NCAC Calls Trump Administration’s Travel Ban a Violation of Core Free Speech Principles
The brief argues that freedom of speech includes the ability to facilitate the free international exchange of people and ideas.
NCAC Urges Reform to Law Authorizing International Surveillance
Because Section 702 has a potentially chilling effect on privacy and free speech, it has to be reauthorized periodically. It is set to expire at the end of the year.
NCAC in the Ventura County Star: Conejo censorship sets chilling precedent
Ventura County Star, Local-CA, 7/17/2017
Supreme Court Grants The Slants an Important First Amendment Victory
Given our current political climate we'd be wise not to take the protections afforded by the First Amendment for granted and to protest unconstitutional government action, as The Slants have successfully just done.
Free Speech Victory for Florida Medical Community in “Docs vs Glocks” Case
The state of Florida did not appeal the ruling against the “Firearms Owners' Privacy Act,” which prevented doctors from asking patients about their gun ownership.
Elementary School Bans Students from Possessing 13 Reasons Why on School Grounds
NCAC is in the process of writing to the elementary school underlining that students have a First Amendment right to receive and possess literature, provided the books in question do not cause disruption to school activities.
North Carolina High School Censors Yearbook With Donald Trump Quote
NCAC's letter will underline that a primary goal of the school system "is to exercise the responsibilities of citizenship by promoting democratic values such as free expression, tolerance, and diversity." This includes diversity of opinion.
Without Explanation, AZ School District Removes The Kite Runner From English Curriculum
The Arizona school district removed Khaled Hosseini's novel after 5 years on the English curriculum, raising questions about the motivations behind the decision.
Minnesota High School Cancels Play After Photos Leak of Students Dressed in KKK Costumes
The decision to cancel the play was understandable, given the controversy around the photo, but was it the best decision that could have been made?
‘Anti-Bullying’ Book with Transgender Themes Pulled From 1st Grade Lesson Plan
The book, Jacob’s New Dress, was pulled after Republican lawmakers complained. For several month a group called Values Coalition has charged the district of using "indoctrinating" materials.
Literary Classics Removed from High-School’s Alternative Reading List in Alaska
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, and Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian were flagged for "explicit, graphic" content.
North Carolina School Releases Statement to Parents About Potentially Inappropriate Books
Terms such as "inappropriate" are vague and over-inclusive, potentially leading to the exclusion of works of undeniable pedagogical value.
Missouri Congressman Defends Student Painting Attacked for Animal Depiction of Police; UPDATE: Without Permission, Rep. Lawmaker Removes Painting
Representative Clay has stood in support of artistic free expression in the face of criticisms that the painting contains an anti-police message.
Groups Offer Support, Recommendations for FOIA ‘Release to One, Release to All’ Draft Policy
The letter to U.S Department of Justice praises the policy but pushes back against certain justifications for rule exemptions.
Obama Safeguarding Classified Report on CIA’s Use of Torture
The Senate Intelligence Committee's report on the CIA's detention and interrogation program, a landmark document that details the effectiveness agency's use of torture, will be preserved by the outgoing Obama administration.
Iowa Parents Argue The Perks of Being A Wallflower Potentially Harmful for Students
A review committee has been convened to discuss the future of the book in the Dubuque Community school curriculum.
To Counter Book Censorship, Amplify the Voices of Young Readers
"Young readers need challenging books to help them become empathetic, caring, knowledgeable, thoughtful, and mature adults," Bertin and Davis state. "They’ll tell you that themselves, if you just ask them."
Documentary on Mike Diana, First American Convicted of Obscenity, Launches Kickstarter
The kickstarter-funded doc. reminds us all free speech protections are shallow when the subjective view of the few is brought to bear on the many.
Oklahoma Library System Embroiled in Issue Over Placement of LGBT Books
Oklahoma LGBT activists are calling into question a local library policy that limits the placement of LGBT-themed books to sections that hold books on sensitive topics such as drug use, incarceration and sexual abuse.
New PEN Report on Campus Free Speech, Trigger Warnings and Title IX
The report assesses the reality of the narrative espoused by the loudest critics of contemporary campus culture: that free speech at the American university is facing an existential crisis.
Trump’s Threats to Sue NY Times Confirm his Disdain Toward First Amendment Protections; UPDATE: ABA Agrees to Publish Trump Libel Article
Legal experts believe Trump's continued legal threats to the NY Times are empty, stunts that prove his disrespect for 1st Amendment protections.
Library Pub. Suggests YA Novel with Bi Character Inappropriate for Young Readers; UPDATE: Response from VOYA
VOYA dismissed critics of its recommendation. But why are VOYA readers rightly concerned?
Does the First Amendment Protect the NY Times in Publishing Trump’s Tax Returns?
The Times received pages of Trump's tax returns from an anonymous source. Did they have the legal right to publish them?
YA Author Coe Booth on Reading to Find Commonality in the Other
NCAC spoke to YA author Coe Booth about the recent controversy in Chesterfield, of which her book was at the center, and why reading diverse books can help establish a sense of commonality.
Banned Books Week: Author Kate Messner on a Story’s Ability to Broach Real life Issues
For Banned Books Week, NCAC spoke to Kate Messner about why young students should access a diverse range of experiences in their readings.
Remembering Edward Albee, Free Speech Defender
Edward Albee died over the weekend aged 88. A tireless free speech defender, here are a few of the times Albee's work crossed over with NCAC's
New PEN Report Discusses Book Challenges, NCAC and Diversity in Publishing
With Banned Books Week on the horizon, PEN's report discusses NCAC's 'multipronged' approach to book challenges and the specific challenges censorship poses to diverse books.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Boycotts Local Bookstore Over Racially ‘Offensive’ Display
The bookstore owner was slammed for her "distinct lack of empathy for the experiences of people of color."
Uni. of Wisconsin-Stout Moves to Censor Paintings of First Nations People; UPDATE: Chancellor Modifies Course, Paintings to be Relocated
The University's Diversity Leadership Team expressed concern the painting's colonial subject matter would reinforce racial stereotypes.
A Dispatch From The Free Expression Network Student Summit
NCAC attended the Free Expression Network's student summit at the Newseum in D.C.
On Violence and Nudity, Facebook’s Opaque Community Standards
After the death of Philando Castile, Facebook delineated it's policy on posts containing violence. It should do the same for all content deemed controversial.
Jersey City Paints Over Mural Portion After Allegations of Racism; UPDATE: Mural Removed, Affirming Need For Clear And Consistent Public Art Policy
Artist Gary Wynans, a Puerto-Rican-Italian, painted himself in the mural. Residents complained the image reinforced racial stereotypes.
Virginia MOCA Removes Gas Mask From Artist’s ‘Makeover’ Statue; UPDATE: NCAC Releases Statement On Behalf Of Artist
The museum alleges Polish artist Olek broke her contract when she implemented the mask, intended to provoke thought about environmental damage.
After Parents Censor, Student Drafts Petition In Defense of ‘Glass Castle’
Renae Roscart, 15, considers parents who argued for the reading list removal to be "pretending that sexual assault and alcoholism isn’t something that youths encounter."
Virginia School District Caves To Parent Pressure, Scraps Summer Reading List; UPDATE: Republican Senator Blasts Librarians For Selecting ‘Trash’, Petition Pushes Back
The Chesterfield County Public School summer reading list contained books that were "pornographic" and contained "vile, vile, nasty language," one mother complained.
After Orlando, Are Social Media Sites Encroaching On Users’ Free Speech?
In the wake of the Orlando shooting, Reddit came under fire for censoring its user's content. How fair is this accusation?
School Librarians And Their Constitutional Responsibilities
What are the legal and educational responsibilities of school librarians in stocking their book shelves?