Iowa Law Banning School Library Books that Depict Sex Acts on Hold Again After a New Federal Ruling | KCCI
Iowa cannot, for now, continue to enforce part of its book ban law, a federal judge said, giving major publishers that sued the state the second temporary reprieve they requested. The new decision again temporarily blocked the part of the law that prohibits school libraries and classrooms from carrying books that depict sex acts. The decision was in response to a lawsuit brought by the Iowa State Education Association, major publishing houses, and bestselling authors, including John Green and Jodi Picoult. The plaintiffs argued that the law was overly broad and age indifferent, reaching "far beyond obscenity to prohibit any book with any description of a sex act for any age."

Colorado School District Defies Federal Order on Book Ban | 9News
The Elizabeth (CO) School District is refusing to comply with a federal judge's order to return 19 banned books to school library shelves despite Tuesday's deadline. The order followed a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), arguing that the district's book ban violated First Amendment protections. Legal experts say the ruling aligns with Supreme Court precedent that prohibits banning books based solely on their content.

ACLU, Education MN Sue Minnesota School District Over Controversial Book Ban | KARE11
Two lawsuits were filed Monday against the St. Francis (MN) Area School District, calling to put an end to the district's recent book ban. The first suit brought against the district was filed by Education Minnesota on behalf of eight students, all of whom have parents working as teachers across St. Francis schools. The organization alleged the district "unlawfully bans books in libraries and classrooms based on the ideas, characters and stories they contain." The ACLU of Minnesota literally followed suit Monday, alleging "the book ban violates the Minnesota constitutional right to free speech and to receive information and the Minnesota constitutional right to a uniform and adequate education." The ACLU's lawsuit comes on behalf of two parents who have children enrolled in the district.

Kite Runner Author Speaks About his Book Being Banned in Minnesota District | MPR News
One of those books banned in the St. Francis (MN) Area School District is The Kite Runner, a 2003 historical novel about a young boy growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan. The author, Khaled Hosseini, spoke to Tom Crann about the ban.

Alabama Board Defunds Local Library in First Action Under New Book Ban Law | The Guardian
The public library in Fairhope, AL, has found itself in the crosshairs of battles over library content. The Alabama Public Library Service board of trustees recently voted to withhold state funding from the Fairhope Public Library after complaints from conservative parents about books in the teen section. 

Kansas Mom Who Pushed Book Bans Sues School District, Invoking Trump ‘Indoctrination’ Order | Kansas City Star [via Yahoo! News]
A mother in the Gardner Edgerton (KS) School District, who led several pushes to remove books from school libraries, is now suing the district after the superintendent banned her from school property for violating a policy prohibiting parents from bullying school staff. Superintendent Brian Huff sent Carrie Schmidt a letter limiting her access to school functions, suggesting that photos she took in the high school and shared with an anti-LGBTQ social media influencer last month led to a teacher being harassed and threatened. In her lawsuit, Schmidt claims that her First Amendment right to free speech and Fourteenth Amendment right to due process and equal protection were violated after the district restricted her access to certain public spaces—including school board meetings—and required her to get permission from district officials in order to attend any school or district events, including her son’s high school graduation in May. In her suit, Schmidt also claims that the district violated President Donald Trump’s executive order to “end radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling” by allowing teachers to hang posters and brochures for the Gay Straight Alliance Club inside the high school. 

Pennsylvania High School Students Walk Out of School to Protest Book Bans | The Philadelphia Inquirer
About 75 students from Radnor High School in Wayne, PA, walked out of school Friday to protest the school district's recent removal of three books: Gender Queer, Fun Home, and Blankets.