Censorship

Award-winning authors and two Utah high school students say the law that has banned 22 books in all Utah public schools violates their First Amendment rights.

Twenty-two books are now banned in Utah K-12 schools. In addition to “Wicked,” the popular young adult novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Nineteen Minutes” were also added to the ban list.

In January, the Utah State Board of Education said students could not bring banned books to campus — even their own copies. But after more legal review, the board is reversing course.

Young Adult author Ellen Hopkins is the second-most-banned author statewide in Utah schools. It’s a distinction she’d prefer not to have.

Ivory’s news conference at the Utah State Capitol featured educators and clergy, and showed attendees passages from books banned statewide in schools.

The Utah State Board of Education will send out a list by Aug. 5 of any books that need to be removed from public schools statewide under the new law.

Across the country, book bans and attempted bans have soared to the highest levels in decades.

Lawmakers have passed HB29, which updates Utah’s sensitive materials law and allows for books to be banned statewide.

Some of the proposed changes would allow schools to remove some books quicker and without the input of parents. It would also allow certain books to be banned statewide.

Utah lawmakers continue to criticize the Davis School District for banning the Bible in some schools, and vocal support is growing for revising Utah’s “sensitive materials” law.

Rep. Ken Ivory said he wants school districts to vote in a public meeting before any books are banned.

Several of the books that the Alpine School District removed are among the most challenged books of 2021, according to the American Library Association.