Students at Pentagon Schools Sue Over Book Bans on Race and Gender | The Guardian
Twelve students studying in Pentagon schools in the U.S. and around the world are suing the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)—the federal school system that runs schools for children of U.S. military members—Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and DoDEA director Beth Schiavino-Narvaez, over the removal of titles on race and gender from their libraries. A lawsuit lodged on the students’ behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday argues that their First Amendment rights are being irreparably harmed. The complaint says that the censorship has been applied system-wide across Pentagon schools, and is endangering children by preventing them from learning critical information about health, hygiene, biology, and abuse.

Mississippi Orders Deletion of Race and Gender Databases in State Libraries | The Guardian
The collections were stored in the Magnolia database, which is used by publicly funded schools, libraries, universities, and state agencies in Mississippi. Library commission says state ‘in dire shape’ and has ‘had a reconsideration of everything with regard to’ Doge. The commission’s executive director, Hulen Bivins, confirmed the deletion to the Guardian, and said, “We may lose a lot of materials.”

Pennsylvania District School Board Could Return Banned Books to the High School Library | The Philadelphia Inquirer [via MSN]
The Radnor Township (PA) School District school board is considering eliminating the ability for parents to formally challenge library books—and possibly restoring three books that were recently banned from Radnor High School in Wayne, PA—amid backlash over the district’s decision to remove books following a parent’s complaints. At a policy committee meeting for the district, some board members said they were interested in striking the district’s challenge policy, rather than revising it.

New Delaware Bill Addresses Attempts to Ban Books at Libraries | WDEL
A new bill is designed to curtail book banning in Delaware public libraries and public school libraries. House Bill 119 is known as the Freedom to Read Act. Public schools and libraries would be required to adopt policies in developing their collections that prohibit the removal of materials based on an author's background or for partisan, ideological, or religious objections. The legislation sets up a clear review procedure for challenging or removing materials.

Arkansas Senate Rejects Bill to Require School Librarians to Lock Materials Away from Kids | Arkansas Times
In a legislative session that has seen more than its share of bills targeting librarians and libraries, it was somewhat surprising that the Arkansas Senate voted down a bill that would have required librarians in public schools to keep certain “sexual” materials locked away from children in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Even more surprising, it was library foe Sen. Dan Sullivan who led Republican pushback against the bill. House Bill 1646  would require librarians in schools with K-5 students to “store non-age-appropriate sexual content … in a locked compartment within a designated area.” The bill defines “non-age-appropriate sexual content” as “any materials that include explicit instruction, promotion, or advocacy of sexual ideology, behaviors, or orientations that are not developmentally appropriate for kindergarten through grade five (K-5) students.”

Bill Restricting Explicit Books in Libraries Heads to North Dakota Governor’s Desk | KFYR
A bill impacting libraries in North Dakota passed and awaits Governor Kelly Armstrong’s signature despite the Appropriations Committee’s recommendation to defeat it. The bill states that any book deemed sexually explicit or obscene must be placed in an area not accessible to children. Libraries that fail to do so could lose their public funding or risk prosecution. It also requires that online resources provided through libraries be regulated to prevent minors from accessing anything considered adult material. Public and school libraries will now need to prepare for their implications.

Appeals Court Tosses Lawsuit to Ban ‘Pornographic’ Books from Michigan  District | Wood TV
A lawsuit filed against Rockford (MI) Public Schools (RPS) over 14 library books described as “sexually explicit” has been dismissed by the Court of Appeals. In the ruling, the State of Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the Kent County Circuit Court’s October 2023 dismissal of the lawsuit against RPS by a group called “Parents and Taxpayers Against Pornography in Rockford Public Schools.”