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
Additional Parents Join Lawsuit Against Book Bans in Florida’s Escambia County
"As a Black mother of two teenage girls, I know how important it is for our children to have access to books like The Freedom Writers Diary and Beloved,"… More
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
“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
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
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
New Report: 28% Rise in School Book Bans Over First Half of 2022-23 School Year
“The heavy-handed tactics of state legislators are mandating book bans, plain and simple,” said Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America. “Some politicians like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis… More
Expanded ‘Don’t Say Gay” Law in Florida is a “Flagrant Escalation” of Censorship in Schools, Says PEN America
Jonathan Friedman, director of Free Expression and Education Programs, released the following statement: "With this decision, the DeSantis administration and the Board of Education are continuing a frontal attack… More
Support for the freedom to read with exclusive designs by Todd Parr, Mike Curato, Art Spiegelman, and more!
