Book Banning In Walton County Based On Misleading “Porn In Schools Report” Illustrates Alarming Influence Of Fringe Groups On Educational Censorship
School districts like Walton are letting bigoted, unfounded claims dictate access to literature for all Last week, reports circulated that Walton County School District in Florida decided to remove a… More
Banned in the USA: Rising School Book Bans Threaten Free Expression and Students’ First Amendment Rights
PEN America has collated an Index of School Book Bans, offering a snapshot of the trend of decisions to ban books in school libraries and classrooms in the United… More
Educational Gag Orders In Your Community: A Tip Sheet for Changing the Conversation
Here are a few steps you can take to help change the conversation about educational gag orders in your community. More
Florida Bill Would Let Parents and Citizens Challenge Any Book Used in Schools
"HB 1467 has been touted as a measure to increase school transparency," said Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America's Free Expression and Education program, "but the real aim is… More
Mississippi Principal Fired for Reading a Book to Second Graders Should be Reinstated
The letter to the Hinds County School District said the firing of Assistant Principal Toby Price from Gary Road Elementary School on March 4 was “an extreme disciplinary action,… More
SIGN NOW: Hinds County Schools, Reading Is Not a Crime
We object to the idea that reading a children's book shouldn't be the cause for a teacher's firing in Mississippi. More
Dohle Book Defense Fund Established to Combat Rising Threats to Free Speech and Open Discourse
The Dohle Book Defense Fund will boost PEN America’s initiatives to educate the public, partner with local community groups to advocate against censorship, track and expose the egregious assaults on… More
Open Letter to the School Board of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
PEN America urges the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District not to pass the “Resolution Opposing the Teaching of Critical Race Theory.” More
How to Fight Book Bans: A Tip Sheet for Students
How can students mobilize and respond to book bans? This guide will help you fight back against book bans and build a stronger community of readers and advocates in… More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
Consultants for Florida Power & Light, the largest electric utility in the US, conducted surveillance on a Jacksonville journalist. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/24/a-florida-power-company-didnt-like-a-journalists-commentary-its-consultants-had-him-followed?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
#CUBA: PEN International, @PENamerica and @PENCubaExilio condemn “cruel and inhumane” prison sentences imposed without “legal merit” on Cuban artist-activists Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez: https://pen-international.org/news/prison-sentences-for-luis-manuel-and-maykel-osorbo-condemned @PEN_LAC
