Biden Admin Opens First-of-Its-Kind Civil Rights Probe Into Book Banning in Texas Schools

[cbabe]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/12/21/biden-admin-opens-first-its-kind-civil-rights-probe-book-banning-texas-schools

Biden Admin Opens First-of-Its-Kind Civil Rights Probe Into Book Banning in Texas Schools

"Granbury ISD's book ban is part of a statewide trend of school districts targeting their LGBTQ students," said the ACLU of Texas. "This trend is not only deeply harmful, but it's also unlawful."

JULIA CONLEY
December 21, 2022

The Biden administration is conducting a first-of-its-kind federal investigation into book banning by a school district, stepping up its response to nationwide right-wing attacks on LGBTQ+ people and the libraries and schools that seek to create a welcoming environment for the community.

"By choosing to open this investigation in response to our complaint, the federal government is signaling that remedying discrimination against LGBTQIA+ students is a top priority."

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has opened an investigation into Granbury Independent School District in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as NBC News, ProPublica, and The Texas Tribune first reported Tuesday.

The district was the subject of a complaint by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) earlier this year regarding school superintendent Jeremy Glenn's order that school librarians remove 130 titles from library shelves—"one of the largest mass book removals in the state," according to NBC News. Nearly 75% of the books that were flagged for removal had LGBTQ+ characters or plot themes, said the ACLU of Texas.

…more…

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. K & R!

[MagickMuffin]

2. Granbury is actually over 44 miles away from me

So, not really in the DFW area, but still a podunk town with podunk people. I spent some time there for various reasons.

[NullTuples]

18. It's the whole state; the AG sent out a list of books to all such libraries

The Granbury ISD Superintendent *really* took it to heart though and left a nice paper trail.

[ShazzieB]

31. I guess it depends on how the DFW area is defined.

I'm 50 miles from Chicago myself, but where I live is definitely part of the Chicago metro area.

In any case, whenever the media reports on a story in a small town most folks have never heard of, they often try to relate it to the nearest larger city that people will recognize.

[SheltieLover]

3. Excellent! 👏👏👏👏

[SunSeeker]

4. Nice to see we have a functioning Civil Rights office at DOE again.

Thank you, President Biden.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

9. Yes! Like most government agencies almost gone...the fascists now rage cause they needed more time.

Repair operations under way and nearing completion, I think….have to pry some job protected fascists from some spots they were installed into.

[gay texan]

5. Fifty bucks says

Some of the people behind this ban have a Grindr profile

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Yes let's have some First Amendment primacy in our land

[Alexander Of Assyria]

7. What a difference handing the sword back to the rule of law makes.

[SheltieLover]

20. Depends which side you're on.

Looks good to me!

[marble falls]

22. Me, too.

[SheltieLover]

23. Hi MF!

Happy Holidays!



Ps - you know how I'd vote!

[marble falls]

24. Happy Holidays! Pop corn roasting by an open fire! Can't wait.

[SheltieLover]

26. Thx, MF!

Have some...

[marble falls]

25. Things aren't looking too good for whom?

[SheltieLover]

27. Good question!

[LEW]

8. Good!!!

It's beyond time to fight back against this malarky!

[vlyons]

10. Book banning in not only about abti-LGBT ---

It's also about indoctrinating kids to never question authority. I'm a 75 yr senior, and I read a lot of those books when I was in high school. Yes I read everything from "Catcher in the Rye" to Darwin's "Origen of the Species." None of those books turned me into a communist or a terrorist or a lesbian or (thank goodness) a republican. But they did open the door to critical thinking.

[nightwing1240]

14. +1,000

It is great the President and this adminstration are helping the LGBTQ community but banning books is a non-starter for me as well. I have read a lot too over my life pretty much whatever I could get my hands on. Critical thinking is something our nation needs more than ever.

[SheltieLover]

21. Absolutely!

[Skittles]

28. OUTSTANDING reponse

[OldBaldy1701E]

33. BINGO! (n/t)

[Major Nikon]

11. ...

[Timeflyer]

34. Oh, love this--thanks for posting!

Wish every librarian in US could get this as a poster, t-shirt, coffee mug--dang!

[ismnotwasm]

13. Good.

[Uncle Joe]

15. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread cbabe

[ENO in 2024]

16. Lest we forgot

The dreaded CRT. This is about good old days racist doggie whistles, too. They'd just as soon their kids don't know how incredibly cruel and sadistic the truth is. History is so boring, they just don't need to know...... in good old Texas. Damn it we going to be bigger creeps than Florida.

[jaxexpat]

17. This is how we take these creatures down for all times.

Explain the importance in the concept of "Equal Protection" until it's as automatic, at the forefront of people's minds as the words to Mirandizement. Expose how the Republican's persistent means, methods and goals are the antithesis of any and all freedoms guaranteed in the constitution. It's so easy and will spread like wildfire over an electorate thirsting for plain truth. Spoken words so unambiguous that one feels their impact in the marrow of their bones.

Hell, it may even save the world.

[Captain Zero]

19. Those who would ban/burn books

Will also ban/burn people.

Think this is a paraphrase of a famous human.

[Skittles]

29. they want to pretend LGBTQ folk don't exist

I wish it was repukes who did not exist.

[AntivaxHunters]

30. Duplicate post

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217486071

[UTUSN]

32. K&R