Overview:
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has dismissed 11 book removal complaints, rescinded related guidance, and ended investigations into claims that removing age-inappropriate or explicit materials from school libraries violates civil rights laws.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced on Friday that it has dismissed 11 complaints about removing certain books from school libraries. The complaints alleged that local school districts created a hostile environment for students by eliminating materials deemed age-inappropriate, sexually explicit, or obscene. OCR also announced it has rescinded department guidance suggesting that such actions could violate civil rights laws and will no longer investigate similar complaints.
As part of this shift, OCR has eliminated the position of “book ban coordinator,” a role created under the Biden Administration to address concerns over limiting student access to certain books. Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor stated the changes aim to restore local control over education, emphasizing that parents and school boards are best positioned to decide on school library materials.
“By dismissing these complaints and eliminating the position and authorities of a so-called ‘book ban coordinator,’ the department is beginning the process of restoring the fundamental rights of parents to direct their children’s education,” Trainor said. He added that OCR will no longer second-guess local decisions about library content, which he described as a matter of parental and community judgment rather than a civil rights issue.
Review of Pending Cases
The department’s decision follows a review initiated by incoming OCR leadership on Jan. 20, 2025. Attorneys determined that the complaints—17 in total, including six still pending—were not about book bans but school districts implementing processes to evaluate and remove age-inappropriate materials.
In response to the dismissal of complaints, several stakeholders expressed frustration against censorship.
“Authors Against Book Bans unequivocally stands against all such attempts at censorship and discrimination. We stand with families, students and educators across the country who exercise free speech every time they open a book, and with the 71% of Americans who are opposed to book bans,” they said in a press release. “Book bans do not protect children; history teaches us that they are a terrifying step toward tyranny.”
One case highlighted in the review involved a 2022 complaint against Forsyth County School District in Georgia. The complaint, which alleged violations of Title IX and Title VI, claimed the district’s removal of eight books with sexually explicit content created a hostile environment. While regional OCR staff initially recommended dismissing the complaint, leadership under the Biden Administration overruled that decision. The district must adopt a resolution agreement promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles. OCR has since terminated the deal and related obligations.
Policy Shift Under New Leadership
In June 2023, then-President Biden introduced the “book ban coordinator” role within OCR to deter schools from limiting student access to specific books, arguing that such restrictions could contribute to a hostile environment. The initiative drew criticism from those who viewed it as federal overreach into local education matters.
OCR’s new leadership under the Trump Administration has rejected this approach, asserting that the concerns raised in the complaints are outside the scope of civil rights laws. Instead, the office has underscored the principle of local control in public education, signaling a return to traditional governance structures prioritizing parental and community discretion.
The dismissal of the complaints and the termination of related oversight marks a significant shift in federal education policy, reflecting a broader effort by the current administration to roll back initiatives tied to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts in schools.
According to the American Library Association, between January 1 and August 31, 2024, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 414 attempts to censor library materials and services. In those cases, 1,128 unique titles were challenged.
The most challenged books and reasons for challenges are as follows:
- Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
- Number of Challenges: 106
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content claimed to be sexually explicit
- All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
- Number of Challenges: 82
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content claimed to be sexually explicit
- This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson
- Number of Challenges: 71
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- Number of Challenges: 68
- Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, rape, drugs, profanity
- Flamer by Mike Curato
- Number of Challenges: 67
- Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content claimed to be sexually explicit
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- Number of Challenges: 62
- Reasons: Rape, incest, claimed to be sexually explicit, EDI content
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews(tie)
- Number of Challenges: 56
- Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity
- Tricks by Ellen Hopkins(tie)
- Number of Challenges: 56
- Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs, rape, LGBTQIA+ content
- Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
- Number of Challenges: 55
- Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, sex education, LGBTQIA+ content
- Sold by Patricia McCormick
- Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, rape
- Number of Challenges: 53