Judge Tosses Suit That Tried To Deem Books Obscene for KidsA judge in Virginia dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday that had sought to declare two books as obscene for children and to restrict their distribution to minors, including by booksellers and libraries.
Walter Reed Bible BanRumor: Walter Reed Medical Center has issued guidelines that prohibit the distribution of religious items during visits with patients.
Would a Proposed Law 'Ban the Bible' in California?A Republican politician and a right-wing television station grossly misrepresented California legislation that would amplify restrictions on "gay conversion therapy."
Selected U.S. media coverage
Mama Bears
Obscenity case seeking to bar Barnes & Noble from selling 2 books to minors dismissed by judgeA Virginia Beach Circuit Court judge on Tuesday dismissed an effort to declare two books obscene and unfit for children.
Judge Pamela Baskervill found that “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe and “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas are not obscene under state law. Former congressional candidate Tommy Altman, and his attorney, state Del. Tim Anderson, argued that there should be separate standards of obscenity for children and adults.
By Kelsey Kendall
The Virginian-Pilot
Aug 30, 2022
Mama Bears v. Forsyth County SchoolsPlaintiffs—mothers who wish to protect their young children from Defendants’ questionable choices—want to exercise their right to criticize the placement of pornographic books in school libraries by accurately reading those books aloud at public meetings. The books’ language, after all, best illustrates why the parents contend the books are inappropriate for school.
Here's one of the moms who filed criminal charges against school librarians in Granbury, Texas, speaking at a school board meeting this week.
She calls on the district to repent, and then proposes appointing a local pastor to vet all school library books moving forward. pic.twitter.com/NaxeZMly4h
School curriculum is the latest arena in battle over LGBTQ+ rights
Banned book lesson thrusts Oklahoma teacher into campaignA firestorm erupted as Boismier resigned and a reporter from a local television station covered the story. The state’s Republican candidate for superintendent of public schools, Ryan Walters, wrote a letter to the State Board of Education calling for Boismier’s teaching license to be revoked.
ANALYSIS-U.S. school books - the latest LGBTQ+ rights battlegroundATLANTA, Feb 4 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A U.S. culture war over LGBTQ+ rights has played out on school sports fields and in doctors’ surgeries in recent years. Now, the clash between liberals and conservatives is heading to the nation’s classrooms.
2022 Graphic Novel about the Holocaust removed from middle school curriculum in Tennessee
Tennessee school board bans Holocaust-themed graphic novel 'Maus'By Steve Gorman. Jan 27, 2022 (Reuters) - A school board in Tennessee has voted to remove the Holocaust-themed graphic novel "Maus" from its eighth-grade language arts curriculum, citing profanity and nudity contained in the Pulitzer Prize-winning work by cartoonist Art Spiegelman.
The Complete Maus by Art SpiegelmanThe definitive edition of the graphic novel acclaimed as "the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust" (Wall Street Journal) and "the first masterpiece in comic book history" (The New Yorker) * PULITZER PRIZE WINNER * One of Variety's "Banned and Challenged Books Everyone Should Read" A brutally moving work of art--widely hailed as the greatest graphic novel ever written--Maus recounts the chilling experiences of the author's father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats. Maus is a haunting tale within a tale, weaving the author's account of his tortured relationship with his aging father into an astonishing retelling of one of history's most unspeakable tragedies. It is an unforgettable story of survival and a disarming look at the legacy of trauma.
ISBN: 9780679406419
Publication Date: 1996
2021 Texas House Committee on General Investigating book list targets several minority groups and anything remotely linked to all forms of sexual education
Texas schools remove children's books branded 'critical race theory'Oct 6 (Reuters) - A Texas school district has removed two books by Jerry Craft from its libraries and postponed his virtual appearance before students after parents complained his graphic novels teach critical race theory, possibly in violation of a new state law.
The Krause Banned Books List - Intellectual Freedom BlogThe Texas House Committee on General Investigating, chaired by Matt Krause, has compiled a lengthy list of books that they allege contains material that might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex. His committee sent the list along with a letter to the Texas Education Agency and Texas school districts, inquiring if the schools owned them, how much money was spent on them, and where they were physically located in the schools. The letter also requests that school districts figure out which other books they own that could intentionally or unintentionally cause any students to feel the discomfort, guilt, and anguish mentioned earlier.
2021 Enhanced by social media, book challenges impact the race for Governor of VIrginia
Fight over teaching 'Beloved' novel becomes a hot topic in governor's raceA Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from 1987 has suddenly become the hottest topic in the Virginia governor's race, as Republican Glenn Youngkin charged that Democrat Terry McAuliffe blocked parents from protecting their children from explicit classroom material, while McAuliffe responded by raising the specter of book-banning. At the heart of the issue: "Beloved," the novel by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison about a Civil War-era Black woman who kills her own 2-year-old daughter to spare her from the evils of slavery.
School board: Libraries to remove ‘sexually explicit’ booksFredericksburg, VA. Nov. 10, 2021 (AP) — A Virginia school board directed staff to remove books with “sexually explicit” material from libraries after a parent raised concerns about books available through a school’s digital library app at Monday’s meeting.
What's it like to have Terry McAuliffe block you from having a say in your child's education?
The Complete Maus by
The definitive edition of the graphic novel acclaimed as "the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust" (Wall Street Journal) and "the first masterpiece in comic book history" (The New Yorker) * PULITZER PRIZE WINNER * One of Variety's "Banned and Challenged Books Everyone Should Read" A brutally moving work of art--widely hailed as the greatest graphic novel ever written--Maus recounts the chilling experiences of the author's father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats. Maus is a haunting tale within a tale, weaving the author's account of his tortured relationship with his aging father into an astonishing retelling of one of history's most unspeakable tragedies. It is an unforgettable story of survival and a disarming look at the legacy of trauma.
