A new Missouri law that targets child sex trafficking and sexual assault also includes what critics are calling a “book ban,” which limits the kinds of reading materials that teachers can assign to kids. The date of implementation is August 28.
Many different novels have recently faced legal challenges or have been outlawed in some places for a variety of reasons, including discussions of race and racism or allusions of gender or sexuality that were deemed “explicit” or “obscene.” Republicans frequently take the helm in the campaign to impose restrictions on these books.
The anti-trafficking bill, SB 775, was introduced in Missouri by state senator Holly Thompson Rehder, a Republican, and state senator Jill Schupp, a Democrat. Republican state senator Rick Brattin introduced the proposal that targets books.
The majority of the legislation is devoted to preventing child sex trafficking, modernizing the state’s Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, and creating the Statewide Council on Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children.
In a statement, Rehder said that these clauses “reflect common decency and concern for the dignity of the victim” and that the legislation’s goal is to “ensure justice is done” in such situations.
Rehder said in a statement regarding the bill, “Survivors should expect to get a proper forensic examination, and to be kept aware of the status of the evidence obtained as the case proceeds.” “Survivors should anticipate receiving reasonable protection from the offender and being free from intimidation, harassment, or abuse.”
However, a legislative modification now makes it unlawful for teachers and librarians to give minors access to “sexually explicit literature.” A class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, may be charged if someone connected to an elementary or secondary school gives a pupil what is deemed explicit sexual material.
According to Brattin, who added the modification, the law safeguards students.
“We’ve seen this filthy and improper stuff making its way into our classrooms in schools around the country,” Brattin said in a statement. “Some schools are battling parents to defend this garbage, refusing to see it as the threat it is. Schools are the last place where our kids should be exposed to porn.” He didn’t provide any instances of the kind of content he was alluding to.
Although the American Library Association claims that the practice of outlawing books is nothing new, in 2021 there were more than 729 attempts to outlaw 1,597 different books. The increase in state book bans last year was discussed by Deborah Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, in an interview with CBS News.
According to Stone, explicit writings frequently “mirror the experiences of LGBTQIA persons and families.” She claimed that while not exactly fitting the definition of “obscene” or “pornographic,” they are frequently labeled as such.
She remarked, “There is usually an audience for the books and often they are sorely needed. You might not be the audience; your child might not be the audience.
According to Stone, censorship that restricts the reading of a particular book violates the First Amendment rights of library patrons. Every parent has the right to voice reservations about a book, she added. The freedom to petition is covered by the First Amendment as well, she added.
A “reconsideration policy” should be in place that asks petitioners if they have truly read the book in its entirety and what the foundation of their complaint is, Stone added. ALA urges libraries and school boards to listen to complaints about books.
The Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL) urged school librarians to plan for book difficulties and become familiar with the new law’s terminology. On the basis of the new law, librarians are also encouraged to speak with their boards of education about school library products.
Inquiries about the Missouri statute have been made to ALA and MASL, and CBS News is awaiting a response.
In the past, MASL has fought against book bans, sending a letter to the president of the Independence, Missouri, school board in July after the book “Cats vs. Robots Volume 1: This is War” was prohibited in the local school system.
The organization stated, “We are worried that decisions to delete or restrict could undermine the students’ ability to pursue inquiry and access information, as well as the trust that children and their families have in the schools they attend.” As cis/heterosexual children gain from perspectives from non-binary characters that help them empathize with and understand the broader scope of human experience, LGBT+ students need access to authentic representations of Queer experience to provide context for growing up in a largely “straight” society.
In order to find out how various school districts are reacting to the new law, CBS News has contacted them. A Nixa Public Schools representative said: “The effect the new law will have on any items in our district is now being examined. On a case-by-case basis, we will assess the materials as queries from parents or staff are raised.”
Senators Brattin, Rehder, and Schupp of the Missouri state legislature have also been contacted by CBS News; a response is awaited.