“Obscene” content is already prohibited in schools, but HB 1944 allows any parent to enforce their definition of obscenity on a whole school district. If a parent complains that a library book is obscene, the book is removed from the shelf immediately for at least 30 days. When we restrict access to books, we impede our children’s ability to learn freely and develop the important life skills they need to build toward a brighter future for all of us.
School libraries present opportunities for students to explore beyond the curriculum dictated to them. Yet this bill suggests the preferences of even one parent should restrict the learning opportunities of an entire student body.
We should trust our schools, teachers, parents, and librarians to safely guide students through this journey. Instead, this bill undermines our children’s education by encouraging the banning of books to limit the free flow of ideas and speech.
