Tennessee House advances school book scrutiny bill
The Tennessee House has passed legislation that lets school boards deem books “obscene” and threatens to withhold education funding and slap public school librarians with criminal penalties if orders to remove them aren’t followed.
The House’s vote Monday shifts action in the Republican-supermajority Legislature to the Senate, where the bill’s fate is less certain after multiple delays. If someone disobeys the school board’s directive to remove a book, they could face a class A misdemeanor, or a class E felony if someone repeatedly doesn’t comply.
Book challenges and bans are on the rise in Tennessee and nationally as advocates call for more scrutiny over what is taught to students, particularly around racism, sexuality, and gender.
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