US EditionSC students, librarians sue state superintendent over banning of books in public schools
The lawsuit claims Regulation 43-170 and a superintendent's memo have led to the largest state-mandated school book bans, restricting 22 books and violating constitutional rights.
- On Oct. 7, the ACLU SC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina on behalf of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians and three minor students, seeking to block enforcement of Regulation 43 and Weaver's March 14, 2025 memo.
- Earlier this year, Superintendent Ellen Weaver issued a memorandum on March 14, 2025 that directed staff to align materials with her views and prohibited 14 concepts from department materials.
- The State Board has required removal of 21 books from classrooms since June 2024, while Berkeley County blocked Discus access and Beaufort County now requires parental permission for nine books.
- The lawsuit says the policies violate students' First and Fourteenth Amendments, creating a 'climate of fear' that leads librarians to preemptively remove books, with Dylan Rhyne stating, 'I hope that by taking action now, we can restore the safe and welcoming school environment I once knew.'
- Advocates say the rule has produced the nation's largest state-mandated book ban tally, while the lawsuit argues Regulation 43-170 omits the Miller v. California obscenity test and removing Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie could harm access to Advanced Placement exam materials.
12 Articles
12 Articles
SC students, librarians sue state superintendent over banning of books in public schools
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) - Hundreds of public school librarians, alongside students, are suing the South Carolina Superintendent of Education over the state's enforcement of the banning of several books in public schools. The lawsuit comes months after the State Board of Education voted to add 10 more books to its list of state-mandated bans. 22 books are currently not available in public school libraries. This sparked legal action from the South…
SC rule barring books with ‘sexual conduct’ from K-12 schools is unconstitutional, lawsuit claims
A lawsuit claims a rule removing any books with "sexual conduct" from South Carolina libraries is unconstitutional. (File/Getty Images)COLUMBIA — A rule barring books containing “sexual conduct” from the school libraries in the state is unconstitutional, teachers and K-12 librarians are arguing in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. The state Board of Education has required teachers and school librarians to remove 21 books from classrooms and shelv…
Lawsuit filed in response to SC book ban decision
South Carolina public school librarians and students filed a lawsuit on October 7, challenging the state's book-banning regulation and a classroom censorship memo. The lawsuit targets Regulation 43-170, which bans materials depicting sexual conduct in public schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, and a memo from Superintendent Ellen Weaver that restricts certain educational concepts. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of South Caro…
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