness and relevance of sexual references in materials they sell to schools.

The appellate court, one of the most conservative in the nation, sided with booksellers who after claiming violated their First Amendment rights. The court affirmed a lower court鈥檚 decision to prevent TEA Commissioner Mike Morath from enforcing the 2023 law.

Wednesday鈥檚 decision was somewhat surprising since the appellate court blocked the lower court鈥檚 ruling in November. Addressing the reversal, Judge Don Willett with the 5th Circuit wrote that a 鈥渄ifferent panel of this court鈥� had granted the state鈥檚 appeal to block that ruling.

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The plaintiffs 鈥� which include bookshops in Houston and Austin, the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild 鈥� argue that it is logistically impossible and cost-prohibitive to comply with the law.

The law requires vendors to rate all their books and materials for appropriateness, based on the presence of sex depictions or references, before selling them to school libraries. The law鈥檚 definitions of sexual conduct lean on state criminal statutes that are somewhat vague and open to interpretation to outline what might be considered 鈥渟exually explicit鈥� or 鈥渟exually relevant鈥� content.

鈥淭he ratings [HB 900] requires are neither factual nor uncontroversial,鈥� the court鈥檚 ruling read.

The law requires booksellers to submit ratings of materials to the TEA for review, which the state can correct and then publicly post online. The appellate court agreed with the vendors鈥� argument that the rating system violates their free speech protections and amounted to compelled speech that forced vendors to support a certain point of view.

The court also agreed that complying with the law would be an undue economic burden on the vendors.

Wednesday鈥檚 decision did not completely block the law. Still in effect is a component of HB 900 that requires the Texas State Library and Archives Commission to create new library collection standards. The new rules must prohibit school libraries from acquiring or keeping sexually explicit materials.

Plaintiffs originally sued Keven Ellis, chair of the Texas Board of Education, and Martha Wong, chair of the Texas State Library, alongside Morath. The 5th Circuit on Wednesday dismissed claims against Ellis and Wong because those officials don鈥檛 have purview over the book ratings that the court found to be unconstitutional.

Supporters of HB 900 have argued the law restores parents’ rights to protect their children from certain themes, rather than exposing them to potentially inappropriate material in publicly funded books. Book bans have gained steam across the state since the Texas law was passed, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica .

Opponents, which include librarians, literacy advocates and other parents, say laws like HB 900 often target books and materials that explore sexuality and race 鈥� topics that, while uncomfortable to some, they say are important for youth who may not typically see their lived experiences reflected in literature.

This article originally appeared in at .

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

Parents have a high level of trust in librarians despite a national onslaught of book bans and censorship efforts by conservative groups, a recent survey by EveryLibrary Institute and Book Riot found.

The authors of found that despite concerted efforts to keep books about America鈥檚 racist past and LGBTQ issues out of the hands of children, families across diverse backgrounds and income levels trust public and school librarians. The families value librarians鈥� expertise in fostering safe and engaging learning environments that support learning and creativity.

PEN America, a free speech organization, reported finding 3,362 cases of book bans in the 2022-23 school year. North Carolina is among the national censorship leaders with 58 reported book bans from July 2022 to June 2023. More books have been banned by school districts since the start of the school year.

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John Chrastka, EveryLibrary Institute鈥檚 executive director, said the survey shows that politically motivated book banning, and censorship groups are out of touch with most parents and guardians.

鈥淐ontrary to the narratives that so-called parent rights groups are advancing, parents across America value librarians鈥� roles in our communities and our children鈥檚 education,鈥� Chrastka said. 鈥淧ro-censorship groups do not represent the vast majority of parents or guardians in their beliefs about librarians, reading, education, and civil society.鈥�

is a library think thank and professional network that is focused on improving and supporting the future of library funding in the United States and abroad. is North America鈥檚 largest independent editorial book site.

Kelly Jensen, an editor at Book Riot, said the survey is informative and provides welcome insight into parental perceptions about libraries.

鈥淭his series of surveys further our knowledge on what libraries are doing right and allows us to see where and how we can advocate for better understanding the roles libraries play in the lives of the average person,鈥� Jensen said. 鈥淲e continue to be thrilled to see the vast majority of parents think that the public library is a safe place for their children.鈥�

EveryLibrary Institute and Book Riot researchers surveyed 1,527 parents and guardians with children under 18 in two surveys during October and November 2023.

Here鈥檚 a by-the-numbers look at what parents and guardians told researchers about public libraries:

92 鈥� Percentage of parents, grandparents and guardians who said they trust librarians to curate appropriate books and materials

90 鈥� Percentage who report being comfortable allowing their child to select their own materials

96 鈥� Percentage who said they feel their children are safe within the library

83 鈥� Percentage who agree librarians know what books children love

35 鈥� Percentage who think public librarians have a political agenda, and believe they should

9 鈥� Percentage who do not believe librarians have a political agenda, but think they should

44 鈥� Percentage who don鈥檛 think librarians have a political agenda, and should not

85 鈥� Percentage who report being satisfied or very satisfied with librarians.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on and .

One day, teachers and library staff across Wisconsin may find that they could be prosecuted for allowing K-12 students to view certain books or other materials. A new Republican legislative proposal to penalize educators for exposing children to obscene materials comes out of a wider effort to restrict what K-12 students can see or read. The bill had its day Dec. 5 before the Republican-led Assembly Committee on Education. 听 would remove protections for school and library staff against being prosecuted for providing 鈥渙bscene鈥� materials to minors. If passed, the bill would create a new class of felons 鈥斕� teachers and library staff who are found to have provided students with inappropriate books or other media.

One day after the Assembly education committee hearing on the bill, Dr. Jill Underly, the state superintendent of public instruction, expressed concern about increased attacks on libraries and schools on X, formerly known as Twitter. 鈥淎t this moment in our history, we need spaces to engage with new ideas and our history,鈥� Underly wrote in a Dec. 6 post. 鈥淲e need it in the face of hate and increased threats and attempts at silencing. Libraries are a bastion of freedom of thought, expression, and creativity.鈥�

Underly also shared video of statements she made at a late November press conference, streamed by WisconsinEye. In the video, Underly said that school libraries are welcoming, exciting places where children can learn and explore new ideas and stories. 鈥淲hen we see the current increases in attempts at censorship and attacks of disinformation against school libraries, we should be very, very worried,鈥� Underly said. To Underly, 鈥渃ensorship is suppression,鈥� and goes against the spirit of education. 鈥淒isinformation threatens the existence of inclusive spaces because it weaponizes the fact that they welcome all students as their authentic selves,鈥� said Underly.

Throughout the hearing, however, Rep. Scott Allen (R-Waukesha) and Sen. Andre Jacque (R-DePere) pushed back against concerns about the bills. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for the public hearing as there are many who suggest that there are no obscene materials in our schools and that this bill is just about book bans and political agendas,鈥� said Allen in testimony to the committee. 鈥淎s you鈥檒l hear today from other testifiers, there are many parents and educators who have become concerned at how students can encounter sexually explicit material at school.鈥�

Current law exempts librarians and teachers from being prosecuted under the state鈥檚 obscene materials laws in the interest of allowing for a free flow of literary and educational materials. Allen described 鈥渙bscene material鈥� as any writing, picture, film or recording which could cause 鈥渋mmoderate or unwholesome desires,鈥� depicts sexual conduct in an offensive way, or lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value. 鈥淲hen we look at this definition, I think all of us, regardless of political persuasions, would agree that material showing sexual content in a provocative way should not be something that we give to 12-year-olds,鈥� said Allen. 鈥淚f any of us chose to distribute obscene material to a minor, we would be subject to felony charges. Rightly so.鈥� Allen added. 鈥淪hould we not hold those who work with minors to the same level of responsibility as any other Wisconsinite?鈥�

Both Allen and Jacque stressed that the bill isn鈥檛 about banning books. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a simple, commonsense acknowledgment that all books and materials may not be appropriate for all kids of all age groups, particularly those with sexually explicit and perverse content,鈥� said Jacque. 鈥淭his is hardly an extreme or radical expectation.鈥� Jacque, like committee vice-chair Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc) who went before a Senate committee with another library-related bill last week, said that virtual learning after the pandemic caused parents to pay closer attention to what their children had access to in school. Some turned their outrage into organizing, creating lists of books largely about LGBTQ issues, race  and social justice issues to remove or restrict in schools. Allen and Jacque said some constituents told them prosecuting school and library staff for providing certain materials to students was a step in the right direction.

In emails, parents compiled a list of books they viewed as inappropriate for young students, and encouraged Republican lawmakers to look into removing them. Some parents felt the books were sexually obscene, others felt that their kids were being taught to 鈥渉ate cops and hate their white skin in the classrooms at our elementary schools.鈥� Prosecuting teachers and library staff for providing such books to students was recommended by constituents in many of these early emails. Allen was among Republican lawmakers who鈥檇 received those early conversations regarding prosecution of school and library staff.

, Allen and Jacque floated co-sponsorship memos for legislation to remove protections for school staff and prohibit school districts from using funds to purchase any materials found to be obscene. In the Dec. 5 hearing, the two lawmakers continued that effort. Other people speaking in favor of the bill included representatives of groups including one called Gays Against Groomers as well as Wisconsin Family Action. A member of Gays Against Groomers testified wearing an American flag patterned bandana, and stated that books like Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe are 鈥減edophile books.鈥� Testimony from Moms for Liberty was also provided to the committee. People speaking in favor of the bill argued that they wanted to protect the innocence of young children, particularly from teachers who have 鈥渁n agenda.鈥�

Hearing materials provided to the committee included pages and excerpts of books which parents said they  found in school districts across Wisconsin. Some of the pages included sexual dialogue or situations between characters or images of sexual acts. 鈥淭he Infinite Moment of Us鈥� by Lauren Myracle, 鈥淔un Home鈥� by Alison Bechdel, and 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥� by Margaret Atwood were among the books identified for having violence, descriptions of self-harm, 鈥渁lternate gender ideologies,鈥� 鈥渃ontroversial religious commentary,鈥� and 鈥減rofanity.鈥� Although no one spoke against the bill in person,, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin, multiple associations representing school district administrators, school nurses, school business officials, and librarians. Several members of the committee chimed in on the bill in testimony. Rep. William Penterman (R-Columbus) said he had concerns 鈥渢hat the bill doesn鈥檛 go far enough.鈥� Penterman felt the bill couldn鈥檛 be applied widely enough to different communities and situations. Penterman said that in his own city, 鈥渁 naked bike ride wouldn鈥檛 fly, but in other places that might be seen as totally acceptable,鈥� said Penterman.

Other Republican members harked back to a remembered golden era of modesty. Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) said there鈥檚 a battle between school librarians 鈥渨ho say we鈥檙e licensed, we鈥檙e the experts, we decide what meets the burden of 鈥榮candalizes鈥�.鈥� He added that, 鈥渇or 50 years parents trusted the schools, the teachers, and then all of a sudden this movement after COVID [challenged those assumptions].鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e gone 50 years of letting teachers decide what is best for our kids on these sensitive topics,鈥� Wichgers added. 鈥淎nd now the parents saw what the sensitive topics have become, compared to when their first set of kids went through five, 10, 15 years ago. When they were in school 30, 40 years ago, and they鈥檙e saying how did we get here so quickly? And can we go back to Elvis Presley shaking his leg and singing as a baseline of what is scandal? And can we go back to that? Because I think that we鈥檝e gone too far.鈥�

Democratic members of the committee questioned various aspects of the bills. Rep. Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) said the bill would result in the state policing what different communities do, despite what those communities may want. Not all communities find the same issues, topics, or lifestyles obscene or perverse, he added. Allen said that adults can have discussions about which materials are valuable and appropriate for different age groups. He pushed back against the idea that there should be a variety of different standards. 鈥淭here should be no one exempt from our obscene statutes, or obscene materials law,鈥� said Allen. Speaking of elementary school teachers, and  Allen said, 鈥渋f there鈥檚 one bad apple in the bunch it can do a significant amount of damage.鈥�

Allen and Jacque said that teachers and librarians don鈥檛 have to worry about overzealous enforcement, since a case for prosecution would need to be brought to the district attorney, and then the attorney general, before any criminal action was taken.

Rep. Deb Andraca (D-Whitefish Bay) questioned whether Allen and others had actually read school library policies. In many cases across the state as books have become more controversial, or. Andraca pointed out that in those cases the policies worked. In some cases, the policies were specifically requested by the same parents pushing to restrict what books students could access. Allen argued that no one should be exempted from responsibility just because of their profession. 鈥淒oes that apply to law enforcement then? Shelton asked, noting that police have qualified immunity and a host of other protections and privileges under the law. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe that law enforcement is exempt from the obscene materials statute,鈥� Allen responded.

At one point, legislative counsel clarified that the bill could not make teachers criminally liable for what a district has told them or allowed them to instruct. Rep. Kristina Shelton (D-Green Bay) asked if the bills had been crafted in cooperation with other clear efforts across the state to remove books, and expose teachers to liability. Jacque rejected the suggestion, and was supported by committee chair Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay), who interjected that many bills are made with inspiration from other states and made light of any suggestion of a 鈥渂ig conspiracy.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on and .

A nationwide discussion about which books should be kept out of the hands of K-12 students came to the state Capitol Tuesday. Two proposed bills (SB-597 and SB-598) got a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children & Families. The measures would require school boards and public libraries to create systems to notify  parents about materials a student checks out within 24 hours.

Sens. Romaine Quinn (R-Cameron) and Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc) testified before the committee that over the last year, their offices have been inundated by complaints from parents about books in public libraries. Quinn noted that Wisconsin already has a law providing that  parents of children under the age of 16 may request library materials and records provided to the student. Quinn added  that school boards and libraries have policies in place to deal with removing books and handling complaints. The bills developed by Quinn and Dittrich add a parental notification requirement.

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鈥淭his bill puts the parent and/or guardian in the driver seat to have conversations with their children about any materials or themes that they find their child is not ready to be exposed to,鈥� said Quinn. 鈥淭he onus should not be put on the librarian, the aid, or the volunteer to make that decision as parenting styles differ from family to family, and many libraries have a self-check-out system where there may not be any interactions when the child has the entire trip to the library.鈥�

Dittrich said that in the past, school administrations struggled to get parents to be engaged with their children鈥檚 education. Then the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 arose, putting a halt to most forms of travel, business, recreation, and services. Dittrich described the pandemic  as having 鈥渕ade life interesting for all of us.鈥� Parents began to notice the books that were being provided to students in schools, said Dittrich. 鈥淎ll of a sudden these disengaged parents were suddenly seeing maybe what their kids were learning in school, what their kids were checking out, and things really became contentious,鈥� said Dittrich. It was a 鈥渇racture鈥� in Dittrich鈥檚 words, out of which sprang the voices of parents upset about the books that were in their kids鈥� classrooms.

Throughout the public hearing, supporters of the bill described  books that  angered parents as 鈥渋nappropriate.鈥�

鈥淟ike Sen. Quinn just mentioned, that measure of appropriateness is different for each family,鈥� Dittrich said. She also pushed back on criticism that  the bills were inspired by a motivation to restrict discussion or ban books. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to bring the temperature down on this whole issue of books,鈥� said Dittrich.

In addition to hearing from  parents who feel certain books are inappropriate, she has also heard from parents who want their kids to balance fiction and non-fiction materials, Dittrich said. 鈥淚 think people have ascribed some motives to these pieces of legislation that aren鈥檛 necessarily there,鈥� said Dittrich. 鈥淲e want parental engagement.鈥� The goal, Dittrich explained, is to 鈥渂ring down the temperature鈥� surrounding a controversial issue.

When asked by committee members, the senators denied that the bills were intended to restrict or ban books. But those are exactly the concerns the bills 鈥� and others like them 鈥� have raised during the last legislative cycle. Since 2020, conservative parents and school officials have taken a keen interest in books that feature LGBTQ topics or characters, certain aspects of American history including  slavery and Native American genocide and other social justice topics Conservative organizing has driven a wave of book purges in school districts, banning, restricting, or relocating hundreds of titles.

In Wisconsin, multiple school districts have seen those efforts guided by a list of 鈥渋nappropriate鈥� books compiled by parent groups. Sen. Jesse James (R-Altoona), who chairs the committee alongside vice chair Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton), was provided a version of this list when he was still an Assembly representative. who said she鈥檇 found sexually inappropriate books, as well as material teaching 鈥渙ur kids to hate cops and their white skin.鈥� The parent suggested passing a law to remove protections for librarians so they could be  held criminally liable for providing inappropriate reading materials to children. James and other Republican lawmakers worked on drafts of legislation that would expose library and school staff to felonies for providing 鈥渋nappropriate鈥� or 鈥渙bscene鈥� material to young students. Dittrich and Quinn stressed that their bills are not intended to persecute librarians or teachers.

The same list James received was used in southern Wisconsin . Meanwhile, the district removed privacy protections for student check-outs. Information on materials students checked out was sent to their parents on a weekly basis. LGBTQ advocates warned such policies could have disastrous consequences for students who come from less tolerant families. The Kenosha Unified School District

During the Senate committee hearing, representatives from libraries in the  Elmbrook, Beloit, Wauwatosa and  Outagamie-Waupaca communities, as well as officials from the Department of Public Instruction and members of the public testified that the bills are unnecessary. Some noted that a plethora of tools are already available for parents to learn what books are provided in class and what their children are checking out. Others described the daunting task of monitoring students and notifying parents. Some districts have thousands of students, and would require tens of thousands of notifications. Some districts have tools which give parents  real-time access to their child鈥檚 reading materials, including log-in credentials in some cases.

鈥淎s there is a staffing crisis, and not all schools have a certified full-time librarian, I am concerned that this will require a large amount of administrative time when there is not enough staff right now,鈥� said Emily Dittmar, legislative chair of the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association. Dittmar called such notifications 鈥渇iscally irresponsible.鈥� Making the bill鈥檚 requirements a reality would take teachers and librarians away from other tasks and crucial student interactions. 鈥淧lease consider how this bill could put a burden on schools both in personnel, and in resources,鈥� said Dittmar.

鈥淚nstead of spending time and resources on real issues facing Wisconsin families and students, like making child care more affordable or ensuring Wisconsin schools are fully funded,鈥� said Lucy Ripp, communications director for A Better Wisconsin Together, 鈥渟tate Republicans are continuing their efforts to meddle in personal and educational decisions they have no business in 鈥� this time with a bill that unjustly scrutinizes school libraries, imposes unwarranted burdens on local librarians, and impedes upon Wisconsin students鈥� freedom to read.鈥�

鈥淗ow hypocritical that Wisconsin Republicans, the party of 鈥榮mall government鈥�, want to ban books and know what every individual is checking out from the library,鈥� said Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard. 鈥淭his Orwellian-inspired overreach is chilling and intimidates our librarians and educators under the facade of parental rights. Senate Democrats do not support these GOP efforts to stifle learning and limit access to information.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on and .

More than 11,000 Pulaski County students are unable to access online educational materials through their local public library as a legal precaution, according to school district administrators, in light of the statewide debate over what content children should be able to access in libraries.

The Pulaski County Special School District, which covers the rest of the county outside Little Rock and North Little Rock, had been participating in the Central Arkansas Library System鈥檚 since 2018.

The tech card program provides students with 鈥渞ecommended resources divided by grade level for research, homework help, and more, according to the CALS website, regardless of whether students have public library cards. Both public and private schools in Pulaski County have been enrolled in the program.

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CALS Executive Director Nate Coulter said he found out Wednesday, during a conversation with administrators at the Sherwood library branch, that parents of PCSSD students told library staff their children鈥檚 tech cards no longer worked.

The school district鈥檚 legal counsel initially advised the district to keep using tech cards in accordance with , PCSSD executive director of communications Jessica Duff said in an email. The requires public school districts to expand 鈥渄igital learning opportunities鈥� for students 鈥溾�嬧�媔n partnership with鈥� businesses, education leaders and other local entities.

However, the attorney later advised PCSSD to withdraw from the tech card program because CALS鈥� online student portal does not have 鈥渁 way to filter search results and access to particular material,鈥� Duff said.

鈥淎t this point in time, we鈥檙e not participating in this CALS tech card program until we have more clarity as to what鈥檚 acceptable and what鈥檚 not,鈥� she said.

Background

What is considered 鈥渁cceptable鈥� content for minors in schools and in public libraries has been a subject of heated debate this year in Republican-led states, including Arkansas. would alter Arkansas libraries鈥� processes for reconsidering material and create criminal liability for librarians who distribute content that some consider 鈥渙bscene鈥� or 鈥渉armful to minors.鈥�

Supporters of Act 372, both in public and in the Arkansas Legislature, have said the policy is necessary to keep 鈥減ornographic鈥� content out of children鈥檚 reach. Opponents of the law have said its purpose is to reduce access to content that reflects the general public, such as the LGBTQ+ community.

Coulter, CALS and 16 other plaintiffs in federal court over Act 372 in June. U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks temporarily blocked the two challenged portions of the law on July 29, three days before its effective date.

One blocked section of Act 372 would have put librarians at risk of being charged with a Class D felony for 鈥渒nowingly鈥� distributing obscene material or informing others of how to obtain it. In his ruling, Brooks agreed with the plaintiffs that the law was too vague and could lead to overly broad interpretations of the 鈥渁ppropriateness鈥� of materials and whether they are 鈥渕ade available鈥� simply by being on library shelves.

The other blocked section would have given city and county elected officials the final say over whether a book challenged on the basis of appropriateness can remain on library shelves or should be relocated to a place minors cannot access. Brooks noted in his ruling that this section 鈥減rovides no criteria to guide the governmental body鈥檚 evaluation.鈥�

Elected officials would only handle book challenges if a committee of library staff decides not to relocate a book and the complainant appealed the decision.

Act 372 would create a similar process for book challenges in school libraries, with school board members in charge of appeals. The lawsuit against Act 372 did not challenge this portion, and it went into effect Aug. 1.

Regulations on digital content

The blocked portion of Act 372 regarding 鈥渇urnishing a harmful item to a minor鈥� contains an exemption for 鈥渢he transmission or sending of items over the internet.鈥� This includes 鈥減osting material on an internet website, bulletin board, or newsgroup鈥� and 鈥渟ending material via a mailing list, listserv, or other method of internet communication.鈥�

Coulter, who worked as an attorney for several years, said he reads this exemption to be 鈥渧ery, very narrow鈥� and not applicable to CALS鈥� online learning materials or e-book distribution system.

He added that the tech card system has 鈥渦ndeniable benefits to kids鈥� and is not worth sacrificing to appease those who believe children should not have access to certain parts of CALS鈥� collection.

鈥淚t makes it so profoundly clear that they鈥檙e willing to trade educational benefits for their ideological end,鈥� Coulter said.

Mississippi enacted earlier this year requiring internet service providers to implement 鈥渟afety policies and technology protection measures鈥� preventing minors, particularly K-12 students, from accessing 鈥渟exually oriented鈥� or 鈥渙bscene鈥� materials. The law mentions libraries only once, but Mississippi it limits children鈥檚 access to library materials.

The federal (CIPA) of 2000 requires school and public libraries to use internet filters that block pornographic content in order to receive subsidies that make internet connectivity more affordable.

Coulter said CALS has this filter in place. The sale or use of any internet software that filters for the content facing conservative backlash 鈥� primarily any materials by and about LGBTQ+ people 鈥� would face a First Amendment lawsuit, he said.

鈥淣o serious vendor is going to venture there if they get legal counsel, because that鈥檚 clearly viewpoint discrimination that the Constitution prohibits,鈥� Coulter said.

The plaintiffs challenging Act 372 have argued that the vagueness of the law will lead to viewpoint discrimination if it is implemented as written.

Crawford County is a defendant in the lawsuit in addition to the state. The county library system moved children鈥檚 books with LGBTQ+ topics to a segregated 鈥渟ocial section,鈥� accessible only to adults, at all five branches in December 2022. The library director at the time called the move a 鈥渃ompromise鈥� after county residents objected to their availability at multiple quorum court meetings.

Three Crawford County parents and the local library board in May, calling the 鈥渟ocial sections鈥� a First Amendment violation. County officials cited Act 372 as a reason to keep the books segregated. U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes denied the parents鈥� request for an injunction in September.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com. Follow Arkansas Advocate on and .

The Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday voted to advance legislation that purports to give parents more insight and control over what their children are reading in school. But opponents vigorously argued the measures are a de facto book ban, and a redundant effort to exclude content by and for marginalized communities.

Senate Bill 7 passed 29-21, with state Sen. Lisa Boscola, (D-Northampton), voting with the Republican majority. It would require schools to identify sexually explicit content in school curriculum, materials, and books, create an opt-in policy to notify parents of the sexually explicit content by including a list of the book titles on a form, allow parents to review the materials, and require parents to give direct consent for their children to be provided or have access to sexually explicit content. It was by the Senate Education Committee last week.

The bill鈥檚 prime sponsor Sen. Ryan Aument, (R-Lancaster), has been working on similar legislation since 2021, and has insisted that SB 7 is not a book ban, an argument he reiterated on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday.

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鈥淲e are not seeking to ban books and we are not seeking to censor any group,鈥� Aument said. 鈥淲e are simply seeking to empower parents to make decisions about their own child, not anyone else鈥檚. One must only look at local school board races and local school board meetings all across this Commonwealth to see that this is an issue that concerns many parents.鈥�

Aument said he had taken a 鈥渕easured approach鈥� to crafting the legislation. 鈥淲e listened to families. We listened to school administrators, teachers and librarians. And we worked hard to draft a proposal to make sure all sides could feel heard and respected,鈥� he said, adding that what resulted was a proposal that closely resembles legislation recently passed in Virginia.

State Sen. Amanda Capelletti, (D-Delaware), said SB 7 is a book ban. She called it part of a 鈥渟tunning and increasing trend of censoring books in schools and libraries,鈥� and 鈥渁 direct attack on the right to read and our freedom of speech.鈥�

Capelletti said the 鈥渆xtreme vocal minority鈥� pushing book bans was missing a 鈥済laring鈥� reality.

鈥淲e all like to believe that every child grows up in a family that loves and values them for exactly who they are. We know that unfortunately, is not true,鈥� she said, adding many kids are left needing a support system and information outside their families, which they can often find in books.

鈥淭he kids who need books that explore gender identity and sexual orientation, are the most likely ones whose parents are denying them and their communities the right to learn from these books,鈥� she added. 鈥淓xploring human relationships, sex and love are some of the most challenging and rewarding obstacles that we will face in life. And we need the right education and materials available to ensure people can explore those spaces safely and with the right knowledge to be able to interact with the world around them compassionately.鈥�

Sen. Nikil Saval, (D-Philadelphia), said the bill was not specific enough in its definition of what was 鈥渆xplicit,鈥� and cautioned that its present language could exclude works of literature like Milton鈥檚 Paradise Lost, St. Augustine鈥檚 Confessions, or The Song of Solomon, all of which contain explicit references to sexuality. He noted that Paradise Lost was one of 150 books recently of an Orlando, Fla. school district.

鈥淭he experience of many states that have adopted similar ordinances shows these invidious distinctions are not so easily drawn, haplessly and clumsily though the bill tries,鈥� Saval said. 鈥淟et us be sober and clear about what this bill, if passed, would do. The standards of liberal education for which our founders fought would be decimated. SB 7 would destroy the educational system it purports to uphold.鈥�

Boscola, who broke with Democrats to vote in favor of SB 7, said she had worked with Aument on a previous version of the legislation she voted against, and thought the latest version was a marked improvement.

鈥淪enate Bill 7 strikes the needed balance between parental control over their child鈥檚 exposure to sexually explicit content,鈥� Boscola said. School boards, she added, are in an impossible position of having to make decisions about books, holding meetings where parents show up to protest that grow heated.

鈥淭here are some groups that want to ban all books that have even the slightest reference to sexually explicit content. And groups on the other side that see all sexually explicit content as being OK,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his General Assembly needs to lead. It needs to set forth a statewide policy that balances those radically different viewpoints of parents on both sides of this issue. We cannot leave this up to 500 different school boards.鈥�

Sharon Ward, senior policy advisor at the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania, said the state already has strong protections in place, and SB 7 will only further encourage book-banning activities at the school district level.

鈥淭he bill will divert educators from their work with students, requiring them to search through thousands of volumes to find a single word or phrase that could offend a parent, regardless of the merit or popularity of the book, ignoring two decades of court decisions that have rejected this form of book banning,鈥� Ward wrote in an email to the Capital-Star.

Senate Bill 340, sponsored by state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin), requires school districts to post on their website a link or title for every textbook used by its schools, a course syllabus, and the state academic standards for each course.

Several Democrats objected to SB 340 on the grounds that it is redundant. Sen. Art Haywood, (D-Philadelphia), cited several school districts鈥� policies that already allow parents to review reading materials. 鈥淪chool districts already provide for significant parent, guardian or student input on the materials that are in the library and in the curriculum,鈥� Haywood said.

Similar curriculum-focused legislation was approved by the Senate and the House in 2021 but was .

Sen. Jay Costa, (D-Allegheny), called SB 340 鈥渁n example of a solution in search of a problem with political motives behind it,鈥� adding it would only serve to add more mandates to already overburdened school districts.

Mastriano said there was 鈥渘othing nefarious or political鈥� behind the legislation. 鈥淭his is definitely something we need to do to build trust with parents,鈥� he said.

SB 340 passed along party lines, 28-22.

Growing national rise in book bans

Over the past several years, there has been an and censorship spurred by parents and right-wing groups. started during the early days of the pandemic in 2020, part of the frustration over mask mandates and online learning that eventually led to the politicization of school board meetings.

The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing last week about whether some books containing LGBTQ+ content should be removed from public school libraries. Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said during th hearing that the organization has been doing research on book bans 鈥渙n and off for about 100 years as these issues have flared up.鈥�

He said three or four years ago 鈥渢here was nothing like this on the scene. Something changed. A movement to encourage people to try to censor information and ideas.鈥�

Between Jan 1. and Aug. 1, across public, school, and academic libraries in the U.S. there were 695 attempts to censor library materials and 1,915 challenges to specific titles, the American Library Association鈥檚 Office for Intellectual Freedom.

That reflects a 20% increase from 2022, which held the previous record for book challenges since ALA started compiling the data more than two decades ago. According to the ALA, the 鈥渧ast majority鈥� of challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

鈥淭he Pennsylvania Senate approved two bills today that unnecessarily impede student learning and create a burdensome mandate on educators and school librarians,鈥� Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) president Aaron Chapin said in a statement Tuesday. 鈥淭hese bills are completely unnecessary mandates on educators and school librarians who are overworked and underpaid.鈥�

PSEA, an affiliate of the National Education Association, represents about 177,000 active and retired educators and school employees, student teachers, higher education staff, and health care workers statewide.

Chapin, who is also a middle school teacher in the Stroudsburg Area School District, added that such legislation would further serve to deter teachers from coming to work in the Keystone State.

鈥淲e need to stop accusing hardworking educators of indoctrinating kids,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you want yet another example of why Pennsylvania continues to see educator shortages, here is Exhibit A. We don鈥檛 need overreaching state legislation for issues that are worked out at the local level on a daily basis.鈥�

Both bills now head to the Democratic-majority House.

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