The National Coalition Against Censorship has written to the North Little Rock School Board regarding the removal of fifty LGBTQIA+ books from the district’s Epic Reading platform, an online library used by students for supplementary reading. These books were hidden from student view without following proper district policy or Arkansas law.
NCAC’s letter reminded the board that the laws cited to justify the removal—Acts 237 and 372—apply only to instructional classroom materials or physical library books, not to digital platforms like Epic. The Supreme Court has established that public school officials’ discretion regarding the removal of library materials is limited to ensure the protection of students’ First Amendment right to access information. Removing books based on disagreement with their ideas exposes the district to constitutional liability and deprives students of access to literature to which they are otherwise entitled.
NCAC urged the district to restore access to the LGBTQIA+ books, follow its own review policies for challenged materials, and ensure that all students continue to have the opportunity to see themselves and others reflected in the literature they read.
Read NCAC’s full letter to the North Little Rock School District here: Click here for a full-screen view: