Marshall University does not ban books! The information is provided to let people know what has been banned/challenged elsewhere.</strong
2020
The Superintendent of the school district in Oak Park (CA) announced the introduction of gender identity curriculum for elementary schools to parents, to include the books Sparkle By by Leslea Newman, It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr, Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall, Neither by Airlie Anderson, and Jamie is Jamie: A Book About Being Yourself and Playing Your Way by Afsaneh Moradian. The curriculum sparked strong protests from 300 parents, some claiming that the lessons were “unscientific ideology,” others believing that the parents should decide whether to broach the subject, not the schools. Following a review by the district curriculum council and parent-teacher organizations at each of the three elementary schools, the Oak Park Board of Education adopted the program.
A patron wrote to the newspaper stating that unlabeled LGBTQ books could be found in the children’s area of the Independence (KS) Public Library and they should be labeled and removed from that section, including And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman, Gay and Lesbian History for Kids by Jerome Pohlen, My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis, George by Alex Gino, Stella Brings the Family by Miriam Schiffer, Worm Loves Worm by J. J. Austrian, It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr, and Families by Shelly Rotner and Shelia M. Kelly. The patron stated, “There needs to be some kind of censorship on the books available to children. This is just a common sense request.” She was invited to attend a library board meeting. Her letter asked others to join her. All nine books have been retained.
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 12, 2020