The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) filed two complaints against Cobb County School District in Georgia and Collier County Public School District in Florida on May 13. The NWLC claimed these school districts have broken rules about fair treatment in education. These rules prevent discrimination based on sex, race, color, and nationality.

Book Removal Prompts Civil Rights Complaint

The complaint followed the removal of four books from district media centers due to their inappropriate content, as Cobb County School Superintendent Chris Ragsdale ordered. In 2023, the district intended to eliminate 25 books from its libraries. Ragsdale stated that protecting children from age-inappropriate and explicit sexual material is 'a battle between good and evil' during the meeting where he announced the book's removal.

The complaint calls to investigate potential racial and sexual discrimination in Georgia's second-largest school district. The NWLC interviewed Cobb County students, discussing how recent book removals from district libraries have impacted them and emphasizing student concerns voiced in recent public meetings.

The complaints also highlight situations in which teachers faced 'intimidation' and 'disciplinary action' for providing these books to students. The NWLC wants to make schools more welcoming and helpful so all students can find people like them in their learning.

In their complaint, the NWLC requested that the school districts restore banned books that feature LGBTQIA+ individuals and people of color, refrain from removing such books in the future, establish clear policies and a commitment to 'safe, inclusive, and supportive campuses free from discrimination' in their mission statements, ensure students understand how to report incidents of harassment and discrimination, and amend policies and practices that contribute to a hostile environment for LGBTQIA+ students and students of color.

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Censorship and Discrimination

Hunter Iannucci, Counsel for Education and Workplace at the NWLC, stated that the censorship of inclusive books in Cobb and Collier County School Districts is part of a nationwide trend driven by extremists. This trend seeks to erase the representation of students of color and LGBTQIA+ students, hindering all students from learning accurate history and understanding their experiences.

The NWLC claimed that the actions of the Cobb County School District specifically target LGBTQIA+ students and students of color, making them feel 'unwelcome and unsafe' by suggesting their identities and experiences are 'inappropriate or unacceptable.'

Josia Klein, Counsel for Education & Workplace Justice at the NWLC, emphasized that student testimonies revealed these book bans created a hostile environment, particularly for students of color and LGBTQIA+ students. Klein urged the Office for Civil Rights to take swift action to ensure Cobb and Collier County schools provide a supportive and inclusive educational environment where all students can see themselves reflected in their reading and learning materials.

In response to the civil rights complaint, a representative from the Cobb School District contended that the repetition of an inaccurate story did not validate it and justified their actions as safeguarding minors from sexually explicit material without indicating which political candidate was mentioned.

Ragsdale clarified that removing specific books from library shelves was not considered a book ban but a precautionary measure to shield children from material deemed age-inappropriate and sexually explicit.

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