(NEW YORK) — The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision in Little v. Llano County reversing a preliminary injunction on book bans in the county’s library system. In response, Elly Brinkley, Staff Attorney for U.S. Free Expression Programs, issued the following statement:
“This astounding decision reveals either ignorance of the scale and danger of state censorship or deliberate indifference toward it. The record clearly shows that the government removed books based on politically-motivated viewpoint discrimination – a violation of constitutionally protected rights. The court’s embrace of the dangerous argument that the curation of library books constitutes “government speech” immunizes state censorship from First Amendment scrutiny, essentially giving the government free rein to exert ideological control over what citizens can read in their public libraries. At a time when censorship is running rampant at both state and federal levels, this opinion arms the government with a powerful new and fallacious weapon to erode the free exchange of ideas, a foundation of our democracy. It must be overturned.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Malka Margolies, [email protected], 718-530-3582