A Columbia County organization is calling on the school district to reinstate dozens of books removed from school libraries after alleging a lack of transparency and accountability in how review committees have handled challenged titles.
The Freedom to Read Coalition of Columbia County (FTRCCC) issued a statement last week demanding that the district “end its pattern of secretive decision-making.” The group, made up of local parents and community members, said district officials have failed to produce documentation showing when or why books were removed or which committees made those decisions.
Coalition says district is avoiding public accountability
According to FTRCCC, the district has not released records showing media review committee votes, membership lists, or rationales behind book removals dating back to 2022. Coalition leaders say many of the titles were removed simultaneously across multiple campuses, suggesting district-level coordination rather than routine library maintenance.
“The district continues to avoid public accountability,” said Karin Parham, FTRCCC’s CEO. “When a district can’t produce records showing why multiple books were removed, or even confirm who is on the committees making these decisions, the only responsible action is to return those titles to the shelves.”
The coalition said a District Media Review Committee met privately on Oct. 23 without public notice. It has since filed an open records request seeking materials from that meeting.
Dozens of books affected since 2022
According to FTRCCC’s compiled documentation, at least 25 titles have been removed or restricted since 2022. Those include “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, “Sold” by Patricia McCormick and works by Sarah J. Maas and Ellen Hopkins.
Several books, including “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green and “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson, were restricted earlier this year to high school libraries.
The group said many removals occurred without public notice or any documentation of committee votes. Some removals were reportedly logged in library databases as “weeded” or “deleted,” with no explanation provided.
District responds, defends process
The Columbia County School District gave a comment on the book removal process. The district stated it “has worked diligently to strengthen its policies and procedures to ensure media center selection criteria are clear and that parents play a pivotal role regarding the materials found in our schools.”
“We are confident that our media collections are selected and reviewed following all applicable state laws and Board of Education policies and procedures,” the statement said.
FTRCCC calls for reinstatement and oversight
The coalition is calling for the district to publicly acknowledge missing documentation, reinstate all removed titles pending lawful review, and ensure future committee meetings are open to the public. It also wants First Amendment and intellectual-freedom training for all media-review committee members and administrators.
“If these committees are truly representative and fair, they should have nothing to hide,” Parham said. “Books should not be removed in secrecy. If the district cannot show lawful, viewpoint-neutral reasoning, those books should be reinstated.”
FTRCCC said it plans to release records from its ongoing open records requests once they are received.
