PEN America Reports Record 12,000 School Book Bans in Past Year, Led by Florida and Texas
A new study by PEN America reveals that nearly 12,000 school book bans occurred in public schools over the past year, marking the highest total since the organization began tracking removals five years ago. This report, titled 'Banned in the USA,' indicates that 7,370 individual works were affected, with over 4,500 appearing on the banned list for the first time. Stephen King was identified as the author whose works were most frequently withdrawn for the second consecutive year. The majority of these bans took place in Florida and Texas, states where restrictive laws have been enacted and where politicians and conservative activists have actively pushed for book removals. Themes of race, racism, sexuality, and gender identity remain the primary reasons for these challenges. PEN America also noted an increasing reliance on artificial intelligence by school district administrators to identify books for removal. The report coincides with 'Banned Books Week,' an annual event drawing attention to censorship eff...
