A look at the latest in censorship efforts around the country spotlights actions in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Missouri.
Attempt to criminalize titles fails; books stay
District Attorney Ben David of New Hanover and Pender Counties (NC) found no criminality in keeping nine books in libraries at the county’s middle and high schools. The titles, which were challenged by parents and investigated by members of the New Hanover County (NHC) Sheriff’s Office, will remain available in libraries, according to WHQR Public Media.
NHC Sheriff’s Office officers met with David in May, and gave him the list of “offensive” books, which schools made the titles available, and which passages they considered offensive. They asked David to investigate whether the books violated any criminal laws. To see also : Bay County offers BayROC, a real-time, high-tech crime-fighting center. David found that the law protected the schools and teachers for making these books available, adding that the obscenity test is high to protect First Amendment rights, according to the story.
The books were: All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez, The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons, Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper, Melissa (formerly George) by Alex Gino, Stamped by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds, A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée, The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater and Queer, There and Everywhere by Sarah Prager.
Sex textbooks removed in Miami-Dade
The Miami-Dade (FL) school board voted 5-4 to remove two sex education textbooks — Comprehensive Middle School Health Skills and Comprehensive High School Health Skills — from their middle school and high school curricula, according to Local10.
The board previously voted 5-4 to keep the accounts when objections were raised. A subsequent hearing was held to evaluate them. See the article : Best selling books of 2022 (so far). Age appropriateness and references to “sensitive topics” such as abortion, emergency contraception, gender identity and sexual orientation were cited as reasons for their removal.
Virginia country receives request to remove 50 books from school libraries
A local chapter of Moms for Liberty in Fauquier County (VA) formally requested the removal of 50 books from public school libraries during a school board meeting, according to FauquierNow. Read also : You can’t buy these books. A member of the group is quoted as claiming that access to these books causes “long-term sex-related behavioral problems”. Parents from the community spoke out in opposition to removing the books, including the recently retired superintendent of library and media services for Fauquier County Public Schools, who noted that there is a formal review process that should be followed.
While no specific list of books to be censored was given, FauquierNow compiled a list after reviewing parents’ comments and found that the titles include A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas, Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens and Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.
Book with nonbinary character removed in Missouri
The Independence School District (MO) Board of Education voted 6-1 to remove the book Cats vs. Robots Volume 1: This is War by Margaret Stohl from elementary school libraries due to its non-binary character and references to gender identity, according to KCUR and the Kansas City Star.
A member of the nine-person committee assembled to review the book cited concerns that the title and cover did not indicate that gender identity was mentioned in the book, as well as examples of young characters being skeptical of and distrustful of adults, which he said was “not appropriate’ and ‘deeply worrying’. Parents and students came to a school board meeting to protest the removal and explain the importance of having books with LGBTQIA+ characters.
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