Press Releases

Amy Coney Barrett and the Freedom to Read

By |2022-11-15T11:33:55-05:00November 1st, 2022|Blog, News, Press Releases|

NEW YORK - The National Coalition Against Censorship defends the freedom to write, publish and read books. Therefore, we strongly support Penguin Random House’s decision to publish a book by Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. At a time when challenges to books in schools and libraries are at record highs, it is deeply ironic that hundreds of people [...]

National Organizations Warn Against Censorship in University Theaters

By |2022-10-31T11:28:43-04:00October 31st, 2022|Blog, News, Press Releases|

NEW YORK – Today, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), which represents 59 education, publishing, religious and arts organizations, joins the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund and PEN America to call attention to the cancellation of plays at two universities following protests over their content. The groups released the following statement: Colleges and universities should be places to explore and [...]

NCAC Statement on Greenburgh, New York, mural dispute

By |2022-10-05T18:48:56-04:00October 3rd, 2022|Blog, News, Press Releases|

NEW YORK - The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) is deeply concerned by the threatened censorship of a mural that the town of Greenburgh, New York, commissioned from the artist known as Kindo Art. The alteration of the mural without the artist’s permission would be a violation of his First Amendment rights as well as those of the residents of [...]

Buy a Journal. Fight Censorship!

By |2022-09-23T12:24:12-04:00September 16th, 2022|Blog, News, Press Releases|

CHICAGO — Sourcebooks, a leading independent publisher based in Chicago, and the American Library Association’s (ALA) book publishing imprint, ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman, announce the publication of “Read These Banned Books: A Journal and 52-Week Reading Challenge.” Available via the ALA Store as well as through bookstores nationwide, this interactive recommended reading list presents readers with a different banned or [...]

Join Us in the National Effort to Fight Censorship!

By |2022-09-21T12:15:59-04:00September 10th, 2022|News, Press Releases|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has joined the American Library Association (ALA) to Unite Against Book Bans, a national grassroots campaign to engage the public in the fight against censorship. This non-partisan campaign leverages the reach of national organizations representing librarians, educators, parents, authors, publishers, distributors, and champions for civil liberties, civil rights, equality, and more. ALA's recent [...]

NCAC Joins Student Press Law Center in Denouncing the Improper Suspension of Journalism Educator

By |2022-09-09T11:03:34-04:00September 9th, 2022|News, Press Releases|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has joined the Student Press Law Center in denouncing the improper suspension of journalism educator and student media adviser Adriana Chavira from the Daniel Pearl Magnet High School in Los Angeles and demanding the withdrawal of the disciplinary case against her. Please read our joint statement here. [...]

Pinellas County Florida Schools Remove Diverse Books in Haste

By |2022-08-25T12:15:51-04:00August 25th, 2022|News, Press Releases|

Students' rights to access ideas are threatened when book removal decisions are made in a cursory manner. The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has contacted Pinellas County School Board in Largo, Florida, to ask the district to ensure any decisions to remove materials are based solely on legitimate criteria as mandated by district policy instead of being influenced by [...]

Tulsa Public School Officials Evade Adjudication of Challenged Books

By |2022-08-23T16:39:14-04:00August 23rd, 2022|News, Press Releases|

Tulsa Public Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have removed Gender Queer and Flamer from the district's school libraries. The books were removed pending a formal review in alignment with the district's review policy. However, recent media quotes from school officials suggest that the books will not be formally reviewed anytime soon and will remain absent from bookshelves. The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) delivered [...]

National Coalition Against Censorship Offers Educators Virtual Banned Books Inquiry Center

By |2022-10-06T14:57:09-04:00August 18th, 2022|Banned Books Week, News, Press Releases|

NEW YORK – As a new school year begins and Banned Books Week, Sept. 18 – 24, 2022, is on the horizon, polarizing politics and a surge in book banning attempts continue to create a challenging landscape for our nation’s educators. In response, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has created a virtual Banned Books Week Inquiry Center that [...]

NCAC Seeks Student Submissions to Youth Free Expression Film Contest

By |2022-08-15T17:27:10-04:00August 15th, 2022|News, Press Releases|

NEW YORK – Student activists from coast to coast are participating in protests in response to efforts to ban materials referencing Critical Race Theory, GLBTQIA+ issues, or books about or by authors of color. But how do students feel about current threats to their First Amendment rights? The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) is seeking submissions from young people [...]

National Coalition Against Censorship Welcomes New Board Leadership

By |2022-08-02T19:49:42-04:00August 2nd, 2022|News, Press Releases|

At a time when threats to books in schools and libraries have reached an unprecedented level, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), has elected a new chair of its Board of Directors—Emily Knox, a leading scholar of information and library science who possesses deep expertise in the fields of intellectual freedom and information access.

NCAC Joint Statement on President Trump’s Effort to Intimidate Book Publisher

By |2018-08-23T10:15:55-04:00August 17th, 2018|Press Releases|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) joins 16 other organizations in condemning President Trump’s effort to intimidate a book publisher by threatening legal action. The joint statement states that the President’s attempts to intimidate book publishers will fail.

Free Expression and LGBT Rights Groups Oppose LGBTQ Display Ban in Southern Utah

By |2020-01-03T15:51:03-05:00August 16th, 2018|Press Releases|

NCAC is calling on public libraries of Washington County, Utah to reconsider a ban on LGBTQ displays. Joined by the National Council of Teachers of English and Lambda Legal, the letter warns that the ban poses a serious threat to equal rights and freedom of expression and sets a dangerous precedent by perpetuating a culture of prejudice and intolerance. “A [...]

NCAC Supports Senate Resolution Condemning Trump Administration’s Escalating Attacks on Media

By |2018-08-01T17:16:34-04:00August 1st, 2018|Press Releases|

In response to the White House's decision to ban a CNN reporter in retaliation for asking a question, ten Senators have introduced a resolution condemning increasing infringement on press freedom, with the support of several national civil liberties organizations.

Kansas Governor and Secretary of State Pressure University to Remove Artwork | UPDATE: NCAC Co-Signs Joint Letter

By |2022-10-03T16:26:24-04:00July 12th, 2018|Blog, News, Press Releases|

Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer and Secretary of State Kris Kobach separately pressured officials at the University of Kansas (KU) to remove an art display, threatening the free expression of the artist, curator and KU students.

MK Asante, Leora Kahn & NYFA Chairs Named Film Contest Judges

By |2020-01-03T15:50:44-05:00April 12th, 2018|Press Releases|

The National Coalition Against Censorship continues its support of student-led protests by extending the deadline for its protest-themed film contest to May 15th. This year’s contest invites aspiring teen filmmakers to create short films on the value of protest as an instrument of social change. In the weeks leading up to the March for Our Lives and National School Walkouts [...]

NCAC Joins 32 Organizations in Amicus Brief to Strike Down the Trump Administration’s Travel Ban

By |2019-06-12T17:57:43-04:00April 10th, 2018|Blog, Press Releases|

(Photo: Masha George/Flickr/cc) NCAC joins PEN America and 31 other prominent arts organizations to jointly file a friend of the court brief in the case of State of Hawaii v. Trump, urging the Supreme Court to strike down the third version of the Trump travel ban issued on September 27, 2017. Executive Order (EO) 13780 bans all immigration from six majority Muslim [...]

Departure of MassArt Professor Saul Levine Raises Academic Freedom Concerns

By |2020-01-03T15:50:41-05:00April 3rd, 2018|Press Releases|

After anonymous complaints about brief images of sexual acts in an avant-garde film shown in class, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design launched a sexual harassment investigation. Saul Levine, the professor teaching the class and the target of the investigation, who is also a well-regarded avant-garde filmmaker, resigned in protest. This incident raises serious concerns beyond the individual case.

NCAC Opposes Michigan City’s Decision to Demolish Public Artwork

By |2018-04-04T10:12:39-04:00March 15th, 2018|Press Releases|

Early last Tuesday morning (March 6), the Kalamazoo City Commission voted 5-1 to remove Fountain of the Pioneers. The decision follows a flurry of recent protests by local activist groups, indigenous people, residents and historians. NCAC is concerned by the swiftness of this decision and cautions that such determinations should not be made in hasty emotional response to complaints.

NCAC Opposes Removal of To Kill A Mockingbird and Huckleberry Finn from Minnesota Classrooms

By |2018-02-20T16:21:28-05:00February 7th, 2018|Press Releases|

While it is understandable that a novel that repeatedly uses a highly offensive racial slur would generate discomfort among some parents and students, the problems of living in a society where racial tensions persist will not be resolved by banishing literary classics from the classroom.

NCAC Files Amicus Brief Arguing Congressional Art Competition Violated First Amendment Rights of High School Student  

By |2018-01-09T17:17:30-05:00January 9th, 2018|Press Releases|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and 16 other nonprofits have filed an amicus brief in support of Representative William Lacy Clay of Missouri and his constituent, student artist David Pulphus.

Free Speech and Educational Advocacy Organizations Call on Baltimore City School Administrators to Restore BUCK in Classrooms

By |2020-01-03T15:48:55-05:00December 19th, 2017|Press Releases|

An Open Letter to the Baltimore City Public School District: The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and its partners in the Kids’ Right to Read Project urge administrators to return BUCK: A Memoir by Professor M.K. Asante to the high school curriculum so that students can see their lives reflected in the books they read. Its removal was arbitrary and damaging to students.

NCAC Urges Texas School District to Reverse Ban on The Hate U Give

By |2017-12-07T12:18:06-05:00December 6th, 2017|Press Releases|

Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give has been removed from school libraries in Katy Independent School District in suburban Houston, Texas. After reviewing the district’s own book review policy, NCAC is formally urging the district’s superintendent to reinstate the book while it is under review.

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