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SC 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, seeking to block enforcement of Regulation 43 and Weaver's March 14, 2025 memorandum.
- Earlier this year, Superintendent Ellen Weaver issued a March 14, 2025 memorandum that directs staff to align materials with her views and cites Regulation 43-170, which bars K–12 materials depicting 'sexual conduct' per Section 16-15-305.
- The State Board has required removal of 21 books from classrooms since June 2024, while Berkeley County School District blocked Discus access and Beaufort County School District requires parental permission for nine books.
- The lawsuit claims Regulation 43-170 and Weaver's memo violate students' First and Fourteenth Amendments, creating a chilling effect, with Dylan Rhyne stating `I hope that by taking action now, we can restore the safe and welcoming school environment I once knew and make things even better for those to come`.
- Advocates say the rule has produced the nation's largest state-mandated book ban tally, plaintiffs argue Regulation 43-170 omits the Miller v. California test, and removing Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie risks limiting access to Advanced Placement exam materials.
15 Articles
15 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…
scdailygazette.com
pmg-sc.comSC 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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