The Freedom Writers Diary Removed from English Class at Perry Meridian High School, Indianapolis, IN Dennis Nichols, Superintendent Members of the School Board Metropolitan School District of Perry Township 6548 Orinoco Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46227 February 13, 2008 Dear Superintendent Nichols and Members of the School Board, We are deeply concerned by reports that the book, The Freedom [...]
Destruction of CIA videotapes. Missing White House telephone records and visitor logs. Witnesses who defy Congressional subpoenas.
The Michigan state legislature repealed its unconstitutional restrictions on arts funding to settle a federal lawsuit filed against it by the ACLU on behalf of the Ann Arbor Film Festival.
In 2008 we launched the Virtual Coalition Against Censorship, A Project of the Arts Program at the NCAC. Virtual worlds are becoming a new locus of civic conversation and debate, however they are governed by extremely restrictive speech rules set by the gaming companies. Our project’s goal is to bring free speech advocacy to the virtual world, as well as [...]
news Washington State Legislature Considers Student Press Freedom Bill The Washington State Legislature is currently considering a Student Press Freedom Bill that would ensure student journalists and their advisors certain First Amendmnet protections in their schools. » January 31, 2008 Group poses student expression bill (Daily Evergreen) Members of the Washington state Legislature are looking to clarify the rights [...]
Julia Alvarez is a highly-acclaimed author of over a dozen books and numerous essays and poems.
Challenges to 'Just Listen' by Sarah dessen in Tampa, FL UPDATE: Just Listen approved by review committee (1/10/08) Objecting to sexual themes and language in the book, some parents challenged Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, requesting that it be removed from the library at Armwood High School in Tampa, FL. Below is NCAC's Letter to the Tampa Tribune. [...]
Concerned with some of the language in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, a parent has challenged the book at Appomattox High School in VA. Though her son was given an alternative Steinbeck book to read, the parent still believes the book is inappropriate for other students and has asked that it be removed altogether from the 10th [...]
Objecting to racially sensitive language in the book, a parent has challenged Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn place in the 11th grade English curriculum at Manchester High School in Manchester, CT. The book is currently under review by the Superintendent's office.
Following a challenge by one student's parents to How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez for sexual content, a review committee voted to keep the book in school libraries and classrooms.
City Manager Lee Ann Dumbauld has invited local artist Lahib Jaddo to exhibit her artwork at the Buddy Holly Center.
Ms. Lee Ann Dumbauld City Manager City of Lubbock P.O. Box 2000 Lubbock, TX 79401 [email protected] Re: Lahib Jaddo December 21, 2007 Dear Ms. Dumbauld: I am writing on behalf of the National Coalition Against Censorship, an alliance of over 50 national non-profit organizations united in defense of free expression, regarding the recent banning of two drawings by artists Lahib [...]
UPDATE: Lubbock City Officials Apologize to Artist and Invite her to Show Work The centuries-old tradition of representing a mother—be it an ancient goddess, the Virgin Mary, or a 17th century Dutch housewife—nursing a child apparently did not stop Lubbock City officials from banning a drawing of a (fully clothed) nursing mother together with a companion piece representing a pregnant [...]
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), issued a report this week detailing manipulation of climate change science under the Bush Administration. The report describes White House censorship of climate scientists in government agencies, including NASA and NOAA, and the Administration's editing of climate change reports. » Read the report (PDF) » Read news [...]
UPDATE: 'Sandpiper' survives challenge (Tuscaloosa News) The School Board voted to keep Sandpiper on the shelves of Brookwood High School's ...
The Kanawha County School Board in Kanawha County, WV has proposed instituting a rating system for books following a recent controversy over two novels by Pat Conroy.
Dear Members of the Tuscaloosa Board of Education: We write to oppose efforts to remove the book, Sandpiper by Ellen Wittlinger from the Brookwood High School Library. We understand that the book has been challenged by a student’s grandmother who objects to the book’s sexual content. We also understand that a committee made up of a media specialist, parent, principal [...]
December 5, 2007 Ann Arbor, MI – The Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF) announced settled a federal lawsuit, filed by the ACLU on its behalf, against the State of Michigan. In exchange for the state legislature repealing unconstitutional restrictions on arts funding, the AAFF and ACLU agreed to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in March 2007 in U.S. [...]
An op-ed written by Mary Ann Ellis, the English Department Head at Appling High School, in response to the Appling County School Board's decision to remove three classic texts from the classroom.
See NCAC letter to Montrose High Principal here. Student Cartoons Censored – A Creative Response to Censorship For the past seven years, the art teacher at Montrose High in Montrose, Colorado has displayed the artwork of her students in the school hallways without complaint. However, in 2007, the school principal chose to remove three of the works, which she found [...]
Ms. Jill Myers, Principal Montrose High School P.O. Box 5000 Montrose, CO 81402 [email protected] Re: Student Artwork Display Dear Principal Myers- I am writing on behalf of the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), an alliance of 50 national non-profit organizations united in defense of free expression, regarding the recent removal of student artwork from display in the school hallways. [...]
Ten Little Indians Reinstated A high school production of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians was originally censored by school administrators because of objections to racially sensitive language in its original 1939 U.K. edition title. The Board of Ed has since reversed that decision, reinstating the play under its revised title And Then There Were None and opening a community dialogue [...]
Letter Opposing Censorship of Ten Little Indians UPDATE: Play reinstated! Read the Superintendent's Statement November 29, 2007 Dear Members of the Lakota Board of Education: We write to oppose the recent censorship of Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie at Lakota East High School. We understand the play was challenged by Gary Hines of the NAACP because of the [...]
We write to oppose efforts to remove the books, The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult and Cradle and All by James Patterson, from the ninth grade optional reading list. We understand that some parents object to sexual content in the books and have requested that they be removed from the list.
Superintendent Randy Fuller Members of the Shelby County Board of Education 410 East College Street P. O. Box 1910 Columbiana, AL 35051-1910 November 9, 2007 Dear Superintendent Fuller and Members of the Board of Education, We are concerned about the recent decision barring Oak Mountain High School senior Brian Simpson from wearing t-shirts advocating the use of hemp. Without questioning [...]
by Sean Brekke-Meisner and Nam Pham 3rd place winner in this year's NCAC youth film competition, "How Does Censorship Affect Me?"
by Jaime Lee 2nd place winner in the 2007 NCAC youth film competition, "How Does Censorship Affect Me?" For more information, visit ncac.org
Mt. Diablo School District should stand by First Amendment principles in its review of Lois Lowry’s award-winning book The Giver. We urge them to keep the book on the sixth-grade optional reading list and library shelves, available to all.
I am a proud senior at Oak Mountain High School. On August 16, 2007, I was forced to remove my shirt that read “Widespread Hemp / Don’t Panic, It’s Hemp”...
NCAC's annual Celebration of Free Speech and Its Defenders honoring Marc Brown, Preeta Bansal, Alison Levine, Dvir Oren, Bonnie Dickinson, and Marvin Rich.
The Olneyville Housing Corporation (Providence, Rhode Island) had accepted the idea of having verbal accounts of the history of Olneyville, laser-cut into steel, decorate the metal trash cans commissioned as part of a neighborhood improvement project.
Letter regarding challenges to The Golden Compass in Winchester, KY Site-Based Decision Making (SBDM) Council Members c/o Principal Luke Wright & Susan Mitmesser Conkwright Middle School 360 Mt. Sterling Rd. Winchester, KY 40391 October 29, 2007 Dear Members of the SBDM Council: We write to oppose efforts to remove the book, The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, from [...]
WDUQ, a major National Public Radio (NPR) news provider in Pittsburgh, PA, recently refused Planned Parenthood's underwriting funding and informational messages on the basis of the organization's mission. NCAC submitted the following letter to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: To the Editors: We were dismayed to find out that WDUQ rejected underwriting by Planned Parenthood because Duquesne University, which owns the station’s [...]
WDUQ Cuts Planned Parenthood Underwriting WDUQ, A major National Public Radio (NPR) news provider in Pittsburgh, PA, recently refused Planned Parenthood's underwriting funding and informational messages on the basis of the organization's mission. NCAC submitted the following letter to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: To the Editors: We were dismayed to find out that WDUQ rejected underwriting by Planned Parenthood because Duquesne [...]
From the NCAC archives, part two of this short film on the subject of book censorship.
We are troubled by the recent removal of two books, The Prince of Tides and Beach Music by Pat Conroy, from the Advanced Placement (AP) English classes at Nitro High School.
Parents have challenged a book's placement in the school library at Magruder Elementary School in York County, VA because they object to war references in one of the stories it contains. NCAC submitted the following letter to the editors of the Daily Press...
From the NCAC archives, this short film explores the dangers of book censorship. Featuring author Judy Blume.
Superintendent Thomas J. Collins Waxahachie Independent School District 1000 Highway 77 North Waxahachie, TX 75165 Members of the Board of Trustees WISD Administration Building 411 N. Gibson St Waxahachie, TX 75165 October 9, 2007 Dear Superintendent Collins and Members of the Board of Trustees, We are concerned about the recent decision to send Pete Palmer home from Waxahachie High School [...]
