PEN America and writer Penguin Random House, in addition to a couple of authors and dad and mom, filed a federal regulation go well with right this moment towards Florida’s Escambia County School District. The authors who joined the go well with — all of whom have had their books both eliminated or restricted by the varsity board — are Sarah Brannen, David Levithan, George M. Johnson, Ashley Hope Pérez, and Kyle Lukoff.
The go well with calls for books that had been taken out of college libraries be returned, stating that the elimination of the books, which debate LGBTQ+ and racial identities and racism, violates the First Amendment. The go well with additionally states that the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution is being violated as a result of the guide ban disproportionately targets books by LGBTQ+ and non-white authors.
CEO of Random House, Nihar Malaviya, mentioned, “Books have the capacity to change lives for the better, and students in particular deserve equitable access to a wide range of perspectives. Censorship, in the form of book bans like those enacted by Escambia County, are a direct threat to democracy and our constitutional rights. We stand by our authors, their books, and the teachers, librarians, and parents who champion free expression. We are proud to join forces with our longtime partner PEN America.”
Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, additionally mentioned “The freedom to read is guaranteed by the constitution. In Escambia County, state censors are spiriting books off shelves in a deliberate attempt to suppress diverse voices. In a nation built on free speech, this cannot stand.”
Find extra information and tales of curiosity from the guide world in Breaking in Books.
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