04-04-2025
Judge: Elizabeth School District must return banned books to libraries during appeal process
DENVER (KDVR) — While the Elizabeth School District is working to appeal a ruling that prevents the district from removing books for expressed views from its libraries, a judge ruled that the banned books must be put back on the shelves while the trial plays out.
On Thursday, a U.S. district court judge for the District of Colorado announced that the school district needs to return the removed books to their libraries by 5 p.m. on Saturday.
This came after a U.S. District Court judge ruled the district must return all books it removed no later than March 25, which the district appealed.
Elizabeth School District facing further legal action regarding book ban
The Elizabeth School District argued to keep the books off the shelves during the appeal process; however, on Thursday, a judge ruled that the books must be put back by Saturday while the appeal is underway.
This court ruling stems from an ongoing effort by the district to remove several books from libraries. In August 2024, the Elizabeth School District 'temporarily' pulled 19 books from the shelves and adopted a 'sensitive topic protocol' due to the material in the books. This material includes LGBTQ+ topics and racial issues.
These books included:
'The Hate U Give,' Angie Thomas
'Thirteen Reasons Why,' Jay Asher
'Pride: Championing LGBTQ Rights,' Rebecca Felix
'You Should See Me in a Crown,' Leah Johnson
'It's Your World — If You Don't Like It, Change It,' Mikki Halpin
'The Kite Runner,' Khaled Hosseini
'Beloved,' Toni Morrison
'The Bluest Eye,' Toni Morrison
'The Perks of Being a Wallflower,' Stephen Chbosky
'Looking for Alaska,' John Green
'Nineteen Minutes,' Jodi Picoult
'Speak,' Laurie Anderson
'Identical,' Ellen Hopkins
'Fallout,' Ellen Hopkins
'Glass,' Ellen Hopkins
'Burned,' Ellen Hopkins
'Crank,' Ellen Hopkins
'Smoke,' Ellen Hopkins
'George,' Alex Gino
The district was sued in December 2024 after the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, representing two students in the Elizabeth School District and other stakeholders, claimed that the books were removed because they violated some 'school board members' partisan and political values.' The lawsuit claimed that removing the books violated the First Amendment.
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A U.S. District Court judge ruled in March that the district can't remove books if it 'disagrees with the views expressed therein or merely to further their preferred political or religious orthodoxy.' The judge ordered the district to lift the ban while it plays out in court, but the district appealed that ruling.
The district is still working to appeal this ruling, but for now, the books are ordered to go back on the shelves by Saturday.
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