In the News – MO Right to Read

Right to Read Coalition Applauds Court Ruling to Overturn Book Ban Law

The Jackson County Court judge’s ruling to strike down Missouri’s book ban law is a victory for the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. As a statewide coalition, representing 60,000 Missourians, we are especially pleased that this ruling affirms and respects the role of librarians to serve students in Missouri’s schools.
Here’s more information on the court ruling from the Kansas City Star

A Jackson County Circuit Court judge struck down a state law criminalizing school employees for supplying “sexually explicit material” to students, ruling it unconstitutionally vague and overbroad in a five-page decision on November 17.

Jenn Baldwin, president of the Missouri Association of School Librarians, championed the ruling in a statement on Wednesday, saying it restored librarians’ “ability to support students’ literacy without fear of arbitrary enforcement.”

The law threatened librarians or other school employees who violate it with a misdemeanor, risking up to a year in jail or a $2,000 fine. After it took effect, districts across the state pulled hundreds of titles from school libraries. The now-void law, passed by Missouri lawmakers in 2022, expanded the state’s regulations on pornography to create the offense of providing explicit sexual material to a student.

A Victory for the Freedom to Read

October 21, 2025 A federal judge ordered the Department of Defense to restore all books banned in five schools at U.S. military installations, a solid first step in a long road to restoring and protecting students’ freedom to read. Several executive orders from the White House were used as justification for removing almost 600 books from Department of Defense Education Activity schools. The Stop Censoring Military Families Act would reinstate books removed from all DODEA schools and protect against future censorship. Source: PEN America

For more information A Victory for the Freedom to Read, as Judge Orders Banned Books Returned to Shelves in U.S. Military Schools – PEN America

Since 2021, PEN America has documented nearly 23,000 book bans in the U.S. public schools, many targeting stories about race and racism, or books featuring characters of color.

Tell Congress to Fund America’s Libraries!

The Congressional committees in the House and Senate that decide the federal budget have included funding for library services in the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program in the Department of Education, in their latest bill drafts.

Since we can’t tell exactly what route Congress will take now to fund the government, it’s critical that library supporters like you urge them to include library funding in whatever version of their funding bills moves forward—and that we keep it up until it’s passed.

Please click here to urge your Congressmembers to include the drafted library funding provisions in their final budget for fiscal year 2026 (FY26)!

Tell Congress to Fund Libraries in FY26!

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Wyoming library director wins $700,000 after being fired for defending LGBTQ+ books

A former library director in Wyoming has won $700,000 in a settlement after she was fired for refusing to remove books containing content about sexual health and LGBTQ+ identities.

Terri Lesley, director of Campbell County Public Library, was removed from her position in July, 2023 after 27 years of service when the Campbell County library board voted four to one to fire her. The board had pushed for two years to convince Lesley to remove the collection of books, which some had claimed were inappropriate for minors.

Under the settlement, Lesley has agreed to drop her lawsuit against the state, though a separate lawsuit she has filed against the three individuals who challenged the books will move foward.

“I do feel vindicated. It’s been a rough road, but I will never regret standing up for the First Amendment,” Lesley said, via The Associated Press.