Maine Bill Aims to Weaken Protection Against School Censorship | UPDATE: VICTORY!
Maine lawmaker's attempts to label educational material obscene threatens intellectual freedom.
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NCAC Protests Ban on “Inappropriate” Books by Florida School Official
The groups argue that the directive, which appears to contradict existing district policies, would lead to the exclusion of an extremely large number of books, including literary classics, from Shakespeare to Anne Frank’s A Diary of a Young Girl.
A Dispatch from documenta 14: An International Art Exhibition in Which Book Censorship Plays a Central Role
documenta 14, an art festival occurring every 5 years, puts the issue of book censorship front and center this year.
Free Speech Now
The First Amendment is needed now more than ever. NCAC is documenting the state of free speech in the Trump era. Check back for regular updates.
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 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.
Literature as “Pornography”
This article originally appeared in Censorship News Issue 125 Virginia state senator Amanda Chase recently claimed that three popular and highly-regarded books for teens are “pornographic.” The books were included on a high school summer reading list, but they were not required – students were free to choose other books. Nonetheless, Senator Chase demanded that they be removed from the [...]
Partly Annotated Bibliography: Books and Articles on Censorship
GENERAL BOOKS FILM / TELEVISION / RADIO / MEDIA VISUAL ART INTERNET CAMPUS SPEECH GENERAL Abel, Richard. Speaking respect, respecting speech. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press, 1998. Abramson, Paul R. and Steven D. Pinkerton, Mark Huppin. Sexual Rights in America: the Ninth Amendment and the pursuit of happiness. New York, London: New York University Press, 2003. Al-Gharbi, Musa. "Nir Eyal's Newsletter featuring "It's [...]
When College Presidents Block Campus Free Speech
Two college presidents have decided that speakers selected by students should not appear on campus.
Virginia “Sexually Explicit Content” Bill Undermines Public Education
A Virginia bill that would require public schools to notify parents of "sexually explicit content" poses a profound threat to public education and First Amendment principles.
Students Form Gay-Straight School Club. What’s the Problem?
At Franklin County High School in Tennessee, some students and parents are outraged by the very existence of the Gay-Straight Alliance.
Board of Directors & Council of Advisors
Board of Directors Jon Anderson President and Publisher, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division (New York, NY) Jon Anderson has been President and Publisher of the Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division since 2009. In his position, Mr. Anderson is responsible for the overall operations for the Children’s Division including editorial and production, publicity, marketing and licensing activities. He [...]
‘Parental Notification’ in New Hampshire
A New Hampshire bill to require parental notification about "human sexuality or human sexual education" topics in schools deserves to be vetoed.
The Fight Over Wallflowers in Wallingford
Controversy has intensified over the removal of the book The Perks of Being A Wallflower from a Connecticut school district's curriculum. Does the superintendent's response make any sense?
The Top 40 Free Speech Defenders of 2014
"Complacency is ever the enabler of darkest deeds." Robert Fanney recognized, as we do at NCAC, that silence and apathy lead to repression and censorship. In our 40th anniversary year, we celebrate the artists, authors, students, educators, librarians, lawmakers, celebs du jour, and yes, even corporations, who refused to remain silent on the top threats to free speech in 2014. [...]
The National Campaign for Freedom of Expression
Assisting artists and organizations facing attacks on their artistic freedom is at the core of NCFE’s mission. NCFE was founded in 1990 in response to attacks on the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The organization originated as a weekly conference call among arts activists who were concerned that arts organizations were trading basic [...]
Pennsylvania High School Cancels Spamalot because of “Homosexual Themes”
A production of Spamalot planned for 2015 has recently been cancelled by the South Williamsport High School in Pennsylvania. Why? Made public in August as the result of Right-to-Know requests, internal emails sent by the school principal, Jesse Smith, clearly demonstrate that the homosexual themes of the play prompted the cancellation. The principal suggested in the communications that the show [...]
NCAC Staff’s Top 40 Censored Books
Whether you need a trip down memory lane or you’re ready to discover a new favorite, consider these rebellious reads that have been and continue to be challenged by parents, bureaucrats, and audiences alike.
“What Ails the Agencies for Which They Work”: The Parlous State of Public Employee Free Speech Law
Commentary The Supreme Court last week took a small step toward limiting the damage done to the First Amendment by its controversial 2006 decision in Garcetti v. Ceballos. The Court in Garcetti denied First Amendment protection to a public employee (there, an assistant prosecutor) who had blown the whistle on police misconduct (in that case, fraudulent search warrants). The prosecutor was punished [...]
“What Ails the Agencies for Which They Work”: The Parlous State of Public Employee Free Speech Law
The Supreme Court last week took a small step toward limiting the damage done to the First Amendment by its controversial 2006 decision in Garcetti v. Ceballos. The Court in Garcetti denied First Amendment protection to a public employee (there, an assistant prosecutor) who had blown the whistle on police misconduct (in that case, fraudulent search warrants). The prosecutor was punished for [...]