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.
NCAC Responds to American University Museum’s Removal of Controversial Sculpture; UPDATE: NCAC Advises AU Museum on Strategies to Avoid Future Controversy
American University Museum in Washington D.C. flubbed its approach to a controversial sculpture after it claimed it did not want the message of the sculpture to be deemed the institution's own.
South Dakota Bill Deemed by Critics to Threaten Education in Evolution and Climate Change
According to the bill, “no teacher may be prohibited from helping students understand, analyze, critique, or review in an objective scientific manner the strengths and weaknesses of scientific information.”
PEN America Comments on Trump Admin. Gag Order on Government Agencies
“Blanket orders from the Trump Administration preventing the staffs and experts of federal agencies from communicating with the public send a chilling message that every governmental communication, no matter how routine or technical, will now be subject to a political litmus test."
NJ School Wins Courage in Theater Award For Reversing Censorship of ‘Ragtime’ Performance
The language, NCAC argues, reflects a historical reality and its inclusion will help to educate students about the ugly reality of racism.
NCAC Issues Rebuttal to Supporters of Virginia ‘Sexually Explicit’ Book Regulation; UPDATE: Bill Vetoed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe
NCAC and other free speech groups write to the VA Board of Education in advance of a January 26th meeting to discuss the proposal.
NCAC & FIRE Respond to Fordham’s Feeble Justification for Denying Club Status to pro-Palestine Group; UPDATE: SJP Students File Lawsuit Against Fordham
The University have justified the decision based on the group’s “political goals” and support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which they say are contrary to Fordham’s “mission and values.”
NCAC Condemns Decision to Remove Student Painting from U.S. Capitol Building; UPDATE: Rep. Clay Files Lawsuit Against Architect of the Capitol
Rep. Clay, in a statement issued by his office in St. Louis, said the painting's removal has “sent a chilling message to young Americans that their voices are not respected, their views are not valued, and their freedom of expression is no longer protected in the U.S. Capitol.”
NCAC Objects to Bill Requiring Parental Notification Prior to Teaching of Sex Ed. Materials; UPDATE: NH Gov Signs Bill Into Law
The letter questions the bills breadth, which may end up flagging valuable works of literature that include sexual scenes.
NCAC Releases Statement in Support of Rep. Clay’s Decision to Re-Display Controversial Painting; UPDATE: NCAC Addresses Justification for Removal
The statement reprimands Representative Hunter, who removed the painting from the U.S, Capitol, for his disregard of the First Amendment.
Free Speech Groups Release Statement in Support of Publisher of Milo Yiannopoulos’ Book; UPDATE: NCAC Responds to Cancellation of Milo’s Book
The statement argues that “the suppression of noxious ideas does not defeat them; only vigorous disagreement can counter toxic speech effectively.”
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.
NCAC Criticizes Indiana High School for Removing Pro-Life Artwork
NCAC’s letter informs Carmel Clay Schools that the pro-life poster represents non-disruptive political speech that is protected under the First Amendment.
Museum Hosting Political Art Exhibit Quarantines Works Overtly Critical of Trump
The Allentown Art Museum in Pennsylvania chose to move works with a clear anti-Trump message to a separate gallery nearby.
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.
NCAC, Allies Advise Virginia School District on How to Avoid Future Censorship
In a follow up letter, NCAC stresses the district that banned TKAM/ Huck Finn needs an innocent-until-proven-guilty approach to book challenges.
NCAC & FIRE Defend Winthrop University Student Threatened With Expulsion for Anti-Lynching Art; UPDATE: Winthrop Drops Expulsion Threats
The disciplinary charges constitute a neglect of Winthrop's role as a ‘marketplace of ideas’ and its responsibilities under the First Amendment.
Introducing CENSORPEDIA, NCAC’s Crowdsourced Wiki for Censorship Incidents
Censorpedia currently contains over 1200 individual incidents collected over the years and contributed by students, NCAC staff and volunteers, artists and, potentially, YOU!
With NCAC Help, Artist Successfully Reverses Corporation’s Objections to Black Lives Matter Artwork
While private corporations have the legal right to set conditions on their rentals, artists and small alternative art venues such as 50/50 need to push back against their total control of public space.
Groups Defend Intellectual Freedom and the Right to Read; Stand by Embattled Publisher
In his statement, the author of 'Bad Little Children’s Books' has asked ABRAMS not to print another edition of the book, because it has been so widely misunderstood and misconstrued.
Free Speech Groups Stand by Embattled Publisher
The National Coalition Against Censorship's statement on the 'Bad Little Children’s Books' controversy.
NCAC, Allies Defend Literary Classics After Censorship in Virginia Schools; UPDATE: District Reinstates Books, Moves to Revise Suspension Policy
The incident is particularly egregious because Accomack County Public Schools has already temporarily removed these universally acclaimed works.
NCAC co-Sponsors New Report on Threats to Student Press Freedoms
The report is co-authored with the American Association of University Professors, the Student Press Law Center and the College Media Association.
Dealing with Difficult Art in Post-Election America at Salem State U.
An artwork depicting the Ku Klux Klan, intended to make a statement about post-election U.S.A, was labeled "hate speech" by students at Salem State U.
NCAC Defends Place of The Perks of Being a Wallflower In Iowa Classrooms; UPDATE: Committee Votes in Favor of Keeping the Book
NCAC has written in defense of Chbosky's oft-challenged novel, which Iowa parents claimed was 'obscene.'
NCAC Criticizes WA Daycare Program’s Ban on Books With ‘Frightening Images’
NCAC's letter expresses concern that the "frightening images" stipulation is over broad and may end up excluding valuable literature.
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.
NCAC Defends Textbook Against Accusations of ‘Islamic Indoctrination’
NCAC's letter underlines the mistake of conflating religious education with religious indoctrination.
NCAC Protests New Effort to Label Books ‘Sexually Explicit’ in Virginia Schools
The proposed regulation is the latest of several similar efforts NCAC has opposed in Virginia.
The Ideas That Unite Us
A post-election letter from NCAC’s Executive Director.
The Election and Our Fractured Public Sphere
NCAC's Director of Programs reflects on what we do now, to promote speech across political lines, in post-election America.
Arkansas Lawmakers Threaten to Cut University’s Funding Over Student Anthem Protest
Their decision to defund the University over the protest would amount to the government engaging in viewpoint discrimination.
Fearing Islamic ‘Indoctrination’, Tennessee Parent Objects to Social Studies Textbook
According to the Sullivan County Parents Against Islamic Indoctrination, their children's ignorance of Islam is preferred.
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."
NCAC Asks Radio Station at Columbia U. to Prove Commitment to Free Expression
NCAC’s letter condemns the producer’s actions and describes how Columbia’s University's commitment to free speech, academic freedom, and journalistic excellence are incompatible with censorship.
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.
NCAC’s Top 16 Free Speech Defenders (& Offenders) in 2016
Facebook, nude art and conservative lawmakers are just a few elements of NCAC's top offenders/defenders of free speech list. But who made the no 1 spots?
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.