New Jersey Governor Enacts Law to Protect School Library Books from Removal

December 10, 2024 TruthUSA

A group advocating for parents’ rights has labeled the law as grandstanding and contested the idea that book bans are occurring across the country.

On Monday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy enacted a law aimed at prohibiting what he refers to as book censorship in educational institutions.

The legislation, known as the Freedom to Read Act, asserts that students have the right to “explore and engage with diverse viewpoints,” emphasizing the critical role of school and public libraries in fostering intellectual freedom, providing equitable access to educational resources, and supporting democracy by serving all individuals.

“We have witnessed efforts nationwide to suppress and censor the narratives and experiences of others,” stated Murphy, a member of the Democratic Party.

“I am proud to amplify the voices of our past and present, as reading freely is the best preparation for our children’s future.”

The new law mandates the creation of a review system to address library content concerns while offering legal protections against civil and criminal lawsuits for staff who adhere to the law.

The American Library Association (ALA) reported that from January to August 2024, there were 414 attempts to restrict content in libraries, a decrease from 2023’s total of 694 attempts.

Despite the decrease, the number of attempts still surpasses the pre-2020 figures, according to the ALA.

Numerous states are conducting investigations into school libraries regarding the availability of books containing sexual content.

In 2023, the attorney general’s office of Louisiana published an audit of school library collections that concluded children had access to materials deemed age-inappropriate.

Among the titles included in the report are “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel; “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe; “Blankets” by Craig Thompson; and “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison.

These works depict explicit sexual acts, with “Gender Queer,” “Fun Home,” and “Blankets” featuring graphic illustrations of sexual activities involving minors.

Then-Attorney General Jeff Landry, who is currently the governor of Louisiana, did not advocate for banning these books but suggested a system where parents could select and approve the books their children borrow from the library.

Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the parental rights group Moms for Liberty, condemned the New Jersey law as mere political theater and countered the claims of widespread book banning.

“No one is banning any books,” she told The Epoch Times. “You can write, print, publish, sell, and place the book in a public library. Our focus here is on school libraries.”

She emphasized that children should not have unrestricted access to the internet at school, nor should they be exposed to books with graphic sexual content.

Justice also criticized the legislation for diverting attention from significant issues, such as declining reading proficiency rates across the United States.

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