SC House Dems call for amendments to public schools’ book banning process
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — In a press conference Wednesday morning, House Democrats said they’re introducing a bill that would make amendments to South Carolina’s current process for banning books in public schools.
Led by Rep. Heather Bauer, lawmakers say the “Freedom to Read Protections and Respect for School Library Media Specialist Autonomy Act” would allow school librarians and media specialists to make autonomous decisions about book selections in good faith, while protecting them from intimidation or harassment from parents.
“This legislation really is about protecting and having the backs of librarians across our state,” says Bauer.
Through the state’s current law known as Regulation 43-170, a total of 11 books have been banned from public schools since the beginning of 2024. (For a list of the 11 books, see bottom of article)
“770,000 plus students lost access to books that one parent complained about, and that just feels very un-American,” says Mary Foster, with the group “Families Against Book Bans” out of Beaufort, SC.
Advocates says the act upholds a student’s constitutional rights to access diverse and “developmentally appropriate” literature, giving them new perspectives and the ability to develop critical thinking and empathy.
“At the same time, this bill also respects the rights of individual parents. The rights of the parents to decide what is okay for their child to read, without having a viewpoint, one view point, dictate what all the students in South Carolina are allowed to access in our schools,” says Katherine Freligh, Legislative Chair for the SC Association of School Librarians.
The bill calls to establish a review committee within each school district to address any book in question, while keeping the book on the shelves until it’s gone through the entire review process.
“It seems many have forgotten the purpose of a library, which in a nutshell is to provide access to a wide range of resources, applicable to curriculum standards and student interests, develop information literacy skills, and foster a love of reading not fear of it. Reading is not a crime, neither is providing materials that are developmentally relevant and appropriate,” says Karen Gareis, a librarian, parent, and retired Navy Veteran from Bluffton.
In response, a spokesperson for the SC Department of Education says, “Superintendent Weaver will never waver from her conviction that schools are no place for sexually-explicit material and that children must be protected from harmful content. The collaborative process she’s led with the State Board of Education is doing just that – and she will work to ensure those efforts continue.”
Should the bill pass, it would go into effect in July of 2026.
The following 11 books have been banned in SC public schools:
“All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson
“Flamer” by Mike Curato
“Push” by Sapphire
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
“A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas
“Damsel” by Elana Arnold
“Normal People” by Sally Rooney
“Ugly Love” by Colleen Hoover