Hanover Public Schools leads state in banned books, report shows

The organization tallied the number of books prohibited in every school division across the country. Between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, the Hanover district removed 75 books from its schools. The report says this reflects a nationwide trend that saw a dramatic uptick in removal rates in recent years.

“Book challenges in American schools are nothing new, but … quite frankly the results are shocking,” said Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America’s Free Expression and Education program and lead author of the report, in a statement. “What is happening in this country in terms of banning books in schools is unparalleled in its frequency, intensity and success.” 

Chairman: No plans to review policy 

While the Hanover division has faced scrutiny for changing a policy that made it easier to remove books from libraries, officials stand by the decision, saying that the goal is not censorship but to protect young children from content and subject matter the board considers inappropriate.

School Board Chairman Bob May, of the South Anna District, defended the decision on Friday. 

“The School Board believes in our libraries providing a wide range of age-appropriate materials. The deselection of these books fulfills the will of the School Board, our approved policy and the accompanying regulation,” May said. “We do not have plans currently to revisit this policy.” 

PEN America describes itself as a century-old, international nonprofit organization of thousands of writers and publishers aimed at protecting free expression. Data for the report came from public records obtained from applicable public school divisions nationwide.

In its findings, the organization determined that the 2023-24 school year saw the highest removal rate in recent years, and the numbers have only continued to rise.

Since 2021, nearly 16,000 books have been pulled from roughly 415 public school districts across 43 states, of which roughly 10,000 occurred during last year’s school year, the report states.

In Hanover, the rate of book removals has far surpassed the reported year-over-year nationwide 200% increase.

During the 2022-23 school year, the Hanover district took 19 books from school libraries. The following year, it prohibited 75 additional books — a nearly 300% increase from the previous year.  

Likewise, the report found that an overwhelming majority of books being targeted for removal explored themes involving “race, racism, sexual orientation and gender identity.”

“This crisis is tragic for young people hungry to understand the world they live in and see their identities and experiences reflected in books,” said Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program.

Titles removed include:

• “Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which discusses the impact of British colonialism in Nigeria;
• “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, which chronicles characters living in a futuristic dystopian world under a patriarchal totalitarian government;
• “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., the 1969 classic science fiction anti-war novel;
• “The Freedom Writers Diary” by Erin Grunwell, a nonfiction account of how one teacher and 150 inner-city public school students used writing to implement change in their community;
• “People Kill People” by Ellen Hopkins, a young adult novel that explores the roles gun violence and white supremacy play in kids’ lives; and
• “Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston, a young adult novel that chronicles a romantic relationship between two male characters.

Virginia has prohibited 3rd-most books in U.S. 

The recent uptick in book removals comes after the appointed Hanover School Board voted 5-2 in June 2023 to rewrite a policy governing library material selection to allow itself the sole discretion and authority to remove any books within the division as long as there’s a majority vote.

The division’s current policy allows school administrators to also remove books through an internal review process that does not require board approval.

The multistep review process begins when a school administrator selects a book for removal. From there, teachers, librarians and principals have a window of time to submit a reconsideration waiver to the School Board’s Library Materials Committee for further consideration. If no waiver is submitted, then the book is automatically removed from circulation.

In recent years, the Hanover School Board has relied on school policy 6-5.2 — defined by Virginia state codes — to make final book removal decisions, citing its responsibility to remove books “that contain sexually explicit” content.

“We’re not trying to ban ‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’ we’re not trying to ban anything,” said Steve Ikenberry, who represents the Cold Harbor District, during the board’s June 13, 2023, meeting. “The books that we’re referring to are over-the-top graphic.”

However, Hanover did ban Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” in 1966 with School Board members classifying the novel as “suggestive.” It remained out of circulation for decades before being reinstated.

To date, the division has removed more than 90 books from schools.

Statewide, 121 books were banned, the report said. Only Texas (538) and Wisconsin (408) had banned more. 

GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2022 signed a law requiring Virginia schools to notify parents if their children are assigned books or other materials with sexually explicit content. Youngkin as a gubernatorial candidate pledged to empower parents’ involvement in their children’s education.