What Does the Law SAY?
The Supreme Court has not ruled on how Boards of Education are to choose books to place in a library. However, once a book is placed in a library, school boards may remove it only under certain circumstances.
The Legal Standard for Banning Books
The Supreme Court set the standard for banning books in 1982 (Island Trees School District v. Pico). In that case, the school board attempted to ban a number of books because they were "anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and just plain filthy.”
The Justices were unable to come to a majority agreement and instead issued what is known as a "plurality" opinion, in which some combination of justices signed on to three different opinions in order to render an outcome. The standard from Pico which governs book banning decisions is that school officials may not remove books from the school library simply because they dislike the ideas in the book.
However, school officials may remove a book from a school library if it is inappropriate for the children of the school.
There is no doubt the stunning increase of complaints about removal of “inappropriate” books from K-12 schools is fueled by a concerted effort to produce complementary literature for three curriculums: Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Social Justice and Race Theory, and Gender Identity, which are taught to students as young as Pre-School/Kindergarten.
Follow the $$$ and the Agenda
Something more is taking place. The curriculum companies have much to gain if these additional books are available and promoted in the school library for students and school staff to supplement their narrative.
We know their goal is to change the culture, because they tell us. SEICUS new by line is Sex Ed for Social Change. Between breaking down our children’s inhibitions, sexualizing them, and indoctrinating them to embrace gender and race theory pedagogies, the K-12 public school cabal IS accomplishing what they strategized for a century.
Parents Are NOT Backing Down!
However, they underestimated the resolve and commitment of the nuclear family in America and beyond. We are not about to just take it lying down. The campaign to rid our libraries of anti-family literature in the name of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice is just one initiative to roll back the progressive plan. Parents who have been censored by their school boards are not giving up. We are laying the groundwork for a program to ignite local communities to take their control of school districts back.
So, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, is correct. The wave of attempted book banning and restrictions continues to intensify, and that’s just the beginning!
Suzanne Gallagher
PRIE Executive Director
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