NCAC - National Coalition Against Censorship

» October 17 , 2007 - Parents and Church Leaders Object to The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Concerned parents of Conkwright Middle students and local Christian leaders appeared before the school's site-based decision-making council last Thursday, protesting the use of a book they say goes against their beliefs. But teachers and parents who reviewed the book, Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass," say it is suitable for middle school students, who understand it's a fantasy novel.

» October 9 , 2007 - Will ‘TopDog/UnderDog’ be sliced out of Anthology in AP English Class? A teacher became concerned that her AP English students might skim through a literary anthology and see the profanity and sexual themes in TopDog/UnderDog by Suzan Lori-Parks, an unassigned portion of the book. The issues was brought to the school board, who decided that the books should be kept and a letter sent home informing parents of their content. The Superintendent has since overruled that decision and plans to send the books back to the publisher. If they are not accepted, the school is considering razoring out the potentially offending passages. See NCAC's Letter to Superintendent of Grand Rapids School District Opposing the Censorship of Suzan Lori-Parks' Pulitzer Prize Winning Play

» October 2 , 2007 - ‘Sandpiper’ challenged in Alabama High School Library A young girl and her grandmother refused to return Sandpiper by Ellen Wittlinger back to the high school library because they objected to its sexual content. They have since filed a formal challenge and the book is being reviewed by a committee. See NCAC's Joint Letter to the Review Committee of Brookwood High School Library

May 1, 2007 - Father seeks $20k in damages for lesbian book in library Earl Adams wants $20,000 from his city of Bentonville, Ark, after his sons found a book on lesbian sex on a public library bookshelf. He is also requesting that the library director be fired, saying that finding the books “greatly disturbed” his two teenage sons.

City attorney Camille Thompson dismissed the claim and stated that his request for money "made me question his motivation." The library’s board voted to remove the book from circulation, and replace it with one that takes a more clinical approach. Adams is now threatening “legal action and protests from the Christian community.” See NCAC's Joint letter to Bentonville Mayor and Library Director About Removal of The Whole Lesbian Sex Book

» April 18 , 2007 - ‘Chocolate War’ to be cut from Harford schools’ curriculum Superintendent Jacqueline Haas will go before the Harford County Board of Education on Tuesday to announce that Robert Cormier’s “The Chocolate War” will be pulled from the mandatory ninth-grade “living in a contemporary world” class, despite a review committee’s unanimous ruling that it should be kept. Parents are protesting the book’s language, depictions of violence and references to sex. Several letters of concern were copied directly from the web site of the advocacy group “Parents Against Bad Books in Schools.” See NCAC's Joint letter to Harford County Superintendent About Removal of The Chocolate War from Ninth Grade Curriculum

» March 30, 2007- Beloved Removed from AP English Classes Due to Sexual Content Students at Eastern High School in Louisville, KY were told to stop reading this award-winning novel within 30 pages of the end of the book and that class discussions of the book were terminated because some parents complained about the book’s racial and sexual content, which represent small but essential parts of the novel. Beloved has been pulled from the curriculum without any formal complaint or review process.

» March 16, 2007- Mandarin High School Principal Challenges Vegan Virgin Valentine in School Library A book available in the Mandarin High School library has a family questioning the books literary value in a public school setting. The book is called, Vegan Virgin Valentine and was written by Carolyn Mackler. The author describes the book as a racy tale of two 17 year-olds trying to find themselves. Anne Ferrell is concerned parent who found the book of marginal value saying, "They use the f-word everywhere else. That's unacceptable."

See NCAC's Joint letter to Mandarin High School Principal about Challenges to Vegan Virgin Valentine in School Library

» March 16, 2007- Lucky by Eddie de Oliveira challenged in Jacksonville A local mother questions the value of Lucky by Eddie de Oliveira, a book her 6th grader niece was assigned to read. Melinda Hicks says she has several problems with the book. "There are profanities such as the "F" word." Hicks also has an issue with the back cover of the book which describes "the experiences of a teenager attracted to both boys and girls who is trying to find where he fits in."

See NCAC's Joint letter to Duval County Superintendent about Objections to Books in Jacksonville School Libraries

» March 16, 2007- Interview with Susan Patron Several weeks ago, the Newbery Award-winning novel The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron became the subject of a dispute among authors and librarians across the country over its use of the word “scrotum.” Following a report in the New York Times, the story of Patron’s challenged book became national news, and many school librarians have hesitated to purchase the book for their school collections. We asked her about the controversy over her novel, and librarians’ role in defending the First Amendment.

» March 8, 2007- Free Speech Groups Welcome Decisions Clearing Challenged Books The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and the National Coalition Against Censorship today welcomed decisions by federal, state and local prosecutors upholding the right of students in Howell, MI, to read Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Richard Wright’s Black Boy, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, and Augusten Burroughs’ Running with Scissors. U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Murphy announced that there is no merit in the complaints made by the Livingston Organization for Values in Education (“LOVE”) that the books are obscene. Murphy, who had referred the books to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a decision, declared that neither “[t]he material submitted nor its inclusion as part of the school’s required English curriculum constitutes a violation of federal law.”

» March 7, 2007- Review Commitee Recommends that School Board Keep Whale Talk in Classrooms A minister in Missouri Valley objected to the profanity used in the book Whale Talk, a book added to the curriculum with the intention to teach students about tolerance. Now a committee at the Missouri Valley school district recommends the book be allowed back in a 10th grade classroom. The story is about a group of misfits, who seek acceptance at their high school. A committee was formed to read the book and weigh concerns. Superintendent Tom Micek read a statement from committee member Martin Pennock who could not attend the meeting.

» March 1, 2007- Free Speech Groups Condemn FBI Investigation of Literary Works After the Howell, MI school board decided to reject demands that it censor Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Richard Wright’s Black Boy, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, and Erin Gruwell’s The Freedom Writers Diary, the Attorney General referred the case to the FBI for investigation.

» February 25, 2007- Newbery Award-Winning Novel Stirs Controversy A dispute has emerged in recent weeks among authors and librarians across the country over the use of the word "scrotum" in the Newbery Award-winning novel The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron.

» February 14, 2007- In celebration of Black History Month Black History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions that African-Americans make and have made to American society and to recognize the struggles that define the African-American exprience in America. Much of Black History Month understandably focuses on well-known movements, incidents and individuals for civil rights in America. Often overlooked is the role played by free speech in civil rights, politics, art and entertainment in the shaping of black history – and American history.

» October 6, 2006- NCAC Defends Graphic Novels Craig Thompson's Blankets and Alison Bechdel's Fun Home have been removed from the Marshall Public Library, after the graphic novels were challenged by a member of the community who claims they contain "pornographic" images and are inappropriate for the library. Removing the books because of sexual content not only entirely fails to consider the indisputable value of books as a whole, but also ignores the library's obligation to serve all kinds of readers. The National Coalition Against Censorship and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund writes to Anita Wright, President of the Marshall Public Library, to protect the rights of all readers to read and think freely, demonstrate respect for the First Amendment and its importance to a pluralistic democratic society.

» July 11, 2006- Another Reading List RestrictedActing on complaints from a parent, Olentangy Ohio District Superintendent Scott Davis removed Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones from Liberty High School's optional summer reading list. The parent noted as the source of these complaints, Barabara Reierson, cites only the use of profanity (identified through an online keyword search), rather than any legitimate pedagogical concern, in her objections to Mark Haddon's novel. She does not even claim to have read the book in its entirety.

» May 11, 2006- An Open Letter from Children's Book Author Patricia Polacco Polacco alleges that the cancellation of her schedule appeared at a conference of the International Reading Association is based on her criticism of the No Child Left Behind program — and that it amounts to censorship.

» April 21, 2006- Harry Potter Challenged in Georgia Harry Potter continues to face challenges in public school systems. Most often, this challenges are brought by conservative Christian parents who are concerned that the book contains "witchcraft", i.e., wizards and witches, magic, and sorcery.

»Spring 2006- "Bookslut" Presents Writings on Challenged Young Adult Literature Chris Zammarelli, writing on the literary criticism blog "Bookslut," presents a collection of articles about controversial titles, saying: "If I do my job right, I'll be creating a great reference guide of titles for kids to check out if they want to read something that will piss off their parents."

» April 20, 2006- Acclaimed Japanese Art Book Pulled from Libraries"Manga: Sixty Years Of Japanese Comics," by Paul Gravett, was removed from several libraries in San Bernardino, CA by the County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Bill Postmus. The book was ordered off the shelves after a complaint from Cynthia Jones, whose 16 year old son had borrowed the book from the library. The work is a history of Manga comics, and includes discussion of adult comics that depict sex and violence. The library had originally responded to Ms. Jones' complaint by saying that it was the parents' responsibility to determine what is appropriate for their child and kept the book on the shelves, until Bill Postmus had the work removed.

» March 7, 2006 - Kite Runner Under Challenge in Indianapolis The superintendent has made a dangerous proposition: that concerned parents join educators in planning curriculum, and reviewing classroom materials.

» July 12, 2005 - Parent Asks Fayetteville Schools to Purge Libraries of All "Vile and Gratuitous" Materials A parent in Fayetteville, Arkansas, who succeeded in getting the school to ban three sex ed books from school libraries, then asked the school to conduct a district-wide audit to purge the libraries of all materials that contain "vile and gratuitous sexual premises." The parent claimed that she found 70 such books after conducting her own audit.

» Summer 2005- Congressmen Vote to Exempt Libraries and Bookstores from USAPatriot Act Searches The House of Representatives voted to exempt library and bookstores from searches allowed under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. The Freedom to Read Act, introduced by Rep. Bernie Sanders (VT), cuts funding for such searches by amending the House Appropriations Bill. The vote of 238 to 187 shows growing legislative support to protect Americans' right to privacy, and the effectiveness of the Campaign for Reader Privacy. This is a significant victory, but the battle will continue as Congress considers renewal of the sunset provisions in the Patriot Act.

» June 24, 2005 - Sexual Passage Causes Abrupt Ban of Kent Haruf’s “Plainsong”Seniors at Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas, Nevada must have been confused when their English teacher took away books they were still reading: Kent Haruf's acclaimed novel, Plainsong. At issue was a brief sexual passage. Without submitting challenges to the novel to a review committee, the assistant principal ordered teacher Gerald McGee to "collect all the books, box them up and put them away immediately."

» Summer 2005 - Judy Blume's Forever Continues to Shock Adults Forever, Judy Blume's 30-year old novel, beloved by teens, still shocks some adults. In Pasadena, Texas a parent's complaint resulted in the book's removal from all school libraries. And in northern California, a 6th grader was charged with sexual harassment for bringing her copy of Forever to school to lend to a friend. The matter was dropped when the NCAC intervened.

» May 16, 2005 - Oklahoma Legislature Places Restrictions on LGBT-themed BookThe Oklahoma legislature instructed libraries to restrict access to children's books with homosexual themes by shelving them in adult areas of the library.

Also See: » Library funds threatened

» Spring 2005 - Book Depicting Realities of Racism Banned in Middle School in Ithaca, NY Under attack for language depicting the realities of racism is the historical book, War Comes to Willy Freeman by James Collier, in a middle school in Ithaca, NY. The book had been taught for 10 years but was unilaterally removed from the classroom and the library by the principal, in disregard of the district's procedures, on the complaint of a parent.

» February 16, 2005 - Athletic Shorts Banned in Michigan School The word "nigger" in Chris Cutcher's Athletic Shorts was considered controversial enough in one Grand Rapids, Michigan school to result in suspension of the teacher who assigned it and removal of the book from the classrooms and libraries. (insert anchor: Grand Rapids athletic shorts)

» January 26, 2005 - South Carolina School District Keeps Whale Talk on Shelves The Supreintendent of Georgetown School District in Georgetown, South Carolina chose to retain Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher, despite requests for its removal from the high school English curriculum.

» December 7, 2004 - Catcher in the Rye Withstands Censorship Challenge in MaineCatcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger's frequently challenged coming-of-age novel, will remain in the ninth grade curriculum at Noble High in North Berwick, ME. The school board rejected a request to ban the book for offensive language and themes. The board agreed to revise procedures to inform parents about book selections.

» December 16, 2004- Science Textbook Rejected in Texas for interpretation of Oil and Gas Industry's Position on Environmental IssuesA federal district court in Dallas dismissed a lawsuit against the state for rejecting an environmental science textbook the commissioners didn't like. The case, Chiras v. Miller, brought by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, charged that the textbook was rejected for "illegitimate, unconstitutional reasons." The commissioners had turned the book down for failing to adequately present the oil and gas industry's position on environmental issues and for not reflecting "the conservative values of most Texans." The court held that school boards may reject textbooks if they disagree with the author's viewpoint when such "viewpoint discrimination" is "reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns." The decision will be appealed.

» July 21, 2004- Sex Ed Books Under Consideration in Texas Missing Major GapsOf the four sex ed textbooks under consideration by the Texas Board of Education, only one acknowledges condoms and none discusses other contraceptives. In one book, students are advised to get plenty of rest so they can make good decisions, to prevent sexually-transmitted diseases. The publishers claim that the teachers' supplements will fill in the gaps. Groups on both sides of the issue have been trying to affect the outcome, which will have a major impact on textbooks used nationwide. Texas is one of the largest purchasers of textbooks in the country and publishers find it extravagant to publish multiple versions, so, as Texas goes, there goes the nation.

» Fall 2004- Teacher Fired for Assigning The Diary of Anne FrankAt Fowler High School in Fowler, CO, first-year teacher Sara McCleary was not rehired because she assigned to ninth-grade English students The Diary of Anne Frank. After a parent objected to a sexual reference, the School Board terminated her contract and removed the book from classrooms, leaving a single copy in the library.

» April 12, 2004 - Free Speech Authors And Groups Condemn Government Restrictions On Free Flow Of InformationIn Fall 2003, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury Department issued an opinion that trade embargoes against countries such as Iran, Cuba, Iraq, Libya and Sudan prohibit publishers from editing scientific and literary manuscripts by residents of those countries and restrict other academic and intellectual collaborations. Free Speech proponents are pushing for the elimination of these restrictions.

Related: » Restrictions Remain on Collaborating and Editing Foreign Scripts

» January 26, 2004 - Roll of Thunder Challenged in Seminole County, Florida A parent, who has not read the award-winning book, objected because it includes the word "nigger." Although her child was immediately given an alternative reading assignment, the parent has continued to press for the book's removal.
Related: » Read NCAC's Letter to the School Board

» January 2004- ALA's Top Five Most Challenged Books in 2003According to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, the top three challenged books in 2003 were Phyllis Naylor's Alice series, for sexual content, offensive language and age inappropriateness; the Harry Potter series, for wizardry and magic; and Of Mice and Men, for offensive language.

» September 30, 2003 - Texas State Board of Education Considers Adopting Changes to Biology Textbook The proposed changes to the biology textbook under consideration for adoption by the Texas State Board of Education challenged evolution.

» July 16, 2003 - All-American Soap Box Derby Attempt to Censor Book About the Derby The All-American Soap Box Derby attempted to pressure the publisher of a new historical book on the Derby to change its title and contents.

Related:» Joint Letter to Chairman of All-American Soap Box Derby

»Summer 2003- Harry Potter Returns to Cedarville School District LibrariesHarry Potter books are back in full circulation at the Cedarville School District libraries, thanks to an order from a federal judge in Little Rock, Arkansas. Responding to a complaint from a parent who called the books "evil" for their depictions of wizardry, three school board members had voted to require parental permission for children to read the books claiming that they prompt children to "disobey authority and push occult messages." Judge Jim Hendren ruled: "Regardless of the personal distaste with which these individuals regard 'witchcraft,' it is not properly within their power and authority as members of defendant's school board to prevent the students at Cedarville from reading about it....[T]he conclusion is inevitable that defendant removed the books from its library shelves for reasons not authorized by the Constitution."

» March 10, 2003 - Teacher in Brooklyn Disciplined for Assigning "Pornographic" Book A veteran English teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School, Todd Friedman, was disciplined by his principal, Dr. Lee McCaskill, for assigning Russell Banks's highly acclaimed novel, Continental Drift, to a student for supplemental reading. A parent called the book "pornographic" and Dr. McCaskill took unilateral action, putting a warning letter in the teacher's file. The controversy went to conciliation after which the principal ruled that all teachers must seek approval from the assistant principal before teaching books which have not "previously been approved."

The ruling stifles academic freedom. It prevents teachers from exercising their professional expertise and selecting materials they consider pedagogically valuable. It chills their creativity and lowers their morale. The losers are the students whose intellect will no longer be challenged by teachers seeking to enrich the curriculum.
Related:» NCAC Letter to New York City Department of Education Chancellor

Also Read:» NCAC Follow-up Letter to the State Education Department

Winter 2002 - Of Mice and Men Challenged in Michigan School for Using Words Barred by School Handbook
John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men was challenged at a high school in Grand Valley, Michigan by parents who complained that the novel contains words and phrases students are prohibited from using by the school official handbook. The school district rejected the request for banning, explaining why the classic novel is widely taught, how students are prepared to read the book, and that parents may ask for alternative reading.

» Winter 2002 - Wisconsin H.S. Bans Acclaimed Novel, Calls It Pornography When Pat Conroy's critically-acclaimed novel, The Lords of Discipline, was criticized as "literary pornography," the Superintendent at Southwest High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin banned it from an advanced language arts class. He then instituted policies for book selection, alternative reading, and parent notification. One student wrote that most students could "see past the words on a page and understand the meanings behind them. The few students who could not do this should not be forced to read books like The Lords of Discipline, but their peers should not suffer the consequences." However, student opinions were not only ignored by the Board, they were ridiculed by some parents.

» August 9, 2002 - Iowa Library Keeps Ban on Teen Advice Book Board members of a public library in Dyersville, Iowa voted to keep Sari Says, by Sari Locker, off its shelves, citing it as inappropriate material for their library. The book provides teens with advice on a variety of subjects, and one chapter deals with sex.
Related:» NCAC Letter to Dysersville Paper About Removal of Sari Says

» NCAC Letter to Dyersville Public Library About Removal of Sari Says

» September 29, 2002- Banned Books Event Attracts Readers and Writers Author Sari Locker joined NCAC at its booth in New York City at New York Is Book Country on September 29, 2002 signing her recent book, Sari Says: The Real Dirt on Everything from Sex to Schools.

» July 26, 2002 - Connecticut Middle School Attempts to Ban "Witchcraft" Books Residents in Cromwell, Connecticut sought to remove Bridge to Terabithia and The Witch of Blackbird Pond because they claimed the novels promoted witchcraft.

Summer 2002 - Science Textbook Publishers Revise Text to Please Texas Schools
Although Texas policies were revised to limit grounds for rejection to "factual inaccuracy" in 1995, censorship still flourishes in the Lone Star State. Publishers still revise textbooks in order to sell to the nation's second largest buyer. In November, a science book was altered to appease anti-environmentalists. "Destruction of the rain forest could affect weather over the entire planet" was changed to "Tropical rain forest ecosystems impact weather over the entire planet." The following was added: "In the past the earth has been much warmer than it is now, and fossils of sea creatures show us that the sea level was much higher than it is today. So does it really matter if the world gets warmer?"

» January 23, 2002 - Judy Blume's Forever Returned to Illinois Middle School LibraryA school board in Elgin, Illinois voted to return Judy Blume's Forever to the shelves of the district's middle school libraries. The book was banned in 1999 after a librarian requested its removal.

Related:» NCAC Letter to Elgin Superintendent Requesting Reinstatement of Forever

» NCAC Applauds Return of Forever to Elgin Libraries

» December 20, 2001- ACLU Takes Action After Acclaimed Novel Sophie's Choice Is Removed From School LibraryIn California, the highly acclaimed novel, Sophie's Choice, by William Styron was removed from La Mirada High School library by the principal, after a parent's complaint about isolated sexual references. As NCAC often observes, it is fine literature that is most frequently censored: Sophie's Choice has won the prestigious National Book Award. NCAC and other groups are urging school officials to honor students' First Amendment rights by returning the book to the library shelves.

Also See: 'Sophie's Choice' Has Been Returned To La Mirada High School Library

Fall 2001 - Parody of Gone With the Wind Survives Court Challenge
The 11th Circuit found that Alice Randall's novel, The Wind Done Gone, re-telling Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind from the slaves' point of view, is a parody, an important element of Randall's "fair use" defense to copyright infringement claims. The court remanded for fact-finding on other elements of the defense. The decision provides a useful review of copyright law and history. An injunction against publication of Randall's book was lifted by the appeals court last spring.
Related: » Prohibited Piracy or Protected Parody?

Summer 2001 - Of Mice and Men Production Canned at Atlanta High School
A production of John Steinbeck's classic, Of Mice and Men, was canceled by the principal of Dacula High School near Atlanta, GA after the cast refused to cut profanity and racial language from the play-an option that student Matt Maher likened to "taking a Sharpie to Picasso." The Belladonna Repertory Company donated its theater for the students to produce the play, uncensored.

Winter 2000 - Novel Removed From Long Island H.S. For Its Illustration of Hand-made Bomb
In Long Island, New York, the Port Washington schools dropped Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies for its crude drawing of a hand-made bomb. The highly-acclaimed novel about three sisters active in the resistance movement against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo was taught in the 10th grade until a school board member questioned whether the illustration could "trigger violence." Students Charlotte McCorkel and Myung-Hee Vahulas got it right when they wrote to their local newspaper: "...If the controversial portion of this book or any other book is discussed in context, then we as students are most capable of putting it in perspective."

» November 10, 2000 - Restrictions Placed on Harry Potter in Texas School District The Santa Fe Independent School District in Texas imposed restrictions on Harry Potter books, requiring parental permission before allowing a student to borrow the books from school libraries.

Fall 2000 - LGBT Books Withstand Challenges in Texas
A federal court confirmed that library books may not be moved/removed from a Wichita Falls, Texas library by a petition of 300, as the city council had legislated. The books, Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate, had been reinstated last fall when the policy was temporarily enjoined

Fall 2000 - Illustration of Vagina Censored in Virginia H.S. Science Textbook
Embarrassed by an illustration of a vagina in a high school science textbook, school board members in Lynchburg, Virginia refused to approve the book unless the picture was covered or cut out. Some anatomical parts, apparently, are best unseen.

Summer 2000 - Lancaster, Mass. School Board Keeps The Chocolate War in Schools
The school board voted unanimously to keep Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War after protests from some eighth-grade parents. The highly-acclaimed, widely taught book is frequently challenged for its realistic description of bullying, of dehumanizing institutions, and for language and sexual references. "I feel like I have done something right," Cormier says. "There wouldn't be all these concerns about an ineffective book." His comment echoes experience. It is mostly good literature that is challenged.

» May 2000 - Harry Potter Back on Shelves in Michigan School District The superintendent of a school district in Zeeland, Michigan agreed to put the Harry Potter series back in the elementary and middle school libraries and to permit student to borrow them without restritions. (insert anchor: Zeeland Harry Potter)
Related: » Free Expression Network Letter to Zeeland Superintendent

» April 28, 2000 - Harding University Disinvites Author After Reading Her Novel of a Gay Man's Murder When Harding University invited author Bette Greene to speak on their campus, they may have been aware of her novels Summer of My German Soldier and Philip Hall Likes Me, but they may not have known about The Drowning of Stephan Jones, a book that was inspired by the murder of a gay man. Could this have had something to do with why the school disinvited Ms. Green from her speaking engagement?
Related: » The Harding Response

» April 2000 - Huck Finn Remains a Staple Novel in Oklahoma High School
A school board in a school district in Enid Oklahoma voted, 6-to-1, to retain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on the required reading list for high school juniors. A school district committee had earlier recommended its removal following a complaint filed by a group of black ministers.

» January 2000 - Native Son Retained on Colorado High School Reading List
A school board in Littleton, Colorado voted to retain Native Son on the high school reading list. It was challenged because of sexual scenes, violence and racial language.

» January 2000 - English Teacher Threatened with Dismissal for Promoting Banned Books A teacher in Harrisonburg, Virginia was threatened with dismissal for posting a pamphlet about book censorship. A parent objected to the slogan, "Read A Banned Book."

» March 15, 1999 - National Endowment of the Arts Withdraws Funding for The Story of Color The NEA withdrew funding for The Story of Color, the Mexican folktale for children published by Cinco Puntos Press, for fear that some of the grant money would be used to support the Zapatista movement in Mexico.

Spring 1999 - Restrictions Placed On Reading Rolling Stone in Wisconsin H.S. Library
Students who want to read Rolling Stone magazine in a high school library in Wales, Wisconsin, must prove they are 18 or have parental permission. The superintendent overruled a committee's recommendation, after a school board member called it "pornographic."

Winter 1998 - Court Ruling Defends Twain and Faulkner Novels
Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily cannot be banned from school curricula on the basis of content, even when they are attacked for racial content. The 3-0 ruling by the 9th District Court of Appeals responded to a lawsuit against an Arizona high school.

» Winter 1998 - Brooklyn Teacher Assigned Nappy Hair, Accused of Being Racially Insensitive A well-intentioned third-grade teacher, who happens to be white, gave her mostly black and Hispanic students a critically praised book about a black girl with kinky hair. So who did the school authorities choose to investigate first? The well-meaning teacher, or the foul-mouthed, harm-threatening parents? The teacher, of course.

» Summer 1998 - Go Ask Alice Removed From Classroom Use in Rhode Island Middle School Considered by many teachers a valuable and important teaching tool for adolescents, Go Ask Alice, author unknown, is the diary of an adolescent's struggles with drug addiction and the tragic consequences.

» February 13, 1998 - Magazines Banned from Long Island Middle School Library for Containing Sex Ed Info Three magazines were removed from the Hauppauge Middle School Library upon the urging of a local religious figure who urged parishioners to object to the publications because they contain "information that goes against what we believe is the truth about sex as Catholic Christians."
Related: » NCAC's Letter to Hauppauge School Superintendent » Teen Magazines Too Racy?

Winter 1997 - Levittown, New York Superintendent Approves One Fat Summer for Classroom Use
One Fat Summer by Robert Lypsyte was restored in the Levittown, New York public schools. The book was removed as required reading after a complaint about violence and vulgarity, but the suprerintendent has informed faculty that "the book has not been removed for content and, indeed, may well be appropriate for use in other courses such as English literature, ethics, psychology, health, or in a lower level developmental reading class." He also assured teachers that they are free to choose books that meet developmental guidelines.

» July 16, 1997 - The Tin Drum and Other First Amendment-protected Material Removed in Oklahoma City Oklahoma City authorities removed the Academy Award-winning film, The Tin Drum, from local libraries and six video stores, following the arrest of employees at convenience stores on charges of selling allegedly obscene magazines.
Related: » Tin Drum Censors Have Tunnel Vision - An Op-ed Piece by Joan E. Bertin

Summer 1997 - Ban on Of Mice and Men Lifted at Illinois Middle School
The Peru, Illinois School Board lifted the ban on John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, permitting 8th-grade teacher Dan Brooks to continue its use through this school year while the school board initiates formal curriculum selection policies. Brooks had been ordered to stop teaching the book he had taught for 13 years after anonymous complaints were received by the principal.

» Fall 1996 - New Hampshire Teacher Fired for Teaching "Unsuitable" Books Reinstated by School Board A New Hampshire teacher who fought back against attempts to smear and ultimately fire her, has been reinstated by the Mascenic School Board following a decision of the state's Public Employee Labor Relations Board.

» Fall 1996 - Ohio Board of Education Adopts Multicultural History Textbook National news spotlighted the rejection by the Hudson, Ohio Board of Education of The American People, a multicultural history textbook recommended by educators for high school use. But the Board's reversal of its action seems to have gone unnoticed outside of the state.

» Fall 1996 - Suit Dismissed Against Publisher of Contract Killing Book A suit brought against a publisher for allegedly aiding and abetting a triple murder by publishing a "how-to" manual for contract killers was dismissed in a federal district court.

Summer 1996 - 'Zine Cartoonist Mike Diana Loses Appeal
Two obscenity convictions of comic 'zine creator Mike Diana were upheld by Florida Circuit Court Judge Douglas Baird, as he dismissed a third conviction for advertising obscene matter.

Summer 1996 - Florida School Officials Retain Poetry Book Challenged for "Inciting Violence"
When a parent demanded that Poetry in Black America be removed from school libraries in Okaloosa County, Fla. for "inciting violence," the Florida Coalition Against Censorship arranged for challenged poet Nikki Giovanni to speak with school officials. The board retained the book.

Spring 1996 - Federal Judge Rules Book Banning Violated First Amendment
A federal judge ruled that the Olathe, Kansas school system had violated students' and parents' First Amendment rights when it ordered that all copies of the book Annie on My Mind be removed from high school library shelves. The book is the story of Annie and Liza, who meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, fall in love and consequently struggle with declaring their homosexuality to family and friends.