FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: José Medina, Media Coordinator, ACLU Foundation of Texas, (512) 478-7300 x 103 or (512) 483-1686; [email protected]
AUSTIN - Each year, the ACLU of Texas raises awareness of censorship as part of national Banned Books Week (Sept. 25 - Oct. 2) with the release of its annual banned books report, "Free People Read Freely."
A complete copy of the report is available here.
"Free People Read Freely" provides information about books that have been banned, challenged or restricted in Texas public schools and charter schools during the previous school year.
This year's banned books report got a high response rate of 73 percent from the nearly 1,300 school districts and charter schools in Texas to which we sent Freedom of Information Act requests about challenges to books in schools. Findings show a steady decrease in both the number of books challenged and banned since the 2007-2008 school year. However, of those challenges brought before school administrators this year, 44 percent led to a book being banned or restricted. Of note, we found throughout Texas:
- Of the 87 books were challenged, 24 percent of books were banned and 20 percent of books were restricted;
- In a marked shift from last year, the majority of books banned - 50 percent - were in middle schools. At Canyon Vista Middle School in Round Rock, in two cases, a parent wanted a book banned but refused to read it in order to discuss it with school administrators.
"Books are a tangible representation of our freedom of expression," said Dotty Griffith, Public Education Director of the ACLU of Texas. "Banning books is often an expression of fear - fear of differences, fear of new ideas and thoughts, fear of the unknown. No matter how well-intended, banning books - especially by those who won't even read the 'offensive' material to see if the educational value meets or exceeds the weight of the objections against them - is censorship and infringes on the rights of a free society. Parents should exercise their rights to decide what is appropriate reading material for their own children; but they overreach when they seek to decide for other parents what is good for all children."
In honor of the 50th anniversary of one of America's most banned books, To Kill a Mockingbird, this year's report includes an interview with film and television writer/producer and "Mockingbird" expert Mary McDonagh Murphy. Her new book, Scout, Atticus & Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and documentary film, Hey Boo: Harper Lee & 'To Kill a Mockingbird' were released this year.
