Photo credit: bookriot.com
Utah recently enacted one of the most severe book banning regulations in the country, which is now making an impact across the state’s educational landscape. Under House Bill 29, parents are afforded the right to contest any book they label as “sensitive material.” Moreover, books classified as “objectively sensitive material” or “pornographic” may be removed from public schools if they have been banned in at least three school districts or in two districts alongside five charter schools statewide. Once a title reaches this threshold, it is officially listed as banned across all public educational institutions in Utah.
This legislation, which became effective on July 1, is retroactive and requires all schools to report titles previously deemed inappropriate to the Utah State Board of Education. For each title classified as “sensitive material” that is removed from any public or charter school, the school must inform the State Board. If the book meets the criteria for statewide banning, all schools must then eliminate it from their collections.
In August, Utah released its first list of prohibited titles, which included thirteen books. Recently, a 14th title has been added to the growing list.
Among the newly banned works is Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, a noteworthy young adult novel published in 2008. This book will now be removed from all public school and charter school libraries in Utah. The decision comes after it was identified as banned in multiple school districts, namely Davis, Washington County, and Tooele County Schools. Following this regulation, every district must dispose of the book, but the exact process for doing so remains unclear, especially considering that state law prohibits the sale or redistribution of these banned works. Each district must formulate its own disposal policy, raising questions about alternative methods they might employ.
Interestingly, nearly all titles on the state’s banned books list, with one exception, were written by female authors. The average age of these banned books is around 14 years, emphasizing that a significant number of censored texts are not contemporary publications but rather established works.
This situation serves as a glaring illustration of how a small group can exert control over educational resources while simultaneously reflecting broader implications for public education. The bans are specifically directed at public schools, thus allowing proponents of these restrictions to suggest that parents unhappy with these decisions can resort to private education or homeschooling. Moreover, Utah has recently approved an updated voucher program that some lawmakers advocate as an alternative for families wishing to avoid this restrictive educational environment.
Source
bookriot.com