Booksology The rules do not utilize mirror tests. This is an assessment of the Supreme Court’s three evaluations of whether something is obscene. Regulatory ambiguity is its hallmark. This allows for a wide range of interpretations and a wide range of sloppy applications.
The second part of the lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of a memo written and distributed by Weaver on March 14, 2025. The memo bans 14 concepts from being discussed in SC educational materials, including “implicit bias,” “restorative justice,” “cisgender,” and “social-emotional learning.”
“The confusion and fear stemming from Rule 43-170 and Ellen Weaver’s memorandum was overwhelming,” said Dylan Lane, a high school senior in the Charleston County School District and a plaintiff in the lawsuit. “By taking action now, I hope to restore the safe and welcoming school environment I once knew and make things even better for those who come.”
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Plus tips and tools for the fight against censorship and other book-like activities with news that you can use!
Book removal is not the only thing that has caused difficulties in South Carolina public schools. Likewise, they fear that their target could be next. Among the actions that have taken place in the states as a result of the regulations are:
- The end of classroom libraries in some schools is a result of concerns that they contain material that is outside of what the state deems appropriate.
- The quiet, silent censorship of school librarians who are choosing not to purchase new fiction titles for their collections or preemptively removing titles.
- Nine restricted titles added to Beaufort County Public Schools, so students will need permission slips to access books like kite runner and blue eyesthe title is part of the Daily Advanced Placement curriculum.
- Some, like Fort Mills, have removed access by public schools to their county library’s digital collections, fearing potential access to titles featuring “sexual acts.”
“This regulatory ‘need’ was manufactured by SC Superintendent Ellen Weaver (who has a direct relationship with Mama for Freedom, that is). In other words, proponents of the regulation did not like that local school districts had control over what educational materials were available in school libraries, calling this local control “disruptive” because districts may have different local policies and procedures. education. “
This is not the first case in South Carolina regarding a book ban. The ACLU of South Carolina sued Greenville County earlier this year for banning and restricting LGBTQ+ books for minors in the county’s public library. As of this writing, 22 books have been permanently banned from all public schools in South Carolina. they are:
crank Ellen Hopkins was not banned, but requires parental permission before students can access it in the school library.
“School censorship limits students’ ability to think critically and engage with diverse perspectives. K-12 students deserve intellectual freedom to explore ideas, ask questions, and develop critical thinking skills.”
Read the full interview with Tenley Middleton and Jamie Gregory, members of the South Carolina School Librarians Association leadership team. They discuss on-the-ground advocacy happening across the state and provide critical insight into how state regulations have harmed access to public school materials for students and greatly harmed the library profession.
This case is another example testing the court’s interpretation of library users’ first amendment rights. Last week, a judge ruled that library users and authors do not have First Amendment rights when it comes to public schools and public libraries. That ruling was a big pull from a Fifth Circuit decision from earlier this year that did not establish First Amendment rights for public library users in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. These two cases contradict the general one Island Tree School District vs. Pico Supreme Court decisions from 1982. We have determined that public school libraries are places for spontaneous research and the dissemination of information and ideas.
