{"id":3453,"date":"2019-12-05T12:57:42","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T17:57:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/?page_id=3453"},"modified":"2025-08-04T10:20:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T14:20:08","slug":"the-handmaids-tale","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/bannedbooks\/the-handmaids-tale\/","title":{"rendered":"Banned Books 2025 &#8211; The Handmaid&#8217;s Tale"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"marsha-row mt-4 mb-4 flex flex-wrap -mx-2 lg:-mx-6  justify-start border-0 border-gray-100 first:mt-0\">\n\t\n<p><!-- *  START LEFT COLUMN  *--><div class=\"columns w-full lg:w-3\/12  lg:px-6    mt-6\">\n<div class=\"\">\n\n<h2>Links<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a id=\"current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/bannedbooks\/bannedbooks-2025\/author\/\">2025 Author<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/bannedbooks\/bannedbooks-2025\/title\/\">2025 Title<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/bannedbooks\/\">Banned Books Home<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Cover<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3457\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/files\/2019\/12\/handmaidstale.gif\" alt=\"handmaids tale\" width=\"310\" height=\"475\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mulibiiidb.marshall.edu\/record=b1817434~S12\">Held at Marshall Libraries (Drinko Library &#8211; PR9199.3.A8 H3 2017).<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- *** ** END LEFT COLUMN ** ***-->\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p><p><!-- *** ** START RIGHT COLUMN ** **--><div class=\"columns w-full lg:w-9\/12  lg:px-6    mt-6\">\n<div class=\"\">\n\n<p><strong>Marshall University does not ban books!  The information is provided to let people know what has been banned\/challenged elsewhere.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>2025<\/h2>\n<p>Banned or challenged for being sexually explicit and profanity.<\/p>\n<p>In September 2024, 59 titles were removed from all school libraries in the Council Bluffs Community School District (IA). The books included <strong>Me and Earl and the Dying Girl<\/strong>, <strong>I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings<\/strong>, and <strong>The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/strong>.  Superintendent Vickie Murillo said the books were removed to comply with Senate File 496. This Iowa law requires schools to remove any library book containing a description of a sex act. Enforcement of the law was enjoined on March 25, 2025, due to constitutional concerns.<\/p>\n<h2>2022<\/h2>\n<p>During hearings for Georgia&#8217;s SB 226 which would remove school librarians from the reviewing book challenges and let school principals and school boards be the only decision makers, Margaret Atwood&#8217;s <strong>The Handmaid&#8217;s Tale<\/strong> was one of the books singled out by parents as objectionable. Noelle Kahaian informed the Senate Judiciary Committee that Atwood\u2019s award-winning dystopian novel was \u201cgarbage\u201d and expressed dismay that the graphic novel adaptation makes it even more accessible to juvenile audiences. Another parent testified that her request to ban The Handmaid\u2019s Tale was rejected by a panel of staff and parents that met in the school library. \u201cEvery school district is exhibiting obscene materials to minors,\u201d she said. Julia Bernath, president of the Fulton County School Board, provided details about the book challenge process for her district and stated that the parent who objected to <strong>The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/strong> did not follow the process through to the end. SB 226 was withdrawn from consideration by the House on March 31, 2021.<\/p>\n<h2>2020<\/h2>\n<p>Banned and challenged for profanity and for &#8220;vulgarity and sexual overtones.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This classic novel was included on a reading list before the beginning of a twelfth-grade advanced placement literature and composition class at a north Atlanta suburb&#8217;s high school in Georgia. A student&#8217;s mother forbade him from choosing the book. Alleging &#8220;porn and gore and cursing,&#8221; the mother wanted the book removed from the high school and held prayer circles outside the library while a committee of more than a dozen staff, administrators, and parents discussed the item. Retained.<\/p>\n<p>This dystopian novel was offered as a curriculum choice to students in an elective high school English class in Marietta (OH). Two complaints were filed alleging vulgarity and sexual overtones, although school officials believed the cited passages did not reflect the context of the novel. The school board voted to retain the book in the curriculum.<\/p>\n<h2>2018<\/h2>\n<p>Retained on Wyomissing (PA) High School&#8217;s summer reading list of books recommended for juniors and seniors, after a group of parents attempted to get the novel removed because of vulgar language and graphic depictions of sex. At a curriculum and technology committee meeting with the acting superintendent, administrators decided to retain the book and develop additional options for families who choose not to read it.<\/p>\n<h2>2014<\/h2>\n<p>Challenged, but retained as required reading for a Page High School International Baccalaureate class and as optional reading for Advanced Placement reading courses at Grimsley High School in Guilford County (NC) because the book is &#8220;sexually explicit, violently graphic and morally corrupt.&#8221; Some parents thought the book is &#8220;detrimental to Christian values.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>2013<\/h2>\n<p>Challenged as required reading for a Page High School International Baccalaureate class and as optional reading for Advanced Placement reading courses at Grimsley High School in Guilford County (NC) because the book is &#8220;sexually explicit, violently graphic and morally corrupt.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>2007<\/h2>\n<p>The Judson (TX) school board overturned the superintendent&#8217;s ban of the novel from an advanced placement English curriculum. The review committee of students, teachers and parents had appealed the ban to the school board.<\/p>\n<h2>2006<\/h2>\n<p>The Judson (TX) school board overturned the superintendent&#8217;s ban of the novel from an advanced placement English curriculum.<\/p>\n<h2>2002<\/h2>\n<p>Challenged in Texas due to description&#8217;s of sexual encounters.<\/p>\n<h2>2001<\/h2>\n<p>Downgraded from &#8220;required&#8221; to &#8220;optional&#8221; for the 11th grade summer reading list in Upper Moreland (PA) school district for age inappropriate subject matter.<\/p>\n<h2>On These Pages<\/h2>\n<p>A <strong>Banned<\/strong> book has been removed from a library, classroom, etc.<br \/>\nA <strong>Challenged<\/strong> book has been requested to be removed from a library, classroom, etc.<\/p>\n<h2>For additional information contact<\/h2>\n<p>Ron Titus, <a href=\"mailto:titus@marshall.edu\">titus@marshall.edu<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"tel:304-696-6575\">304-696-6575<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Last updated<\/h2>\n<p>August 4, 2025<\/p>\n<p><!-- ** ** END RIGHT COLUMN *** *-->\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n<p><!-- *** * END FULL PAGE DIV * *** --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"parent":2039,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-full-width.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3453","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3453"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15324,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3453\/revisions\/15324"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}