‘Purity’ Panic Over Omaha Sex Ed Curriculum
Parents in Omaha are fired up about proposed changes to the sexual education curriculum. Are they trying to keep their kids "pure," or are they calling for censorship?
NJ School Official Who Banned–Then Unbanned–A Book Has a New Plan
Banning a John Green novel didn't work out. But the superintendent's new idea to rate library books would create enormous problems.
Throwing Out ‘Extremely Loud’ in Illinois
A school drops a highly-acclaimed novel because of a few parents' complaints. That's bad. But their plan to label all books that have "adult content" will only invite more problems.
Book Banning in… New Jersey?
What's happening in the Garden State? Right after Banned Books Week, we saw two efforts to remove books from public schools.
Activists Beat Censorship in Lumberton, NJ
Congratulations to the students, parents, and teachers in Lumberton, New Jersey, who have proven that grassroots action makes a difference.
NJ District Yanks John Green Novel From Class Libraries
A New Jersey superintendent made an ad hoc decision to pull Looking for Alaska from classroom libraries, in violation of district policy.
Just Teach Books That Won’t Offend Anyone
NCAC responds to a newspaper editorial arguing that removing books from a school because they offend one parent is "common sense."
Petition Demands Only “Age Appropriate” Books in NJ High School
A petition calls for the removal of two books for sexual content and language, and also all other material that is not age-appropriate.
Censoring Islam in Georgia?
Parents in Georgia are outraged over lessons that teach the history of Islam. And the state is taking the complaints seriously, removing a program guide called "Respecting Beliefs."
Charter School’s Book Censorship is a ‘Kind of Literary Fraud’
Responding to a complaint about a book assignment, a Tennessee charter school CEO explained that they had given students a heavily redacted version.
Five Very True Tales of Book Censorship
In the spirit of Banned Books Week, we bring you five stories from the field. A few of them will make shake your head, while the others will have you pumping your fist.
North Carolina ‘Kite Runner’ District Changes Challenge Policy
Four months after a parent launched a challenge against The Kite Runner in Asheville, NC, the saga seems to finally have come to an end.
Tennessee Parent: Acclaimed Medical History Book is ‘Pornographic’
One parent wants an award-winning medical history book removed from a school district. The author says she has "confused gynecology with pornography."
Students Speak Out: A Curious Incident of Censorship
Telling students to avoid books containing "wayward beliefs" implies we are incapable of thinking for ourselves. The removal did not give parents the freedom to parent, but instead attacked freedom of thought.
Summertime for… Censorship?
Students at summer art school programs run into some unique censorship problems.
‘Curious’ Censorship in Tallahassee High School
A Florida high school selected an award-winning novel for its school-wide summer reading list. But a few parents objected to some of the language in the book, and it was promptly pulled.
Did the College Board Cave to Political Pressure Over AP History?
After months of pressure, the College Board has released a new framework for teaching AP US History. Does this mean the political pressure tactics worked?
Florida Parents Want to Ban Books They Say ‘Promote’ Islam
Parents in Florida are upset that third graders will be reading books they say promote Islam.
Graphic Novel Isn’t Banned– But Isn’t in the School Library
A graphic novel was challenged in a New Mexico high school. A review committee voted to keep it. So why isn't the book on the shelves? A local reporter dug into the story.
Good News: No ‘Disclaimer’ for a College Literature Course
After protests from NCAC and other groups, a California college won't be adding a 'trigger warning' to the description of an English course.
Celebrating the Right to Read in Asheville
The Buncombe school district has decided--once and for all--that one parent's objection to the novel The Kite Runner shouldn't prevent other students from reading it.
Does a College Literature Course Need a ‘Disclaimer’?
A California college rejected a student's request to remove four books from an English course. That's good. But the school is considering adding a 'disclaimer' to the course.
Policing Expression: NJ School Removes Student Project
A student project on police and community relations angers local cops-- and school administrators respond by removing it.
‘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.
A Book Censor for North Carolina’s Board of Education?
Has the governor of North Carolina nominated a book censor to the state Board of Education?
Terminated for Reading an Allen Ginsberg Poem?
A celebrated English teacher shared an Allen Ginsberg poem in an AP class. He's not a teacher anymore.
Victory for Of Mice and Men in Idaho
Good news: The Coeur d'Alene school board voted to keep John Steinbeck's classic novel in the classroom.
Censored Penguins Get Chilly Reception at California Charter School
A play about penguins was a hit at an anti-censorship conference. Days later, it was canceled at a nearby school.
Asheville: Where Trusting Teachers Isn’t a Novel Idea
Don’t you hate it when one person ruins it for the rest of us? Teachers of Asheville, your school district has your back. So do we.
Waging War On History
Politicians and activists gear up to battle what they see as left-wing bias in the AP's US History framework.
Parent Attempts to Censor The Kite Runner in Asheville
Can one parent effectively get a book banned from an entire classroom? That's exactly what's happening in one North Carolina town.
Challenge to Absolutely True Diary Shut Down in Brunswick, NC
A grandparent tries--yet again--to remove Sherman Alexie's award-winning novel from a school in North Carolina.
Waterloo Schools Violate District Policy To Pull Part-Time Indian
Sherman Alexie's award-winning young adult novel is challenged yet again-- but this time the school district violated its own policy by pulling the book without a formal review.
Evolution Wins: Cherokee Trail High Allows Production to Go Forward Uncensored
NCAC congratulates the students of Cherokee Trail High for speaking up and speaking out against censorship, and is gratified that the administration chose to do the right thing by respecting its students' free expression rights.
Student Journalism Censored — But Not For Long
A high school newspaper investigation into drugs was deemed unsuitable for publication by the school's principal. But a local news outlet heard about the story and decided that good journalism deserves to be read.
Connecticut District Removes Perks of Being A Wallflower From Curriculum
A review committee in Wallingford, Ct. decided to keep a popular young adult novel in the English curriculum. But the superintendent overruled that decision. Does his decision make legal or educational sense?
Teepee Art Project Removal a Missed Opportunity for Conversation
A California college removed a teepee art project after complaints-- missing an opportunity to have a real discussion about some vital issues.
Oklahoma’s Free Speech Fail and the Bigger Picture
The University of Oklahoma's decision to expel two students over a racist fraternity video violates the First Amendment. But what are the deeper lessons about this incident?
An Acclaimed Graphic Novel…Or Child Porn? Palomar Under Scrutiny In New Mexico
A parent complains that an acclaimed graphic novel on the shelves at a New Mexico high school library is really child pornography. How will the school respond?
Charlotte County History Textbook Challenge Fails
Local Tea Party activists fail in their efforts to remove world history textbooks they see as 'Islamic indoctrination.'