Back to school shouldn't mean back to censorship.

ACLU <[link removed]>

ACLU Supporter, it's that time of year again. Summer is coming to an end, students and teachers are returning to the classroom – and local and state government officials are still trying to ban books from school classrooms and library shelves, attempting to dictate what students can and cannot learn in the classroom.

To better understand who these censorship attempts harm and how young people are being impacted, we spoke to high school students from across the country – you can get the scoop from the students themselves right now. <[link removed]>

What Students Think About Classroom Censorship <[link removed]>

Instead of defending students' right to learn, lawmakers are attacking it. They're pushing bills, regulations, and processes that would mean banning some of the most popular books in history; silencing discussion of race, gender, sexuality, or other concepts they consider "divisive"; and punishing teachers who try to provide an accurate accounting of America's long history of racism and sexism.

But these topics shouldn't be divisive, ACLU Supporter. Systemic racism and the fight for LGBTQ rights are things that students themselves experience every day. Censoring classroom discussions or pulling books from library shelves won't protect students – it just leaves them without access to essential education and resources.

The ability to discuss and debate ideas – even ones we might find uncomfortable – is a critical part of our democracy, and nowhere is that core principle more important than in schools.

The ACLU knows that students don't lose their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate. That's why we and our affiliates have been fighting to block these unconstitutional attacks on students' rights. And we're not done – while we defend against attempts to undermine the First Amendment at the state and local level, we're continuing to push Congress to pass a law that would help school districts fight these dangerous bans.

We'll be in touch soon with more ways you can help protect our students' rights – thank you for fighting alongside us.

Thanks for sticking with us,

The ACLU Team

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