The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, the attorney general Rob Bonta and the state superintendent Tony Thurmond They sent a joint letter to all county school superintendents, district school superintendents, and charter school administrators warning against banning books in California.
The letter outlines relevant educational civil rights and corresponding legal mandates that school administrators must follow to preserve freedom and ensure access to diverse perspectives and curricula.
“In the first half of this school year alone, 1,477 books were banned nationwide, and teachers and librarians were threatened with prison time for shelving the wrong book,” Newsom, Bonta and Thurmond said.
"As state leaders elected to represent the values of all Californians, we offer our response in one shared voice: Access to books – including books that reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of Californians, and especially those that can challenge us to grapple with uncomfortable truths – is a profound freedom that we must all protect and cultivate," they stressed.
The joint letter sent Thursday highlights case law and constitutional precedents that restrict the removal of books from libraries and schools; the responsibilities of school administrators to expose students to diverse worldviews; and legal mandates that require school administrators to provide unbiased curriculum to students and preserve freedom of expression.
It also informs local educational agencies that if they remove or ban educational materials from classrooms or libraries, they may be required to provide information to the Attorney General's Office for review.
You may be interested in: Affirmative Action: a necessary policy for diversity in education
