ACLU of Wisconsin Takes Action Against Book Bans, Files Records Requests in Six School Districts

MILWAUKEE (Civic Media) – The people that want to ban books should be identified.  That’s the stance of the ACLU of Wisconsin.  They’ve filed open records requests with six school districts in Wisconsin, including Menomonee Falls, Howard-Suamico, Waukesha, Elmbrook, Elkhorn, and Kenosha Unified school districts. The requests seek information about the decision to ban books from school libraries. 

The ACLU says in a statement book bans have been implemented in response to pressure campaigns from extremist parent groups. School district officials in Menomonee Falls have stated that the books in question in that community are in violation of the district’s policies on sexual content and profanity. 

The ACLU of Wisconsin argues that removing books from school libraries threatens the First Amendment rights of students and their families. The Supreme Court has previously ruled that school boards cannot remove books from library shelves simply because they disagree with the ideas contained in those books .

In the statement from the civil rights group, they say they are particularly concerned about the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric accompanying many of these book-banning efforts, adding that LGBTQ+ youth already face higher rates of bullying, harassment, and mental health issues, and access to LGBTQ+ representation and information in books can be a source of support and understanding for them.

Grassroots Menomonee Falls, a group of concerned residents, has expressed their opposition to the book bans, stating that banning books closes the door to understanding and hinders the exploration of diverse perspectives and knowledge.

The records request is said to gather information about the book bans and find out more about those making the requests.