MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Book bans are gaining traction across the country. In Rutherford County, it's been a heated back-and-forth between the school board, parents, and other book lovers.
This week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, on behalf of three Rutherford County families and PEN America, has filed a lawsuit against the Rutherford County Board of Education.
The lawsuit comes after multiple school board meetings, heated debate, and the banning of more than 145 books from school libraries in the county, including fan favorites like "Wicked," "Beloved," and "Perks of Being a Wallflower."
The ACLU is asking the court to block the ban and return the books to the shelves, arguing Rutherford County students have the right to access information and ideas, and authors have the right to communicate those ideas without interference.
Opponents of the ban add that it removes novels which incorporate important themes concerning LGBTQ visibility and racism, and may hurt students who need access to the books.
"It's incredibly important for our public schools to educate our students to be respectfully open to other ideas," said Eileen Hershenov, the chief legal officer for PEN America, a free expression group standing up for authors.
She says Rutherford County Schools has restricted at least 53 books written by authors represented by PEN America.
"They wrote them with such love and care, to introduce them to students, and for many, many years, a lot of them report how many students and parents say, this book was incredibly meaningful to me, some of them even say it changed my life," she explained.
On the other hand, proponents have said they don't want anything considered obscene or inappropriate to be exposed to young students.
As of Thursday night, a spokesperson for Rutherford County Schools said, "We can’t comment on pending litigation, but we do plan to respond through the judicial process."
As the case moves forward, the ACLU is also asking the court to allow books to be back on the shelves in the interim.
A complete list of the books that have been banned by the Rutherford County Board of Education can be found here.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
