Federal court allows school removal of books with ‘lascivious content’

A Missouri federal court ruled that it was constitutionally permissible to remove books with lascivious content from a school library. Citizens had challenged the school for banning books, but the judge said it was not a ban since students could buy or borrow the books and discuss them with impunity. (Reason, August 8, 2022, by Eugene Volokh)

Law professor Erica Goldberg, Daily Montanan, August 8, 2022, writes that states and local school districts control curriculum and content in school libraries. Schools can limit books in their libraries and remove them for educational reasons so long as removing books was not done because administrators did not concur with opinions expressed in the books.

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