This Week in Book Challenges

Here is an update on the latest book challenges for the week of November 8, 2023.

Boyle County, KY school returns banned books to shelves following KY DOE guidance
The books were returned after the Kentucky DOE clarified that SB 150, the anti-LGBTQ+ law targeting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, did not apply to school libraries. Note: many school libraries across the country have illegally removed books based on similar misinterpretations and should follow Boyle County’s example in returning them.

Parents in Marietta, GA fighting back against book bans
Joe Evans, a pastor and parent who has a 12-year-old and 14-year-old daughter in the district, says: “I see themes [in the book bans], and those themes make me nervous that marginalized groups in our school system are going to feel more marginalized because of the books that are being banned."

Pennridge, PA parent wins case challenging shadow-bans of library books.
"The district altered the records that were the subject of the request, thwarted public access to public information, and effectuated a cover-up of faculty, administrators, and other non-students’ removal of books from Pennridge High School’s library shelves,” said the judge.

Check out the viral video of the parent, Darren Lauster, making his case.

Horry County, SC shows clear bias in book bans.
“This has to do with their contributions, the organizations that they formed and the accomplishments that they have,” [Jerome] Pohlen said about his book and the LGBTQ figures within it. “It’s sad that the only strategy that they seem to want to do is just pretend it doesn’t exist through a ban like this.”