On Monday, October 19, 2009 we celebrated NCAC’s 35th Anniversary Celebration with A Night of Comedy with Judy Blume & Friends. We invited fearless writers, artists, actors, comedians, musicians and filmmakers who have fought back against censorship to share a brief tale or riff on growing up. Check out photos and videos from the evening!
On June 18, the Litchfield District School Board in New Hampshire decided to remove four short stories from the “Love/Gender/Family” unit of an upper-class elective English class at Campbell High School. The stories, including "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway, "Survivor Type" by Stephen King, "The Crack Cocaine Diet" by Laura Lippman, and "I Like Guys" by David Sedaris.
Campbell High School story flap selling its students short
By ANDY TOWNE
Leesburg 'Thank you for doing the right thing' letter July 09
The removal of "Walking Man" from the public space in front of the Anton Art Center because of individual complaints is a disturbing violation of both the artist's free speech and the rights of the public to have access to a wide variety of artistic expression ("Mount Clemens has gallery move nude statue indoors," June 23).
Kids' Right to Read Project Interview with Author, Maureen Johnson
I choose the topic that I did because I believe that having free speech in our schools will open communication between not only students but between students and teachers. It is important that students learn that there is a fine line between being rude and expression your opinion.
I chose this topic because issue of free speech is extremely important as Americans. As we get older we as students must learn the differnce of free speech and just being rude. The opinions that I optained give their honest opinion on how to best obtain the free speech in school as well as if they feel that it exists [...]
In this issue of Censorship News, we look at Toni Morrison, her experiences with book censorship, and the ongoing challenges to books in classrooms and libraries.
The Kids' Right to Read Project opposes the removal of Vibe magazine from Randolph High School's library in Randolph, WI after the school's principal, Tom Erdmann complained about the magazine's“gang violence/activity” and “gang symbols/materials.” Dr. Greg Peyer Superintendent Randolph School District 110 Meadowood Drive Randolph, WI 53956 [...]
The Kids' Right to Read Project opposed the censorship of teen poetry anthology, Paint Me Like I Am in Landis Intermediate School’s library in a letter dated May 27, 2009 after the principal literally ripped pages he found “objectionable” from the book. KRRP received a letter from Superintendent Charles Ottinger in response to our expressed objections.
In February, the NCAC and the ACLU of Tennessee jointly responded to a complaint that filters installed at the Central High School in Knoxville, TN were blocking websites providing political and educational content about LGBTQ issues. The ACLU brought an action alleging constitutional violations and the school agreed to modify its internet policy.
Taking nude pictures of yourself — nothing good can come of it.— Police Capt. George Seranko, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Captain Seranko made his observation after three girls and three boys at Greensburg Salem High School were charged with child pornography.
Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, the National Book Award Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and most other awards that can be bestowed on a writer. She’s also a much-censored author.
The Supreme Court ducked the First Amendment issues in Federal Communications Commission v. Fox (See CN 109), a challenge to the FCC’s ban on “fleeting expletives.”
NCAC urges Superintendent to reverse his decision to ban student play On February 25, school board members in La Grande, OR voted to uphold Superintendent Larry Glaze’s decision to censor a student production of Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile”, ignoring spirited and articulate appeals from the High School principal and drama teacher. It was yet another disturbing [...]
The 2008 YFEN Film Contest "My Vote For Free Speech!" In this election year, we asked young people to film a message to the next president about the free speech issue they though most important to the country. We received films from around the country, covering a diverse range of issues such as FCC Censorship, Wire Tapping, the Right to [...]
Interview with Brent Hartinger, author of Geography Club.
Interview with Maria Hanrahan, founder of West Bend Parents for Free Speech
It started with an invitation and ended with pepper spray and Tasers. This past April, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill chapter of Youth for Western Civilization, a student group dedicated to the survival of Western civilization, invited former Colorado state congressman Tom Tancredo to come offer his opinions on tuition assistance for undocumented immigrant students.
The occasion was the launch of the Free Speech Leadership Council, an advocacy arm of the National Coalition Against Censorship, a nonprofit founded in 1974, of which Friedman is chair. The main event was a conversation about censorship between Toni Morrison and Fran Lebowitz. And what a conversation!
The censorship of Gabriel Villa's mural in Chicago. The political message of Villa’s mural gives it the highest constitutional protection. Its destruction is, therefore, much more significant “mistake” than Mayor Daley would have it, it is a violation of one of our most deeply cherished rights – the right to express an opinion without being silenced by a public official.
Mary Reilly-Kliss is a retired reading/language arts teacher, having spent 33 years working with young adults in grades 7-12. She was on the West Bend library board for 3 years. For the past year she served as co-secretary on the board. Mary also works at Fireside Books and Gifts, once part of the Little Professor chain, Fireside is an independent bookstore proudly serving West Bend for over 25 years.
During this year I became alarmed at how complacent my peers were about their responsibilities as new voters. Some didn't plan to vote while others felt their votes didn't really count. I chose the topic to show how important it was for the students everywhere to stand up and be counted, that their votes really mattered and their opinions would [...]
Even though a jury has now determined that Ward Churchill, a tenured professor at the University of Colorado, was fired as a result of his controversial views and in violation of his constitutional rights, his case remains controversial.
Did Bill O’Reilly’s speech about Dr. George Tiller violate the law? Probably not. It is despicable? Certainly. Should it be condemned? Absolutely.
For the inauguration of the Free Speech Leadership Council, Toni Morrison and Fran Lebowitz discuss Burn This Book. This is the first in a series of unique opportunities open to members of the Council to engage in intimate discussions with prominent people speaking on intellectual and artistic freedom.
The Kids' Right to Read Project opposed the censorship of Jason Tirado’s poem, ‘Diary of an Abusive Stepfather’, in the teen poetry anthology, Paint Me Like I Am by Bill Aquado and Richard Newirth (Harper) in Landis Intermediate School. In May 2009, Principal Don Kohaut literally ripped the pages including the poem from the book after one parent complained. KRRP sent this letter in response to the challenge.
6/23/2009 updated 11/5/2010 — In April 2009, students in Knoxville, Tennessee successfully challenged the Internet filtering policy in place at their school which was blocking access to LGBT websites. After the ACLU filed a lawsuit on the students' behalf, the school districts in question consented to change the filter settings that were unconstitutionally blocking the websites.
NCAC joins groups in calling on the White House to reverse a Bush Administration policy that removed the White House's Office of Administration ("OA") from the list of agencies subject to the Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA").
NCAC joined transparency organizations in a letter asking the Senate Rules Committee to hold public hearings on open government issues and to mark-up and pass a resolution that would improve public access to reports by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
Announcing the 2009 YFEN Film Contest Free Speech in School (Does it Exist?) Film your response in 4 minutes or less. Entries can be videos of any kind, including documentary, animation, experimental, or music video. The top three winners will be awarded cash prizes and the first place winner will receive a scholarship to the New York Film Academy.
National Coalition Against Censorship joined the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers and PEN American Center in criticizing the dismissal of four members of a library board for refusing to remove controversial books from the young adult section of the library in West Bend, Wisconsin. In a letter to the West Bend Common Council, the groups said that the dismissals threatened free speech in two ways--by punishing the library board members for attempting to apply objective criteria in the selection of books and by pressuring the library to remove the controversial books.
NCAC criticized the dismissal of four members of a library board for refusing to remove controversial books from the young adult section of the library in West Bend, Wisconsin. The controversy began in February when two patrons complained that the library’s young adult section includes both fiction and non-fiction about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
Announcing the 2009 YFEN Film Contest Free Speech in School (Does it Exist?) Film your response in 4 minutes or less. Entries can be videos of any kind, including documentary, animation, experimental, or music video. The top three winners will be awarded cash prizes and the first place winner will receive a scholarship to the New York Film Academy.
Contemporary Threats to Free Expression A Symposium for College Professors May 1-2, 2009 Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut Speaker Bios Francis G. Couvares E. Dwight Salmon Professor of History and American Studies, Amherst College Christopher M. Finan President, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression Martin B. Margulies Professor Emeritus and Adjunct Professor of Law, Quinnipiac [...]
The Kids' Right to Read Project opposed a challenge to Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar (Hachette) and The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson (Peguin) in the Leesburg, Florida Public Library in April 2009 after a parent objected to the sexual content and drug references in the books. KRRP sent this letter in response to the challenge.
James Parlin's sculpture "The Middle School Science Teacher Makes a Decision He'll Live to Regret" provoked controversy and censorship when it was included in an exhibition of the artists' work at Bowling Green State University Firelands. Some even claimed the image was illegal child porn and condemned NCAC for opposing the censorship.
