SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KERO) — Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond sent a joint letter to all county school superintendents, district school superintendents, and charter school administrators cautioning against book bans.
The letter outlines educational civil rights and corresponding legal mandates school administrators are required to follow to preserve freedom and ensure access to diverse perspectives and curricula.
“In the first half of this school year alone, 1,477 books were banned nationally, with teachers and librarians threatened with prison time for shelving the wrong book,” said Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta, and Superintendent Thurmond in the statement. “As state leaders elected to represent the values of all Californians, we offer our response in one shared voice: Access to books – including books that reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of Californians, and especially, those that may challenge us to grapple with uncomfortable truths – is a profound freedom we all must protect and cultivate.”
Additionally, the joint letter informs local educational agencies that if they remove or ban materials from classrooms or libraries they may be requested to provide information to the attorney general’s office for analysis.
READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW:
Illegal Book Bans: Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta, and State Superintendent Thurmond Warn Against... by
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