Firing of Georgia Teacher for Reading a Book that Promotes Inclusivity is “Shocking” and “Harmful,” Says PEN America
Jonathan Friedman, PEN America’s director of Free Expression and Education, said: "It is shocking that an educator would be terminated under this vague law for reading students a book… More
Student Policy at University of Buffalo Restricting Recognition of Certain Groups is Short Sighted and Shows the Ripple Effects of Censorship, Says PEN America
Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager of Free Expression and Education at PEN America, said in response: “This ruling is not only concerning as a form of retaliation against conservative students;… More
“Misguided and Chilling” Decision by CA School Board to Fire Superintendent, Following Removal of Textbook Over Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Rights History, Says PEN America
Allison Lee, director of PEN America’s Los Angeles office, made the following comments: “By firing Dr. McClay, the Temecula board has sent a chilling message to the ranks of teachers… More
PEN America Urges Missouri Schools to Keep the Holocaust Graphic Novel ‘Maus’ on Shelves
“We haven’t learned much from the past, but there's some things you should be able to figure out," Art Spiegelman told PEN America. "Book burning leads to people burning.… More
White House Announcement of Anti-Book Ban Coordinator Treats Crisis with Deserved Seriousness
PEN America’s Washington Managing Director Nadine Farid Johnson issued the following statement on Thursday: “The growing movement to ban books—especially books focused on the experiences of people of color and… More
PEN America Responds to Florida School District’s Offer to Remove LGBTQ Pages from Yearbook
"The campaign to erase LGBTQ+ identities in schools continues to reach new lows. What kind of message does it send to LGBTQ+ students and families that a superintendent would… More
Florida School District Pulls Amanda Gorman’s Widely-Praised “The Hill We Climb” from Library
“The Hill We Climb was widely praised after Amanda Gorman read it at President Biden’s inauguration. Today, access to the book has been limited for elementary students at a… More
PEN America Files Lawsuit Against Florida School District Over Unconstitutional Book Bans
“Children in a democracy must not be taught that books are dangerous. The freedom to read is guaranteed by the constitution,” said Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America. “In… More
“Breathtaking” Ohio Bill Would “Mandate” Censorship in State Universities and Colleges, Says PEN America
“SB 83 would not only legalize censorship in Ohio’s public universities, but would mandate it,” said Jeremy C. Young, Freedom to Learn program director. “SB 83 is the longest… More
Shut Down of Environmental Blog at U of Iowa After Lawmakers Reportedly Complained About It is “Profoundly Alarming,” Says PEN America
It is nothing short of a tragedy that Jones’ blog has been shut down for political reasons. More