Judge orders school district to return challenged books to shelves

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District agency located successful Palmer Alaska. May 30, 2024. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled successful favour of astir of nan American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska and Northern Justice Project’s lawsuit against nan Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District complete nan removal of challenged books from schoolhouse libraries.

Gleason ruled that each but 7 books — deemed to break authorities statute connected obscenity by an 11-member Library Citizens Advisory Committee — must beryllium returned to schoolhouse room shelves earlier schoolhouse starts connected Aug. 15.

Savannah Fletcher is simply a lawyer pinch nan Northern Justice Project, and represented nan 8 plaintiffs who sued nan territory including six students.

“What this injunction is astir is nan process, and she made very clear that immoderate benignant of process wherever you’re removing books earlier you’ve really reviewed them, that is decidedly worrisome and apt unconstitutional,” Fletcher said.

The territory removed 56 room books from shelves successful April of 2023 successful consequence to national complaints. After nan removal, a caller Library Citizens Advisory Committee began reviewing books past August, and vanished their reappraisal of each but 2 of nan disposable books this June. The committee recommended 7 beryllium removed from circulation altogether, and a spokesperson for nan territory said past period that 28 books had been returned to shelves.

The plaintiffs sued past November, and asked nan court successful January to return nan books to shelves until nan committee had vanished their review. Gleason granted that mobility connected Tuesday, stating that nan territory must return nan remaining books to shelves.

The lawsuit will still spell to proceedings successful April to find if Judge Gleason’s bid will beryllium permanent. That would barroom immoderate territory from removing books from schoolhouse libraries without pursuing a neutral process, and a defined clip play erstwhile books would beryllium reviewed by nan district. Fletcher said nan plaintiffs consciousness assured aft Gleason’s order.

“That is still seeking a imperishable uncovering that erstwhile we person each nan facts earlier Judge Gleason that she will reaffirm this is successful truth unconstitutional,” Fletcher said. “So that declaratory relief, conscionable making it clear moving forward, and that would past let a imperishable injunction that says you cannot proceed specified unconstitutional behavior, truthful that’s nan cardinal point we’re seeking astatine trial.”

The Mat-Su School District did not supply remark astir nan ruling for this story.

The 7 books that will enactment disconnected Mat-Su room shelves are You by Caroline Kepnes, Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman, Verity, Ugly Love and It Ends pinch Us by Colleen Hoover and A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah Maas.