(The Center Square) — New Hampshire Republicans are advancing a proposal that would authorize citizen-led efforts to ban books and other “inappropriate materials” from the state’s public schools.
The legislation, which passed the GOP-controlled state House of Representatives last week, would create a new process for banning books in New Hampshire schools by allowing parents and other individuals to file complaints challenging specific titles in libraries they believe are inappropriate. The measure was approved by a 183-148 party-line vote, with Democrats opposing it.
Under current law, local school boards and committees have oversight of book complaints, which are reviewed by school administrators who ultimately decide whether a title is removed from the shelves.
Backers of the plan argue they’re not looking to ban books but are pushing back against what they see as an inappropriate focus on social issues and emotional learning over a traditional education, and the introduction of sexually explicit books in middle and high school libraries.
“This is not a banning of books,” the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Glenn Cordelli, R-Tuftonboro, said in remarks. “It is about making sure that our children, your children, have books that are age appropriate.”
Public schools would be required to respond to parent complaints within 10 school days under the proposal. If the parent doesn’t agree with the principal or school board’s decision on a complaint, they could file an appeal to the state Board of Education. The seven-member board, appointed by the governor and Executive Council, would have the final say about which books are banned.
The bill specifically lists materials they deem “harmful” to minors, including nudity, sexual conduct, sadomasochistic abuse, as well as other “patently offensive” subject material that lacks “value” to students.
The debate over the measure comes amid a nationwide uptick in “book challenges” by parent groups, conservative organizations and lawmakers across the country who are pushing to remove certain books in schools and libraries, especially those dealing with LGBTQ and racial themes.
Book bans nearly tripled during the 2023-2024 school year, according to PEN America, a nonprofit group that tracks book banning nationwide. The group says more than 10,000 books were banned in public schools in the previous school year.
Critics argue that efforts to ban books are being driven largely by racism and homophobia, and are harming students and stifling free speech, with many of the challenges focusing on titles with themes of race, sexuality and gender identity.
The New Hampshire chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said the proposal would “undermine our right to education by throwing open the floodgates to ban books based on personal preference and encourage self-appointed censors, including the state board of education, to impose their beliefs on all Granite State families.”
“Students have a right to learn from a diverse range of materials — including library books by and about marginalized communities — and we must support that right,” the ACLU said in a statement.
But conservative groups claim public and school libraries are being infiltrated by left-wing groups who want to push a radical agenda on youth. They say parents should have more control over the titles their children have access to in public schools, particularly when it comes to sexually explicit material.
