In 1968, in the case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that students in public schools do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” As decisive as this statement sounds, however, censorship still rears its ugly head year after year in classrooms around the country. As with most censorship issues that concern youth, the actions of those who would censor students are driven by the rationale that young people must be protected from harmful materials in the classroom; thus, a significant number of books, film and visual art have been banned from classroom use.

Those affected by this type of censorship include not only the students in the classroom and the artists and authors of the banned work in question, but also the teachers who assign controversial readings or introduce provocative films or artworks to their classrooms. Administrative disapproval and community sentiment frequently result in educators being placed on indefinite leave, reassigned to a different position, or altogether ousted from their jobs.

Another aspect of classroom censorship is that students’ own literary or artistic works may raise eyebrows among faculty and administrators, resulting in harsh repercussions. A photograph for an art project that shows slight nudity or a poem written for an English assignment that contains dark themes has been disconcerting enough to the faculty, in some cases, to result in the expulsion of the student.

» March 7, 2006 - Kite Runner Under Challenge in Indianapolis The superintendent has made a dangerous proposition: that concerned parents join educators in planning curriculum, and reviewing classroom materials.

» March 2, 2006 - Colorado Teacher Disciplined for Expressing Political Views in the Classroom Over 100 students at Overland High School in Aurora, CO, walked out of class to protest disciplinary action against teacher Jay Bennish.

Summer 2005 - Plainsong Removed From Classroom use in Las Vegas High School
Seniors at Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas, Nevada must have been confused when their English teacher took away books they were still reading: Kent Haruf's acclaimed novel, Plainsong. At issue was a brief sexual passage. Without submitting challenges to the novel to a review committee, the assistant principal ordered the teacher "collect all the books, box them up and put them away immediately."

Spring 2005 - Book Depicting Realities of Racism Banned in Middle School in Ithaca, NY
Under attack for language depicting the realities of racism is the historical book, War Comes to Willy Freeman by James Collier, in a middle school in Ithaca, NY. The book had been taught for 10 years but was unilaterally removed from the classroom and the library by the principal, in disregard of the district's procedures, on the complaint of a parent.

» February 28, 2005 - Florida H.S. Principal Confiscates Copies of School Newspaper The principal of Wellington H.S. in Wellington, FL confiscated copies of the school newspaper over an article about sex, claiming the she was doing "what was best for the student body."

» February 16, 2005 - Athletic Shorts Banned in Michigan School The word "nigger" in Chris Cutcher's Athletic Shorts was considered controversial enough in one Grand Rapids, Michigan school to result in suspension of the teacher who assigned it and removal of the book from the classrooms and libraries. (insert anchor: Grand Rapids athletic shorts)
Related: » NCAC Letter to Grand Rapids Superintendent

» January 26, 2005 - South Carolina School District Keeps Whale Talk on Shelves The Supreintendent of Georgetown School District in Georgetown, South Carolina chose to retain Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher, despite requests for its removal from the high school English curriculum.

Winter 2004 - Catcher in the Rye Withstands Censorship Challenge in Maine
Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger's frequently challenged coming-of-age novel, will remain in the ninth grade curriculum at Noble High in North Berwick, ME. The school board rejected a request to ban the book for offensive language and themes. The board agreed to revise procedures to inform parents about book selections.

Fall 2004 - New Mexico Teacher Sues School District for his Dismissal and Wins
Bill Nevins, a New Mexico teacher, sued the Rio Rancho School District for not renewing his contract after his students read anti-Iraq war poetry in class and in public. Although the district claimed Nevins was not rehired for other reasons, he won a $205,000 settlement.

Fall 2004 - Science Textbook Rejected by Texas School Commissioners for its Allegedly Inadequate Presentation of the Oil and Gas Industry's Position on Environmental Issues
A federal district court in Dallas dismissed a lawsuit against the state for rejecting an environmental science textbook the commissioners didn't like. The case, Chiras v. Miller, brought by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, charged that the textbook was rejected for "illegitimate, unconstitutional reasons." The commissioners had turned the book down for failing to adequately present the oil and gas industry's position on environmental issues and for not reflecting "the conservative values of most Texans." The court held that school boards may reject textbooks if they disagree with the author's viewpoint when such "viewpoint discrimination" is "reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns." The decision will be appealed.

Fall 2004 - Sex Ed Books Under Consideration in Texas Missing Major Gaps
Of the four sex ed textbooks under consideration by the Texas Board of Education, only one acknowledges condoms and none discusses other contraceptives. In one book, students are advised to get plenty of rest so they can make good decisions, to prevent sexually-transmitted diseases. The publishers claim that the teachers' supplements will fill in the gaps. Groups on both sides of the issue have been trying to affect the outcome, which will have a major impact on textbooks used nationwide. Texas is one of the largest purchasers of textbooks in the country and publishers find it extravagant to publish multiple versions, so, as Texas goes, there goes the nation.

» July 22, 2004 - California Court Upholds Student Poet's First Amendment Rights The California Supreme Court unanimously overturned the conviction of a 15-year old Santa Clara County student who was imprisoned for writing a poem with violent themes.
Related: » Cases of Students Expelled and Suspended for Creating Violent Fiction

Spring 2004 - Student Expelled from School for Listening to "Immoral" Music
A 12-year old student was expelled from St. Pius X School in Portland, Oregon for listening to rock music at home. The principal told the parents that their son is "a moral and spiritual detriment" to the student body for listening to Rage Against the Machine and Korn.

Spring 2004 - Historical Film Banned in Virgina Middle Schools for its Sexually Suggestive Dialogue
A film about the Declaration of Independence, 1776, was banned in Fairfax County, VA middle schools. In it Thomas Jefferson told John Adams that he "burns" for his wife. Adams asks "will you be a patriot...or a lover?" The social studies coordinator, Sara Shoob, explained that "There's some sexual innuendo and language, and when you're talking about the Declaration of Independence, that does not have to be part of your discussion."

» January 26, 2004 - Roll of Thunder Challenged in Seminole County, Florida A parent, who has not read the award-winning book, objected because it includes the word "nigger." Although her child was immediately given an alternative reading assignment, the parent has continued to press for the book's removal.

Winter 2003 - Second Grader Disciplined for Using the Word "Gay" in School
A seven-year-old student at Ernest Gallet Elementary School in Lousiana was disciplined for telling another child that his mother is gay and explaining that "gay is when a girl likes a girl." He was sent home with a teacher's note saying, "This kind of discussion is not acceptable in my room." The child was required to write several times, "I will never use the word 'gay' in school again." The ACLU has asked the district to apologize for violating the child's constitutional rights. The school board has scheduled a special meeting to consider the teacher's actions.

» September 30, 2003 - Texas State Board of Education Considers Adopting Changes to Biology Textbook The proposed changes to the biology textbook under consideration for adoption by the Texas State Board of Education challenged evolution.

» March 10, 2003 - Teacher in Brooklyn Disciplined for Assigning "Pornographic" Book
A Brooklyn Technical High School teacher was disciplined by his prinicpal for assigning Continental Drift, a highly acclaimed novel, as supplemental reading. A parent called the book "pornograhpic."
Related:» NCAC Letter to New York City Department of Education Chancellor » NCAC Follow-up Letter to the State Education Department

» January 8, 2003 - New York "Sanitizes" Passages in Language Arts Exam Numerous passages in the New York State English Language Arts Regents exam were altered to remove references to race, religion, ethnicity, sex, nudity, and other things that might be considered "offensive."
Related: » Joint Press Release on "Sanitization" of Literature on Regents Exam
» NCAC Letter to New York State Commissioner of Education» Response from the Board of Regents to NCAC's Letter » Joint Follow-up Letter Regarding Alteration on Regents Exam » Examples of Literary Works Altered on Language Arts Exam» Written Testimony of NCAC Executive Director on Censorship on Regents Exam » How You Can Respond to Censorship of Literature in NY Regents Exams » A Scholar's View of the Regents Censorship Controversy

Winter 2002 - Of Mice and Men Challenged in Michigan School for Using Words Barred by School Handbook
John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men was challenged at a high school in Grand Valley, Michigan by parents who complained that the novel contains words and phrases students are prohibited from using by the school official handbook. The school district rejected the request for banning, explaining why the classic novel is widely taught, how students are prepared to read the book, and that parents may ask for alternative reading.

» July 26, 2002 - Connecticut Middle School Attempts to Ban "Witchcraft" Books Residents in Cromwell, Connecticut sought to remove Bridge to Terabithia and The Witch of Blackbird Pond because they claimed the novels promoted witchcraft.

Summer 2002 - Baltimore Student Paper Banned for Critizing Plans for Magnet School
Student journalists at Baltimore Southern High School learned a great First Amendment lesson when the school principal banned the student paper for criticizing plans for a magnet school. To the rescue came State Senator George W. Della Jr. who offered resources to help students publish an uncensored underground newspaper and distribute it off the school premises.

» January 23, 2002 - Judy Blume's Forever Returned to Illinois Middle School Library A school board in Elgin, Illinois voted to return Judy Blume's Forever to the shelves of the district's middle school libraries. The book was banned in 1999 after a librarian requested its removal.
Related: » NCAC Letter to Elgin Supreintendent Requesting Reinstatement of Forever » NCAC Applauds Returen of Forever to Elgin Libraries

Winter 2001 - Sexual References Leads H.S. Principal to Remove Sophie's Choice From Library
In California, the highly acclaimed novel, Sophie's Choice, by William Styron was removed from La Mirada High School library by the principal, after a parent's complaint about isolated sexual references. Sophie's Choice has won the prestigious National Book Award.

Summer 2001 - Of Mice and Men Production Canned at Atlanta High School
A production of John Steinbeck's classic, Of Mice and Men, was canceled by the principal of Dacula High School near Atlanta, GA after the cast refused to cut profanity and racial language from the play-an option that student Matt Maher likened to "taking a Sharpie to Picasso." The Belladonna Repertory Company donated its theater for the students to produce the play, uncensored.

Spring 2001 - LGBT Biographies Challenged in California Junior High School
Biographies about gay and lesbian heroes in American life are under attack in Orangeview (CA) Jr. High for spilling the beans that gays can be notable. James Baldwin, Willa Cather, John Maynard Keynes, and Martina Navratilova, are among those some would put back in the closet.

Winter 2000 - Novel Removed From Long Island H.S. For Its Illustration of Hand-made Bomb
In Long Island, New York, the Port Washington schools dropped Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies for its crude drawing of a hand-made bomb. The highly-acclaimed novel about three sisters active in the resistance movement against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo was taught in the 10th grade until a school board member questioned whether the illustration could "trigger violence." Students Charlotte McCorkel and Myung-Hee Vahulas got it right when they wrote to their local newspaper: "...If the controversial portion of this book or any other book is discussed in context, then we as students are most capable of putting it in perspective."

Fall 2000 - Kansas School Board That Banned Evolution Voted Out of Office by Citizens
Kansas citizens repudiated the state school board's act to remove human evolution from the state science standards by voting the rascals out. Three candidates who supported the decision by the Kansas Board of Education last year were defeated in a primary by candidates who pledged to return evolution to the standards.

Summer 2000 - Lancaster, Mass. School Board Keeps The Chocolate War in Schools
The school board voted unanimously to keep Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War after protests from some eighth-grade parents. The highly-acclaimed, widely taught book is frequently challenged for its realistic description of bullying, of dehumanizing institutions, and for language and sexual references. "I feel like I have done something right," Cormier says. "There wouldn't be all these concerns about an ineffective book." His comment echoes experience. It is mostly good literature that is challenged.

» May 2000 - Harry Potter Back on Shelves in Michigan School District The superintendent of a school district in Zeeland, Michigan agreed to put the Harry Potter series back in the elementary and middle school libraries and to permit student to borrow them without restritions. (insert anchor: Zeeland Harry Potter)
Related: » Free Expression Network Letter to Zeeland Superintendent

» April 2000 - Huck Finn Remains a Staple Novel in Oklahoma High School
A school board in a school district in Enid Oklahoma voted, 6-to-1, to retain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on the required reading list for high school juniors. A school district committee had earlier recommended its removal following a complaint filed by a group of black ministers. (insert anchor: Enid, OK/Huck Finn)

» January 2000 - English Teacher Threatened with Dismissal for Promoting Banned Books A teacher in Harrisonburg, Virginia was threatened with dismissal for posting a pamphlet about book censorship. A parent objected to the slogan, "Read A Banned Book."

Winter 1999 - Wisconsin Schools Reinstate LGBT Books
Eau Claire schools restored four gay-themed books: Baby Be-Bop, When Someone You Know Is Gay, The Drowning of Stephan Jones, and Two Teenagers in Twenty went back on the shelves when the district settled an ACLU lawsuit.

Fall 1999 - New Mexico Board of Education Affirms Teaching of Evolution
The teaching of evolution has been overwhelmingly affirmed in New Mexico where the State Board of Education voted to strengthen the statewide science curriculum. The new policy bars the teaching of creationism as science. New Mexico's action is a breath of fresh air in the wake of the Kansas decision to drop evolution and the Big Bang theory from its required science curriculum.

Summer 1999 - Creationists Seek to Ban Evolution in Kansas Curricula
In a new twist in the battle against evolution, creationists in Kansas hope to convince the Board of Education to drop evolution from the curriculum. Since it is unconstitutional to teach religious theory in the schools, creationists argue, evolution must also go. Shades of Isaac Asimov, who punned: "I'd let them teach creationism in the schools if they let us teach evolution in the churches."

Spring 1999 - Creative Writing Teacher Fired For Not Censoring Her Students' Writings
The Supreme Court has declined to hear teacher Cissy Lacks' appeal. It is the end of the legal options for the 25-year, award-winning Missouri teacher who was fired for allowing students to use real life language in her creative writing classes. Ms. Lacks originally succeeded in her claim and was awarded $750K by the trial court, but that decision was overturned by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in June 1998.

Spring 1999 - Restrictions Placed On Reading Rolling Stone in Wisconsin H.S. Library
Students who want to read Rolling Stone magazine in a high school library in Wales, Wisconsin, must prove they are 18 or have parental permission. The superintendent overruled a committee's recommendation, after a school board member called it "pornographic."

» Winter 1998 - Brooklyn Teacher Assigned Nappy Hair, Accused of Being Racially Insensitive A well-intentioned third-grade teacher, who happens to be white, gave her mostly black and Hispanic students a critically praised book about a black girl with kinky hair. So who did the school authorities choose to investigate first? The well-meaning teacher, or the foul-mouthed, harm-threatening parents? The teacher, of course.

Summer 1998 - Sex-related Words Banned From Use in New York City School DIstrict
Abortion, contraception, homosexuality and masturbation are words that aren't discussed in New York City's Community School District 24. The Board adopted a policy in 1987 to delete those words from curriculum materials. "Ask your parents," is District 24's pedagogical response to kids' questions. Now a Board member says the policy is too lenient and wants to ban all mention of those subjects anywhere on school grounds.

» Summer 1998 - Go Ask Alice Removed From Classroom Use in Rhode Island Middle School Considered by many teachers a valuable and important teaching tool for adolescents, Go Ask Alice, author unknown, is the diary of an adolescent's struggles with drug addiction and the tragic consequences.

» February 13, 1998 - Magazines Banned from Long Island Middle School Library for Containing Sex Ed Info Three magazines were removed from the Hauppauge Middle School Library upon the urging of a local religious figure who urged parishioners to object to the publications because they contain "information that goes against what we believe is the truth about sex as Catholic Christians."
Related: » NCAC's Letter to Hauppauge School Superintendent » Teen Magazines Too Racy?

Winter 1997 - Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five Withstands Challenge in Pecos, Texas Schools
In Pecos, Texas, Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five, taught in an accelerated high school English class, was called "objectionable" after similar challenges to Morrison's Beloved, Hinton's The Outsiders, and Golding's Lord of The Flies. School board members apologized for hearing the complaint prematurely, after the English Department chair described the devastating effect on intellectual development when works of literary merit are removed for containing some "objectionable" words.

Winter 1997 - Levittown, New York Superintendent Approves One Fat Summer for Classroom Use
One Fat Summer by Robert Lypsyte was restored in the Levittown, New York public schools. The book was removed as required reading after a complaint about violence and vulgarity, but the suprerintendent has informed faculty that "the book has not been removed for content and, indeed, may well be appropriate for use in other courses such as English literature, ethics, psychology, health, or in a lower level developmental reading class." He also assured teachers that they are free to choose books that meet developmental guidelines.

Summer 1997 - Ban on Of Mice and Men Lifted at Illinois Middle School
The Peru, Illinois School Board lifted the ban on John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, permitting 8th-grade teacher Dan Brooks to continue its use through this school year while the school board initiates formal curriculum selection policies. Brooks had been ordered to stop teaching the book he had taught for 13 years after anonymous complaints were received by the principal.

Spring 1997 - Teacher Dismissed For Showing Film About Fascism Reinstated by Court Ruling
The Colorado Court of Appeals ordered the Jefferson County School Board to reinstate the high school teacher they had fired for teaching Bertolucci's film, "1900." Alfred Wilder, an English teacher for 25 years, was dismissed for not obtaining prior approval to show the film about fascism, considered an epic, in his logic and debate class, and for other alleged infractions.

» Fall 1996 - Ohio Board of Education Adopts Multicultural History Textbook National news spotlighted the rejection by the Hudson, Ohio Board of Education of The American People, a multicultural history textbook recommended by educators for high school use. But the Board's reversal of its action seems to have gone unnoticed outside of the state.

» Fall 1996 - New Hampshire Teacher Fired for Teaching "Unsuitable" Books Reinstated by School Board A New Hampshire teacher who fought back against attempts to smear and ultimately fire her, has been reinstated by the Mascenic School Board following a decision of the state's Public Employee Labor Relations Board.

» Summer 1996 - Gay Family Exhibit Draws Fire and Support An art exhibit that depicted the diversity of families, was attacked in Amherst, Massachusetts by opponents who brought a lawsuit to have it banned from further showings in public schools.

» NCAC's Book Censorship Toolkit A resource guide for dealing with book challenges in schools.

» NCAC Statement on Legislative Efforts to Restrict Internet Access in Schools The NCAC's statement regarding Senator John McCain's legislative proposal to limit students' access to "indecent" material on the Internet.
Related: » NCAC Letter to Key Senators Regarding Efforts to Restrict Internet Access

» Censors and Schools: The Battle Over Children's Literature A panel discussion, hosted by the NCAC on Sept. 28, 2000, on censorship of children's literature.

» NCAC Defends Books in Trouble A status report of books being challenged or banned.

» Censorship In Our Schools and Libraries A primer on how to prepare for a censorship dispute before it arises.

» NCAC Counters Censorship In Our Schools and Libraries Information on the NCAC program that helps educators, librarians, parents, and "ordinary" citizens fight efforts to censor materials in schools and libraries.

» Resisting Homphobic Attacks on Education and the Arts A report on homophobic attacks on education and the arts and how to resist them.
Related:» Homophobic Attacks on Schools and Libraries » Homophobic Attacks on Artistic Expression

» Unintelligent Design This essay, excerpted from The New York Times Magazine, calls intelligent design "creationism dressed up as science."

» The Silencing of Student Voice: Preserving Free Speech in America's Schools This paper examines issues including "zero-tolerance" policies and harsh penalties for dress, language or remarks deemed unacceptable; conflicts over material on students' personal Web sites, and collisions between students' artistic expression and administrators' safety concerns.

» Religious Right Aims to Pit Parents Against Teachers in Book Censorship Battles The Religious Right insists that public school officials have some nefarious scheme for subverting "parental rights," primarily by choosing curriculum and other material that are at odds with their moral values.

» The Internet and Education: A Close Fit In this excerp from the February 21, 1997 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Harvard President Neil Rudenstine addresses the revolutionary impact of the Internet on scholarship, teaching and learning.

» NCAC Comes to Defense of Teachers and Educators Under Fire From Censors Without the efforts of persevering educators, our kids' schooling would become bland and boring, leaving them to figure out answers to life's hard questions alone.

» It's Not Just About Huck Finn An essay in support of the countless books banned for being "racially offensive."