Conservatives Oppose Educational Gag Orders, Too
Casual observers of the recent wave of educational gag orders could be forgiven for thinking that views on this issue are perfectly polarized along ideological lines. Conservatives support these… More
Educational Gag Orders Seek to Enforce Compulsory Patriotism
Three New Bills Become Law in Florida, Mississippi, and South Dakota Monthly Roundup, March This post is part of a series from PEN America tracking the progress of educational gag orders… 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
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
Q and A with Assistant Principal Toby Price, Fired by MS School After Reading “I Need a New Butt” to 2nd Graders
Toby Price, an assistant principal in the Hinds County (MS) School District, was fired on March 4 after reading a book to a group of 2nd graders over Zoom.… More
PEN America Letter to Hinds County (MS) School District
To the Officials of the Hinds County School District, We write from PEN America, the literary and free expression human rights organization, to register alarm over your recent decision to… More
‘Alarming’ Suspension of Florida Student for Organizing Rally Against ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
This comes as Florida moves to ban discussions of LGBTQ+ identities in schools, and books about LGBTQ+ lives are being removed from Florida's school library shelves. Petocz's efforts to… More
PEN America Responds to Texas Lt. Gov. Statement on Tenure and Critical Race Theory For Faculty at Public Colleges
"This is a mortal threat to academic freedom that will undermine higher education in Texas," said Jeremy Young, senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America. "Patrick's… More
Educational Gag Orders Target Speech about LGBTQ+ Identities With New Prohibitions and Punishments
The effort to censor anti-LGBTQ identities in the classroom is expanding rapidly. More
Free Expression and LGBTQ+ Advocates Hold Media Briefing 2/14 on Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
On Monday, February 14 at 10:00 a.m. ET, PEN America will convene a virtual media briefing of LGBTQ+ and free speech advocates to discuss the “Don’t Say Gay” bill… More