Banned Books 2016 – King & King

Marshall University does not ban books! The information is provided to let people know what has been banned/challenged elsewhere.

2016

Challenged at the Efland-Cheeks (NC) Elementary School after a third-grade teacher read the book to deal with a case of bullying. The teacher said he read the book after a boy in his class was called gay in a derogatory way and told he was acting like a girl. Two parents said the book was inappropriate for children that age, and at least one said parents should have been notified in advance. The complaints were withdrawn after the teacher and vice principal resigned from the school. The image of the princes kissing each other at their wedding on the final page has been cited by social conservatives as “gay-rights movements undermining religious freedom.”

2009

Parents of a Lexington (MA) second-grader protested that their son’s teacher read the fairy tale about gay marriage to the class without warning the parents first. The book was used as part of a lesson about different types of weddings. Parents plan to appeal a U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Withdrawn from two Bristol (England, UK) primary schools following objections from parents who claimed the book was unsuitable for children and they had not been consulted on their opinions.

2008

Parents of a Lexington (MA) second-grader protested that their son’s teacher read the fairy tale about gay marriage to the class without warning the parents first. The book was used as part of a lesson about different types of weddings. Retained at the Lower Macungie (PA) library after the donated book was challenged because “let them be kids…and not worry about homosexuality, race and religion. Just let them live freely as kids.”

2007

Parents of a Lexington (MA) second-grader protested that their son’s teacher read the fairy tale about gay marriage to the class without warning the parents first. The book was used as part of a lesson about different types of weddings.

2005

Restricted to adults at Freeman Elementary School’s library in Wilmington (NC) because the children’s book is about a prince who’s true love turns out to be another prince. Moved from children’s section to the Adult section at the Shelbyville-Shelby County (IN) Public Library because the book’s homosexual story was considered inappropriate by a parent. Challenged by seventy Oklahoma state legislators calling for the book to be removed from the children’s section and placed in the adult section of the Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma City (OK).

2004

Restricted to adults in a school’s library in Wilmington (NC) because the children’s book is about a prince who’s true love turns out to be another prince.

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

July 20, 2016