Book Bans, Student Rights, and a Fractured Supreme Court Ruling | Retro Report

Learn about a fight over censorship in school libraries, and discuss the different angles of who should decide which books belong in school libraries. In the 1970s, high school student Steven Pico challenged his Long Island, N.Y., school board after it removed books, including “Slaughterhouse-Five” and “Down These Mean Streets,” from his school library. Pico argued that the removals violated students’ First Amendment rights, and his lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court in 1982.

In recent years, there has been a debate about the content of books in school libraries and the materials used in classrooms. Some parent groups and political leaders have raised concerns about how the United States is represented or about the presence of material they consider inappropriate for students. Other parent groups and political leaders argue that students should have access to a broad range of perspectives and that restrictions should be limited. Students learn about the history and decide for themselves.