Utah students can no longer bring banned books to school

[thewayne]

The books are still available in book stores and online, etc., and ownership is not prohibited, but there's a troubling line in the state code that "...explicitly states, “Sensitive materials are prohibited in the school setting.”"

Suggestions in the Library Reddit include fake book covers, and of course reading ebooks would make it a bit difficult to be tapped out by a school official, or simply setting up an after-school club to read and discuss the books off of the school grounds.

They briefly got the Bible banned, I don't know if they tried to get the Book of Mormon banned. I've never read it, I have no idea if it's nearly as juicy with questionable content as the Bible is. The State Board's Library Media Specialist is saying that they're not conducting backpack and locker searches, but if a student is caught reading a banned book the teacher should 'gently' tell them the book is not permitted on school property and that they should take it home and not bring it back.

https://www.kuer.org/education/2025-01-21/utah-students-can-no-longer-bring-personal-copies-of-banned-books-to-school

Comments

[ranunculus]

That is an excellent way to make banned books really popular with the student set.
Don't get me started with the hypocrisy of school officials.

[ndrosen]

Yep.

[gingeriana]

... and ownership is not prohibited YET

give them some time, they have at least four years

[thewayne]

Hopefully we'll be settled in another country by then.

[disneydream06]

I say ban religious books, it's only fair. :o :o :o
Hugs, Jon

[silveradept]

Given that it only takes three districts to put a book on the statewide exclusion list, I won't be surprised if there are an entire cohort of students who keep deliberately bringing banned books to school and distributing them to others to spite such a foolish rule.

[thewayne]

I hope so!