Bill to Charge Ohio Educators Would Combat ‘Obscene’ Classroom Books, Lawmaker Says | NBC4
An Ohio legislator says a bill to charge educators with felonies for handing out “obscene” materials is needed after substitute teachers saw books in the classroom “depicting actions that students don’t need to be seeing.” The legislation, House Bill 556, received a Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee hearing on Dec. 3 and would establish “criminal liability for certain teachers and librarians for the offense of pandering obscenity.” The bill would charge teachers and school librarians with fifth-degree felonies — punishable by a sentence of six to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500—for creating, reproducing, publishing, promoting, or advertising “obscene material.”

Under Pressure from Some Conservative Activists, New Hampshire Governor Pulls State Librarian Nominee | Concord Monitor
Governor Chris Sununu has withdrawn his choice for state librarian over concerns about the nominee’s public opposition to book censorship. In arguing against library restrictions, nominee Mindy Atwood was advocating a mainstream position held by many in her field, including the New Hampshire Library Association and American Library Association. The governor’s reversal demonstrates just how perilously divisive that stance has become for some conservative and religious groups. Those groups have focused their objections on books related to gender and sexuality.

New Policy at Minnesota District Puts Spotlight on Book Bans | KARE11
The school board at St. Francis (MN) Area Schools voted 4-3 to use Book Looks, which was started by a former member of Moms for Liberty.

Texas City Council Approves Library Board Nominee Amid Book Ban Concerns | KERA
The Denton City (TX) Council voted 5-2 to approve a controversial nominee to the Denton Library Board. Ellen Quinn Sullivan will serve a two-year term on the city’s library board, an advisory group that provides leadership for the library system and its three locations.

Vermont District Superintendent to Make Decision on Elementary School Curriculum Challenged by Parents | NBC5
The superintendent of the Addison Central School District in Middlebury, VT, will make a decision in January on whether to keep seven books in the Mary Hogan Elementary School’s kindergarten curriculum. This comes after the district received requests from at least two parents to have them removed in November. The titles include: They She He Me: Free to Be! by Maya Christina Gonzalez and Matthew Sg, Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder, It Feels Good to Be Yourself by Theresa Thorn,  Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton, Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman, and Fred Gets Dressed by Peter Brown.

As Children’s Book Bans Soar, Sales are Down and Librarians are Afraid. Even in California | Union-Bulletin
After years of culture war battles in school and public libraries, the campaign by conservative-leaning “parent rights” groups has succeeded in casting a nationwide chill over the market for children’s books they deem inappropriate, greatly diminishing sales and opportunities for authors to promote their work. Another impact is soft censorship and educators acting preemptively to avoid issue. Teachers and librarians, facing threats and fearful of losing their jobs or even going to jail in states that have passed laws criminalizing certain works, are hesitating to put controversial books that include LGBTQ+ characters or discussions of racism on their shelves.

Kansas District School Board Overrules Review Committee, Will Remove YA Book with Trans Character from Library| KCUR
The complaint against Lily and Dunkin in the Gardner Edgerton School District in Gardner, KS, came from one Johnson County parent who has repeatedly challenged books she finds objectionable. A special committee overwhelmingly recommended to keep the book in circulation, but the school board voted this week to remove it anyway. 

Tennessee School Board Removes 3 Books from Libraries, Restricts 2 Others | Williamson Herald
On Monday, Dec. 9, the Williamson County (TN) Board of Education held a specially called meeting to determine whether five books meet the standards of the state’s Age-Appropriate Materials Act or if they should be removed from schools across the district. Long discussions led to the removal of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Where the Crawdads Sing, while The Field Guide to the North American Teenager and Speak were restricted to certain grade levels.

Florida Groups Urge School Officials to Keep Anatomy, Other Health-Info-Related Books in School Libraries | Florida Phoenix
Several organizations critical of Florida’s restrictions on education materials are warning school officials against removing books that contain health information — even if that information has been removed from the health curriculum for middle school students. Four groups—the Florida Freedom to Read Project, PEN America, EveryLibrary, and the National Coalition Against Censorship—sent a letter to school superintendents and attorneys representing Florida’s school boards urging restraint when it comes to books that include topics such as anatomy, teen pregnancy, and sexual assault.

Alabama Library Hires New Director Amid Controversy Over Books | Alabama Political Reporter
The new library director will be stepping in at the Fairhope (AL) Public Library as it faces challenges to books included in its collection. The board voted to hire Robert Gourlay, assistant director since 2022, to replace outgoing director Tamara Dean, who announced her retirement earlier this year. The change in leadership comes as certain groups are challenging the leadership of the Fairhope library board and calling on the Fairhope City Council to make changes in hopes new board members would carry out their agenda.