The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has written to Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in Grapevine, Texas, regarding recent policy changes which seem to allow library books to be removed based on the ideas they contain.
As we understand the changes to Board Policy EMB (Local), the policy has been amended to restrict the use of instructional materials that advocate certain ideas about race and gender, with which the district disagrees.
What concerns us about this policy change, is that we have been told by district administrators that it will be used to remove library books as well. If this is the case, then the policy raises serious First Amendment concerns, as the removal of books from school libraries due to disagreement with the viewpoints therein is improper under Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853, (1982).
We urge the district to return any library books that may have been removed under this policy, and to uphold their obligations under the First Amendment.
Please read our full letter to the Board of Trustees below.