Education
BY JOANNE BACH, ANGELA BONILLA & TRAVIS DUONG
Greater Houston-area school districts see surge in banned books since 2021
A closer look
Out of the total 267 books banned over the past two school years, several books have been banned across multiple school districts.
School districts across Texas—including in the Greater Houston area—have experienced a rise in book bans and challenges since 2021. Free speech organization PEN America has tracked over 1,500 book bans in the state from July 2021 to December 2023, according to the organization’s report “Banned in the USA: Narrating the Crisis.” State legislation has been increasing its pressure on school libraries, said Shirley Robinson, executive director of the Texas Library Association, which comprises more than 6,000 libraries. House Bill 900, passed by the state Legislature in 2023, prohibits schools from purchasing or displaying “sexually explicit material,” including books, per the bill text. In January, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a portion of the bill requiring library vendors to rate materials, but upheld the Texas State Board of Education’s role in creating new library standards. “Librarians and district staff are spending inordinate amounts of time and money answering [Freedom of Information Act] requests and responding to many requests for reconsideration, instead of working with teachers and students,” Robinson said. Supporters of book removals—such as Moms for Liberty, a parent-empowerment organization with chapters in Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Montgomery counties—have said they believe the new requirements protect students from inappropriate material. “There are numerous titles that have been found on school shelves in Harris County that are
Greater Houston-area school district book bans, 2022-24
Most frequently banned books
Banned in four districts
Conroe ISD
160
“What Girls Are Made Of” by Elana K. Arnold
Cy-Fair ISD 2
Banned in three districts
Banned in two districts
Humble ISD 2 Fort Bend ISD 10
“A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah J. Maas “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe
“This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
Katy ISD
25
SOURCES: LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Lamar CISD
65
Spring ISD 3
What they’re saying
Alvin, Clear Creek, Friendswood, Houston, Klein, Montgomery and Pearland ISDs reported no books banned in their districts from 2022-24.
“Important voices and viewpoints are being silenced, and student learning is negatively impacted.” SHIRLEY ROBINSON, TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NOTE: TOMBALL ISD DID NOT RESPOND TO REQUESTS FOR DATA. SOURCES: LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
inappropriate for minors due to sexually explicit content,” said Denise Bell, chapter chair of Moms for Liberty Harris County. Out of 15 school districts Community Impact covers across the Greater Houston area, seven have recorded book removals over the past two school years.
“Schools should focus on providing quality, age-appropriate literature and increasing literacy rates.” DENISE BELL, MOMS FOR LIBERTY HARRIS COUNTY CHAPTER CHAIR
Zooming in
process. At an Aug. 20 meeting, trustees discussed the need for future action because several books removed from shelves were needed for AP courses, but no action was taken. “When it came to looking at our current policy, we saw that our AP and college board courses ... we are limited our students’ access to some of those books [required for the courses],” trustee Theresa Wagaman said.
specialist then appoints a review committee made up of at least one librarian and at least one teacher who is familiar with the material’s content. When a decision is made, the book will either return to the library shelves or be removed, according to the district. As of Aug. 30, the district listed 17 books as having received formal reconsideration requests, while over 100 were listed as having been part of an informal reconsideration
The Conroe ISD board of trustees adopted its current policies for instructional materials and library books in August 2022, establishing a system for formal review of library materials. The policy, which has been discussed at board meetings over the last two years amid numerous book challenges, allows parents to challenge books for reconsideration. The formal review of library materials begins with a written request. The district library
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CONROE - MONTGOMERY EDITION
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