The Utah State Board of Education said on Friday, Aug. 9, that it has been required by law to ban 13 books from all public schools under a new rule that went into effect on July 1. Critics said that it’s the first statewide ban of books. The rule requires books to be removed when at least three school districts among the more than 40 in the state say that a book has pornographic or indecent material.
Among the reading materials banned is the novel “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas and books by Judy Blume and Margaret Atwood.
The state statute says that school boards and governing boards should prioritize “protecting children from the harmful effects of illicit pornography and other considerations.” The Utah State Board of Education said that it had no choice but to comply with the ban after it was brought forward.
Utah is one of several states that are moving to restrict access to books. Tennessee, Idaho and South Carolina are reportedly putting state government in charge of access to reading materials in schools.
Proponents argue that such laws are needed to protect children from sensitive material without their parents present. Meanwhile, free speech advocates contend that it is a “dystopian censorship regime across public schools” and “antidemocratic.”
Pen America, a free speech organization, tracks efforts to restrict books. Officials with the group said that it’s the first time they’ve seen a statewide ban on a list of books.
The books are still available at Utah public libraries.
