Utah School District’s Reversal on Decision to Remove 52 Books From School Libraries Is an Important Step in Recognizing Students’ Speech Rights
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said: "At a board meeting this week, the Alpine School Board announced that they will not be… More
Florida School District Slaps Stigmatizing and Alarming Warning Labels on Books Deemed “Unsuitable” for Children
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said in response: “This alarming development is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks against students’… More
Banning of Non-English Dictionaries in Michigan Prisons Tramples on Fundamental Rights
"To punish a broad segment of the prison population is short-sighted, in addition to trampling on prisoners’ fundamental rights.” More
New Bill Politicizing Libraries in Kentucky is a Massive Alarm Bell for the Freedom to Read
Summer Lopez, Senior Director of Free Expression programs at PEN America, stated: "Though often unheralded as such, public libraries are the beating heart of democracy, making access to the… More
These 4 Florida Bills Censor Classroom Subjects and Ideas
These bills have been the subject of much public commentary, including an unfortunate amount of misinformation. To cut through the confusion, PEN America explains below the salient features of… 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
Educational Gag Orders: Legislative Restrictions on the Freedom to Read, Learn, and Teach
This report chronicles the alarming spread of legislative efforts in 2021 to constrict education on topics related to race, gender, and American history. More
PEN America Urges Illinois Prison Officials to Reverse ‘Troubling’ Decision to Remove 200+ Books in a Prison Library
"The fact that these removed books deal primarily with contemporary racial issues is, unfortunately, not a surprise to us,” said James Tager, Deputy Director of Free Expression Research and… More
House passes Freedom to Read Amendment
In a vote that sends a clear message to the Bush Administration that Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act needs to be amended to protect Americans' right to… More