Texas among nation’s leaders in school book bans, new report shows, citing Keller ISD
Texas leads the nation in the number of books banned in school libraries, according to a report Thursday from PEN America, a free speech organization.
The report, called Banned in the USA State Laws Supercharge Book Suppression in Schools, found book bans rose by 28% throughout the U.S. in the first six months.
Texas and Florida led the way in banning the most books, the report showed. On Wednesday, the Texas House gave initial approval to a bill that would remove sexually explicit books from school libraries and require parental consent for some with sexual references.
In Texas, seven school districts were responsible for 438 instances of individual book bans, and in Florida, 13 districts were responsible for 357 bans. The Texas school districts listed in the report are Keller, Frisco, Belton, Conroe, Humble, Katy and Texarkana.
Almost one third of the book bans are driven by newly enacted legislation in states like Florida and Missouri that include strict policies that school districts must follow under threat of punishment. This leads to a chilling effect in which students are not exposed to as much literature, according to the report.
This is in contrast to previous years when parents or concerned citizens initiated most of the bans, according to information in the report.
The report highlights the “educational censorship” in America’s schools and the rapid intensification of book bans.
“The heavy-handed tactics of state legislators are mandating book bans, plain and simple,” said Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America. “Some politicians like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have tried to dismiss the rise in book bans as a ‘hoax.’ But their constituents and supporters are not fooled. The numbers don’t lie, and reveal a relentless crusade to constrict children’s freedom to read.” The PEN America reports showed that 31% of the 1,477 books banned this year are about race or racism.
LGBTQ+ characters and themes were in 26% of the banned books.
The most frequently banned books include “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe (banned in 15 districts), “Flamer” by Mike Curato (banned in 15 districts), “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins (banned in 13 districts), and “The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel” by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault (banned in 12 districts).
PEN America is based in New York and advocates for protection of open expression in the U.S. and throughout the world, according to its web site. The organization also defends creative expression and the liberties that make it possible.
This story was originally published April 20, 2023 at 9:44 AM.