Marshall University does not ban books! The information is provided to let people know what has been banned/challenged elsewhere.
2023
Starting on September 13, members of the group Let’s Talk Hempfield began reading excerpts from Flamer and other titles during the public comments section of Hempfield School District board meetings in Landisville, PA. On November 22, they submitted seven police reports against the Hempfield High School, claiming that Flamer, Push by Sapphire, and Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin were “pornography” and “obscene material.” The district attorney investigated, determined the books were neither pornographic nor obscene, and did not file charges. While nine books were targeted during public comments and through police reports, no formal requests for reconsideration were ever submitted.
In December, Central Bucks School District (PA) received challenges to five titles with LGBTQIA+ characters, including Beyond Magenta. All challenged titles were withdrawn from circulation.
Concerned Parents for Nixa (MO) held a rally during which Andy Wells from No Left Turn in Education called for the removal of books he characterized as illegal pornography. This culminated in challenges to 18 titles at Nixa Public Schools, 12 of which were withdrawn from district libraries, including Beyond Magenta.
2022
Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.
At Siloam Springs (AR) High School, three parents submitted a formal challenge to remove Beyond Magenta from the library. A committee reviewed the challenge and decided that the book should
stay. The parents then appealed to the school board, which voted to remove the book from the school’s library.
A group of 35 people came to the Victoria (TX) Public Library to demand that a list of LGBTQIA+ titles be removed from the library’s collection. They said they believed children’s brain development would be damaged by materials “about gender ambiguity, transgender topics, or books on sexuality.” They provided a packet of requests to reconsider 21 titles and said there were at least 126 other items they were “concerned about.” The library board voted to retain all challenged titles.
2020
Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased.
2016
Challenged for being anti-family, unsuited to age group, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and other reasons (“wants to remove from collection to ward off complaints”).
On These Pages
A Banned book has been removed from a library, classroom, etc.
A Challenged book has been requested to be removed from a library, classroom, etc.
For additional information contact
Ron Titus, titus@marshall.edu
304-696-6575
Last updated
August 22, 2023