In a move that has sparked significant debate, the North Carolina House has passed a bill aimed at increasing parental control over the content available in public and charter school libraries. The legislation mandates the creation of "community library advisory committees" in each school district, composed of five parents and five school employees. These committees would review and recommend which books and materials should be approved or removed from school libraries.
Supporters of the bill argue that it empowers parents to protect their children from content they deem inappropriate, particularly materials with explicit sexual content. However, critics contend that the bill could lead to censorship and the removal of books that address important topics such as LGBTQ+ issues and racial history.
Under the proposed legislation, if ten parents, residents, or teachers object to a particular book, it would trigger a review by the advisory committee. Furthermore, the State Board of Education would be required to maintain a public database of all materials that have been rejected. Schools failing to comply with the committee's recommendations could face civil penalties.
The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
For more detailed information, you can read the full article here.
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