Marshall University does not ban books! The information is provided to let people know what has been banned/challenged elsewhere.
2025
On August 12, 2024, the board of the Elizabeth School District (CO) announced they were removing 19 titles from school libraries “for review” and requiring parental permission for 110 others. The board cited concerns over the religious views expressed; LGBTQIA+ content; and depictions of drug use, sex, and violence in the books. Nineteen Minutes was one of the titles removed. Titles requiring parental permission included 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, and Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. On March 19, 2025, a federal judge ordered the district to restore access to all 129 titles and prohibited further censorship of library books “because the district disagrees with the views expressed therein or merely to further their preferred political or religious orthodoxy.”
2015
Challenged at the Gilford (NH) High School. Challenged but retained at the Kennett (PA) High School despite a parent’s complaint that the content in the book is not suitable for high school students. The award-winning novel depicts a school shooting in a fictional New Hampshire high school. The novel contains depictions of physical violence in public schools and a scene of graphic sexual activity.
2009
Restricted to high school students with parental permission at the Beardstown (IL) High School library because the novel “describes sex, uses foul language, and contains other ‘R-rated’ content.”
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 2025