Kids’ Right to Read Project

St. Johns County School District in Florida improperly removes library books without following procedure

By |2024-03-07T13:03:29-05:00March 7th, 2024|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship has written to the school board of St. Johns County School District in  St. Augustine, Florida to express our concern that the district is not following their policy when conducting reviews of books with sexual content. Read NCAC's full letter to the St. Johns County School District here: Click here for a full-screen view: [...]

NCAC recommends policy improvements for a Wisconsin School District that received over 400 book challenges

By |2024-01-05T14:30:35-05:00January 5th, 2024|Letters, News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship has written to the Elkhorn Area School District in Wisconsin to recommend policy improvements after a local parent challenged 444 library books, which were temporarily removed. As a result, the district has considered policy revisions. To assist, we shared NCAC's guidelines and best-practices on book challenges with them. Read NCAC's full letter to the [...]

Over 150 books have been restricted at St. Tammany Parish Library in Louisiana | Updated

By |2023-10-26T14:16:58-04:00September 22nd, 2023|News|

Updated 10/25/2023 — The St. Tammany Parish Library Board of Control has voted unanimously to reverse their book review policy which had restricted access to over 150 books in line with NCAC's recommendations. 9/21/2023 – The National Coalition Against Censorship has written to the St. Tammany Parish Library in Covington, Louisiana after the library limited access to over 150 [...]

Free speech organizations call on Florida’s Department of Education to Issue Clear Guidance to Schools

By |2023-09-05T14:14:54-04:00September 5th, 2023|News|

(St. Petersburg, Florida) — A group of free expression and anti-censorship groups sent a letter to schools across Florida today, alerting them to legal filings by the state’s Attorney General that the “Don’t Say Gay” law doesn’t apply to school libraries. Although many Florida schools shuttered or restricted their libraries as the school year began, three separate  legal filings by Attorney [...]

NCAC urges Iowa Department of Education to issue Senate File 496 guidance to prevent confusion among school districts

By |2023-08-17T15:04:24-04:00August 17th, 2023|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship has written to urge the Iowa Department of Education to issue guidance regarding Senate File 496, which restricts instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation, and removes school library books with sexual content. We are concerned that the vague law is creating confusion in Iowa school districts and will harm students because it encourages schools [...]

NCAC recommends book review policy changes to the Craven County Board of Education in North Carolina

By |2023-08-16T16:59:58-04:00August 16th, 2023|News|

Following news reports of 11 books being challenged in school libraries in the Craven County School District in North Carolina, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has written to the school board to recommend changes in their procedures for addressing objections to books and other material. The district’s policy provides few safeguards against the danger that books might be [...]

Montgomery County, Texas, library system forced to label and restrict access to children’s books

By |2023-08-10T14:16:52-04:00August 10th, 2023|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) sent a letter to the Montgomery County Commissioners Court in Conroe, Texas, expressing concern over the recent decision to label certain children's books as containing "explicit or questionable materials" and potentially relocate them to the library's adult section. Labeling and segregating books is ill-advised and conflicts with the stated goals of the Montgomery [...]

NCAC urges New Hanover County, North Carolina, school board to reject challenge against “Stamped” 

By |2023-07-26T16:08:47-04:00July 26th, 2023|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship has written a letter to the school board of New Hanover County, North Carolina, urging them to reject a challenge to the book, Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You, authored by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. The board is set to review the complaint after it was already rejected twice by reconsideration committees. A parent [...]

Hernando County, Florida school board removes “Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl?”

By |2023-07-25T19:33:29-04:00July 25th, 2023|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship recently wrote a letter to the School Board of Hernando County School District in Brooksville, Florida, regarding their choice to remove Louis Sachar's "Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl?" from elementary school libraries. This decision was made despite a review committee's recommendation to keep the book. The board's action appears to be based on [...]

NCAC responds to proposed Materials Review Policy updates in Sparta Township Schools, New Jersey

By |2023-07-06T12:49:19-04:00July 6th, 2023|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has contacted the Sparta Township Board of Education in New Jersey regarding proposed updates to the Sparta Township Library Resource Materials Policy and Regulation. The NCAC has expressed concern about the policy's complete prohibition of books with "lewd or vulgar content," which NCAC fears may prevent older students from accessing educational materials. To [...]

NCAC writes to school board in Iowa City about the temporary removal of Juno Dawson’s This Book is Gay | Updated

By |2023-11-28T10:40:08-05:00April 7th, 2023|In The News, Letters, News|

Updated 11/28/23 - At the request of the school’s reconsideration committee, This Book is Gay was returned to school libraries. 4/7/23 - The National Coalition Against Censorship wrote to the Iowa City Community School District in Iowa concerning the District’s recent temporary removal of Juno Dawson's This Book is Gay pending review of a challenge to the book. This [...]

Pinellas County Schools Bypass District Policy and Remove ‘The Bluest Eye’ from Libraries | Updated

By |2023-11-28T10:42:35-05:00February 9th, 2023|News|

Updated 11/28/23 -Upon meeting with local students and media specialists, the Pinellas County Library Review Team returned The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison to school libraries. 2/9/23 - The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has written a letter to the Pinellas County School Board in Largo, Florida regarding the district’s recent removal of the book The Bluest Eye by [...]

NCAC releases new resource for authors of banned or challenged books

By |2023-01-27T15:18:20-05:00January 27th, 2023|Blog, News, Press Releases|

NEW YORK – The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) today released a new resource that provides practical advice for authors whose books are being challenged and banned in K – 12 schools and libraries. Prepared in collaboration with writers who have faced censorship, it is available on the NCAC website. Book challenges can be exasperating, demoralizing, and deeply painful for [...]

NCAC demands return of 13 books by Ellen Hopkins to Hernando School District libraries

By |2023-01-25T08:26:45-05:00January 24th, 2023|News|

NCAC contacts Hernando School District in Brooksville, Florida, to express its concerns about the removal of 13 books by Ellen Hopkins from its libraries. A district administrator claimed that the materials are "harmful to minors" under Florida Statute 847, which makes it illegal to provide minors with access to "obscene" materials. This is problematic because, under Florida law, a book [...]

St. Lucie Public Schools in Florida Remove Books Before Review | UPDATED

By |2023-02-02T15:42:40-05:00January 18th, 2023|News|

Updated 2/2/23 – NCAC has received a response from the Superintendent of St Lucie Public Schools. He has agreed to follow the district's appeal process and to reconsider the four books that were improperly removed. On 1/18/23 - The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) wrote to St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie, Florida regarding their response to book [...]

South Carolina Middle School Removes Book on Anti-Racism from Library

By |2022-10-25T13:11:33-04:00October 25th, 2022|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has written to Batesburg-Leesville Middle School in South Carolina regarding the removal of Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You from the school library. As we understand it, the school removed the book from the library in order to be compliant with South Carolina State Proviso 1.93, which prohibits certain school spending on ideas often [...]

Spotsylvania, Virginia, School District Removes Books Without Review

By |2022-09-27T13:37:27-04:00September 27th, 2022|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has written to Spotsylvania County Public Schools in Virginia, regarding the removal of district library books without following their established review policy. As we understand the situation, in response to a local parent challenging 13 district library books, four were removed by district personnel without following Board Policy IIA*-R. This policy explicitly states [...]

Texas School District to Remove Books on Race and Gender

By |2022-09-15T12:54:54-04:00September 15th, 2022|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has written to Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in Grapevine, Texas, regarding recent policy changes which seem to allow library books to be removed based on the ideas they contain. As we understand the changes to Board Policy EMB (Local), the policy has been amended to restrict the use of instructional materials that advocate [...]

NCAC calls on Norman Oklahoma School District to Clarify HB 1775 Only Applies to Curriculum

By |2022-09-12T15:03:41-04:00September 12th, 2022|News|

A high school English teacher at Norman School District in Norman, Oklahoma, was recently admonished for sharing a QR Code with students that led to book recommendations from the Brooklyn Public Library. A parent filed a complaint and claimed that recommended materials supported critical race theory, which is against the law in Oklahoma under HB 1775. HB 1775 has put [...]

Madison, Mississippi, School District Restricts Books on Race and LGBTQ+ Themes

By |2022-08-26T15:08:18-04:00August 26th, 2022|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has written to the Madison County School Board in Ridgeland, Mississippi, regarding recent restrictions on 10 books, requiring students to obtain parental permission in order to read them. The 10 books in question address race-related or LQBTQ+ themes, and we are concerned that the district may have unconstitutionally targeted these books for the [...]

Naples, Florida, School District Adds Hundreds of “Advisory Notices” to Library Books

By |2022-08-24T17:54:50-04:00August 24th, 2022|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship has written to the School Board of the Collier County Public Schools in Naples, Florida, after District libraries recently added an “Advisory Notice” to hundreds of library books—raising censorship concerns. Placing advisory notices, or “red-flagging” books often misleadingly reduces complex literary works to a few isolated elements—those that some individuals may find objectionable—rather than [...]

Conroe, Texas, School District to Remove “Obscene” Books from Libraries | UPDATED

By |2023-01-06T16:42:29-05:00August 22nd, 2022|News|

Updated 11/28/2022— NCAC has written an additional letter to the Conroe ISD Board of Trustees. Originally published 8/22/2022— The National Coalition Against Censorship has written to the Conroe Independent School District in Conroe, Texas, regarding recently adopted policies which require parental permission to check out allegedly obscene books from libraries while they are under review. Under the new policies, [...]

NCAC Urges New York School District to Support Free Expression

By |2022-08-08T16:55:20-04:00August 8th, 2022|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship has delivered a letter to the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board in Auburn, New York, in response to proposed amendments to its Instructional Materials and Controversial Issues policy that will allow parents to limit access to school library materials. Policy amendments are in response to complaints made early this year about All Boys Aren't [...]

Pennsylvania School District Passes Strict Book Banning Policy

By |2022-07-28T11:49:18-04:00July 27th, 2022|News|

The National Coalition Against Censorship has written to the School Board of Central Bucks School District in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, after recent proposed changes to the District’s Library Materials Policy raised serious censorship concerns. The Board voted to adopt the policy on July 26, 2022. The policy leaves the authority to remove materials in the hands of a single person. NCAC [...]

Florida School District Removes Call Me Max and I Am Jazz from Libraries

By |2022-04-20T15:24:15-04:00April 20th, 2022|News|

Kyle Lukoff’s Call Me Max and Jazz Jennings’s I Am Jazz, which both feature transgender main characters, were removed from school libraries in Palm Beach County, Florida, without review. NCAC has written to the district urging them to immediately return the books to library shelves. The removal was purportedly in compliance with Florida House Bill 1557 which was recently signed [...]

NCAC Objects to Removal of Library Books in Texas School District

By |2022-04-06T14:15:22-04:00April 6th, 2022|News|

NCAC has written to officials at Fredericksburg Independent School District in Texas after numerous books were removed from district libraries without a formal review based on arguments that they are “pervasively vulgar.” The books in question, which include, among others, Jesse Andrews’s Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, address issues that [...]

Texas Students Distribute BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Books During ‘FReadom Week’ Initiative | Student Perspective

By |2022-03-23T17:39:47-04:00March 23rd, 2022|Blog, News|

When Jerry Craft's New Kid was banned from school libraries in Katy, Texas earlier this year for "pervasively vulgar" content, I defended his book and advocated against this inexplicable censorship. After that, school board meetings in Texas only intensified. After months of persistent demands for intellectual freedom being outnumbered by conservatives and drowned out by more book bans, we finally [...]

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