PEN America Comments on Federal Government Appointment in Response to School Book Bans
PEN America has been at the forefront of documenting and defending against the unprecedented rise of school book bans nationwide. Texas, Florida and Missouri lead with the most books banned currently.… More
Temporary Ruling to Halt Implementation of TX Law on Book Ratings is a Victory for the Freedom to Read
Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America, said: “We welcome this decision to temporarily halt the implementation of HB 900. This law, which forces private companies… More
Hunt to Identify Books with “Sexual Content” Empties Some Library Shelves in FL County as Schools Open
"Empty library shelves serve as a stark symbol of the dangers of government overreach: until now, library purges have been the province of communist dictatorships and authoritarian dystopias. Now… More
PEN America: “Appalling” and “Dangerous” Move by Florida to Cut AP Psychology Course
Freedom to Read Program Director Kasey Meehan said: “It is appalling but not surprising that Florida would attempt to gut a critical curriculum just weeks before school begins. This… More
Hundreds of Books Targeted for Removal in Iowa School District Over New ‘Age Appropriate” Law
“Our letter to Urbandale Community School District signals to district leaders and others across the state that ‘broad interpretations’ of vague laws threaten the freedom to read for students… More
Texas Law Requiring Book Ratings for “Sexual Relevance” in Schools Spurs Lawsuit
Jonathan Friedman, director, Free Expression and Education program, at PEN America, said: "This law is clearly an effort to intimidate publishers and police the circulation of ideas and information.… More
Wisconsin Teacher Fired for a Private Tweet: an “Extreme and Punitive Overreaction”
“I think it’s very confusing for kids, because we’ve come so far with the LGBTQ community, and we like to think that there’s less racism. We have a lot… More
‘Rainbowland’ Teacher Melissa Tempel Prepares Lawsuit
Melissa Tempel was fired after tweeting that her first-graders weren't allowed to sing 'Rainbowland.' Now she's speaking out. More
PEN America Rejects Calls to Cancel Venue for Moms for Liberty Conference in Philadelphia
Moms For Liberty play a central role in promoting efforts to ban books, to suppress ideas and information in schools, to erase LGBTQ+ identities from bookshelves and classrooms, and… More
PEN America Legal Filing Argues that Florida’s Stop WOKE Act is Unconstitutional
“Florida’s ‘Stop W.O.K.E.’ Act impedes the robust exchange of ideas that is foundational to our education system and our democracy,” said Kate Ruane, Sy Syms director of the U.S.… More