NCAC Objects to Removal of Lawn Boy and Gender Queer from Fairfax, Virginia, School Libraries | UPDATED
Fairfax County, Virginia, school district removed two books, Lawn Boy and Gender Queer, from school libraries after a parent complaint.
New Jersey School Censors Student’s Black Lives Matter Poster in African American Culture Display | Updated
A student’s Black Lives Matter poster was censored at Hillsborough Middle School in New Jersey because of apparent disagreement with the political views it expressed.
NCAC Criticizes Brooklyn School’s Censorship of Student Mural | UPDATED
The principal at the elementary school in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood removed a mural created by several fifth graders because of apparent discomfort with some of its content.
NCAC and Dramatists Guild Object to Cancellation of School Play with Gay Character in Hillsboro, Ohio
Hillsboro High School in Ohio cancelled a production of Qui Nguyen’s play, She Kills Monsters, due to “inappropriate language, profanity, homophobic slurs, sexual innuendos and graphic violence," but likely also because it features a gay character.
Hudson, Ohio, School District Preemptively Removes Lawn Boy From School Libraries
Hudson, Ohio, school officials improperly removed Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison from school library shelves before a review of the book was complete.
NCAC Urges Texas School District to Keep Jerry Craft Books in Libraries
Katy Independent School District in Texas removed two books by Jerry Craft from school libraries because of a parent complaint about "promoting Critical Race Theory", possibly violating the First Amendment
Parents Call for Censorship of It’s Perfectly Normal at Cass County, Missouri, Public Library
NCAC urges Missouri's Cass County Public Library to resist calls to censor It's Perfectly Normal, a book about puberty.
NCAC Urges Central York, Pennsylvania, School District to Improve Policy After Diverse Book Ban Controversy
Students in York, Pennsylvania, successfully challenged a district-wide ban on diverse resource materials.
NCAC Responds to Troubling Censorship of College-Level Writing Class in Ohio High School
NCAC has written to the mayor and joined with FIRE and PEN America in a letter to the superintendent of Hudson City Schools after controversy erupted in Hudson, Ohio, over the appearance (but not use) of writing prompts that allude to sexual experience in an optional, college-level writing course, the school seized the books from students and the mayor threatened to prosecute the school board.
NCAC Applauds North Carolina Governor’s Veto of Bill Aimed at Censoring Teaching on Racism
The National Coalition Against Censorship applauds North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s recent veto of House Bill 324, which would have regulated the teaching of certain concepts commonly (and often mistakenly) associated with Critical Race Theory.
NCAC Objects to PBS Censorship of LGBTQ+ Children’s Program
NCAC asks PBS for a policy change after it removed from its national website an LGBTQ+ children's program featuring a drag queen.
The First Amendment in Schools
How does the First Amendment protect the rights of students and teachers? This guide provides background on the legal and practical questions surrounding school censorship controversies.
Supreme Court Rules on Off-Campus Student Speech Rights in Mahanoy vs. B.L. Case
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a student's First Amendment rights for off-campus speech, but the Mahanoy decision left questions unanswered.
Non-Partisan Coalition Statement Opposing “Divisive Concepts” Legislation
Non-partisan coalition statement in a response to attempts to limit teaching related to critical race theory, under a broad umbrella of "divisive concepts," including free speech and First Amendment framework for opposition advocacy.
Oklahoma School District Bans Black Lives Matter Shirts
NCAC criticizes Ardmore schools in Oklahoma for banning Black Lives Matter shirts.
NCAC Objects to Student Protest Ban in South Sioux City, Nebraska, School District
A Nebraska school district recently banned all protests on school grounds in violation of students' First Amendment rights.
Acclaimed Challenged Author Jason Reynolds Will Headline 2021 Banned Books Week
Jason Reynolds to headline Banned Books Week 2021, which has the theme, “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.” Two of Reynolds' books for young people made the Top 10 banned and challenged books of 2020 for their handling of issues around racism and racial justice.
Anti-LGBTQ Book Legislation Proceeds in Multiple States
Across the country, state lawmakers are considering legislation that aims to ban teaching books with LGBTQ themes and punish teachers for exposing students to material that addresses sexuality and gender expression.
Journalism Against the Odds: Student Press Freedom Day 2021
Student Press Freedom Day celebrates how vital student journalists are to public discourse, to informing their communities with unbiased and accurate information, and to holding those in power accountable to those they serve.
NCAC Urges Tennessee Universities to Resist Demands to Censor Student Athletes
NCAC calls on the leaders of the University of Tennessee system to resist political pressure and to defend their students' rights to peacefully protest.
Student Perspective: Chloe Bauer on the Burbank Book Ban
NCAC asked Chloe Bauer and Sungjoo Yoon, former students in the Burbank Unified School District, to tell us why they felt the District was wrong to remove five classic books from classrooms.
Student Perspective: Sungjoo Yoon on the Burbank Book Ban
Former students in the Burbank Unified School District explain why they felt the District was wrong to remove five classic books.
California School District Considers Ban on Classic Books | UPDATED
Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, Theodore Taylor's The Cay, and Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, challenged in Burbank Unified School District.
The Free Expression Educators Handbook
The Free Expression Educators Handbook contains practical tools and advice for managing book challenges and censorship controversies in schools and school libraries. The handbook, created by NCAC in collaboration with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), is intended for teachers, librarians, and school administrators. It offers guidance for educators developing inclusive and viewpoint-neutral instructional material policies, including sample [...]
Let Me Speak Design Contest Series
As part of NCAC’s virtual Celebration of Free Speech and Its Defenders Benefit, we are happy to announce the Let Me Speak Design Contest Series, a collection of three unique art contests: Becky Albertalli Fan Art Portugal The Man Boycott the Book Ban Logo NCAC Youth Free Expression Film Contest Logo Each contest is an opportunity for artists and designers [...]
FUN HOME Removed from Nevada High School
Lauded graphic novel Fun Home was removed from high school classrooms by a principal in Nevada, violating district policy and threatening students' right to read.
National Groups Condemn Attacks on LGBTQ Stories
Books featuring LGBTQ characters and themes are under attack in schools and libraries across the United States, violating free speech principles.
Virtual First Amendment Classroom for Teachers
As millions of students and teachers adjust to virtual learning in response to the coronavirus pandemic, NCAC will offer teachers the opportunity to host virtual presentations on free speech and the First Amendment by guest speakers from our staff of experts.
Student Journalist Coronavirus Toolkit from Student Press Law Center
Assistance and support for student journalists and advisers reporting on COVID-19 who may experience interference, obstruction or censorship of their work.
Unconstitutional Efforts to Ban Drag Queen Story Hour
Attempts to ban Drag Queen Story Hour events and other LGBTQ-related content from public libraries are proliferating across the country.
Michigan Teacher Denies Student Request to Write About Same Sex Marriage
Michigan teacher who denied student request to write about same-sex marriage owes student an apology and district should reaffirm students' free expression rights.
NCAC Opposes Copycat Missouri Bill Threatening Tennessee Libraries
NCAC supports the American Library Association to oppose library censorship legislation proposed by Tennessee lawmakers nearly identical to a bill proposed last month in Missouri.
Proposed Library Legislation in Missouri Threatens Freedom to Read
NCAC opposes proposed legislation threatening Missouri libraries' independence and citizens' freedom to read.
Arizona Legislature Considers Sex Ed Restrictions: UPDATED
Arizona considers banning sex ed before seventh grade.
Author Aida Salazar on Censoring Gender Fluidity in Schools
Author Aida Salazar shares her own experience with school visits for her new book, The Moon Within, and the struggles she faces with teachers.
Truth Is Complicated
George Washington High School students, Lía Sánchez, Rowan Francis Taylor and Dava Munyon, share their thoughts on the Victor Arnautoff murals.
Back to School: 9 Resources for Students
This school year we want you to be prepared to defend your right to speak, think and create.
San Francisco Mural Controversy: Perspectives and Updates
UPDATE October 4, 2019: The George Washington High School Alumni Association filed a lawsuit in the public interest against the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education, challenging the School Board’s commitment to remove from public view Victor Arnautoff’s 1936 New Deal mural with panels without conducting an environmental review, which is required by California law. UPDATE August 13, [...]
Texas Library Cancels Event with Trans Author
City officials in Leander, Texas abruptly cancelled an appearance by renowned graphic novelist Lilah Sturges at the Leander Public Library just hours before her scheduled visit.
Statement on Ohio House Speaker’s Attempts to Suppress Pride Events
House Speaker Larry Householder’s letter pressuring the Ohio Library Council to cancel youth events in celebration of Pride month is an assault on free speech principles and an abuse of political power.