The Next Books Targeted in South Carolina

One parent's complaints lead to more books being considered for state-wide ban

On Election Day, the State Department of Education in South Carolina banned seven books from every single public school in the state. It’s state-sanctioned censorship and follows the footsteps of similar state banning schemes like those in Utah. But unlike the law in Utah where books are only considered for the ban list if they’re banned in three school districts in the state, in South Carolina, anyone can file a complaint against a book and/or the state can choose the titles they wish to put on trial. There’s no standard, no metrics, and no procedure. It’s a free for all.

That’s why even more books are on tap for review next week.

Three books have been brought to the state for banning consideration by one individual: Emily Clement. Clement submitted complaints to the State Department of Education’s Instructional Materials Review Committee (IMRC), who will review the titles on November 21. Those decisions will then be passed along to the full State Department of Education.

The three books Clement has challenged are as follows:

The HMH Introduction to Literature 8th Grade

Yes, that’s a classroom textbook she’s mad includes diverse material in genre, subject matter, and content.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

It’s becoming clear Clement isn’t bothering to read these titles but is instead talking about where they’ve been banned elsewhere.

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

In this challenge, Clement added some references to her complaint. Though I cannot locate the “official” review of Grimes’s book on Book Looks, I would not be shocked if this was pulled from reviews not yet public on the site.

I am sure she’s super concerned about the inclusion of guns in the text, as well as the “lack of confidence.” Also, the page 19 excerpt “Money is the alpha and omega” is cited as inappropriate…why?

Clement isn’t new to complaining about books by authors of color and these books specifically. She’s went before the Fort Mill school board just days before filing these complaints with the state, challenging these same titles. But not getting the answer she wanted, she went ahead and headed straight to the top of the decision making chain at the state level. Clement brought this concern up during public comment, by the way, and generally, school boards do not respond to public comment. In looking through school board minutes, it does not appear she filed a formal complaint with the district.

This is what’s at stake. Anyone can complain about a book to the state of South Carolina and have it considered by a docket of folks with little to no experience in literature, literacy, child development or education for a statewide ban.

The full State Education Department will also make a decision on Ellen Hopkins’s Crank at their next meeting. This will come after the IMRC reconsiders the title. More “evidence” about the book being inappropriate for school libraries was conveniently added between the decision being postponed on election day and the re-review to happen in committee next week.

In news that isn’t the least bit shocking, the passages pulled out as evidence why Crank should be banned from schools statewide have significant overlap with the quotes pulled from the Moms For Liberty BookLooks “review” of the title.

Miller test be damned.