Georgia passed a law in January 2023 that allows parents of current students to challenge the appropriateness of books in school libraries. However, the law has not been widely used by parents and has faced criticism from educators, librarians, and free speech advocates.
The law aims to ease book challenges by parents
The law, sponsored by Republican lawmakers, was passed amid a surge of book challenges across the country. Many conservatives have objected to books that deal with topics such as sexuality, gender, race, and religion. They argue that such books are harmful to children and promote a leftist agenda.
The law requires school districts to establish a process for parents to request the removal of books from school libraries. The process must include a written complaint, a review committee, a public hearing, and a final decision by the school board. The law also allows parents to appeal the decision to the state board of education.
The law’s supporters say that it gives parents more voice and control over what their children read in school. They claim that some books are inappropriate for certain age groups and violate community standards.
The law has been used by few parents and has led to some book removals
Despite the law’s intention to make book challenges easier, few parents have actually used it. According to an Associated Press survey of 15 large Georgia districts, none of them have received any demands to remove books under the law.
However, some book challenges have occurred in Forsyth County, a fast-growing suburb with 54,000 students. A parent named Allison Strickland filed complaints in March 2023 against four books that she found sexually explicit. She attached excerpts from BookLooks, a conservative website that highlights passages from books that it considers objectionable.
Strickland’s complaints led to a series of public hearings and heated debates in the county. The school board eventually ruled that parents must give advance permission before any student can read five of the challenged books. The board also decided to remove two other books from one high school library after a librarian “weeded” them out before they were challenged.
The law has been criticized by educators, librarians, and free speech advocates
The law has faced opposition from various groups who defend the freedom and diversity of reading materials in schools. They argue that the law undermines the professional judgment of educators and librarians, who are trained to select and evaluate books for students. They also warn that the law could lead to censorship and discrimination against marginalized voices and perspectives.
PEN America, a group promoting freedom of expression, counted 4,000 instances of books banned nationwide from July 2021 to December 2022. The group’s Freedom to Read director, Kasey Meehan, said that some schools are removing books even before parents ask. She said that this is a “chilling effect” on the availability and access of books in schools.
The American Library Association (ALA), which tracks book challenges and bans across the country, also expressed concern over Georgia’s law. The ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom director, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, said that the law “invites viewpoint discrimination” and “violates students’ right to read.” She said that parents have the right to guide their own children’s reading choices, but not those of other children.
