Federal judge orders Colorado school district to put banned books back on shelves
A federal judge ruled this week that a Colorado school district must put books that district officials banned from schools back on the shelves by Tuesday. Now a teacher who says she was fired over her opposition to the ban is speaking out.
In August 2024, the Elizabeth School Board voted to remove books from school libraries that school board officials said contained graphic violence, racism and discrimination, ideations of self-harm or mental illness, and sexual content.
"The students' interest in accessing books in their respective school libraries is constitutionally protected" by the First Amendment, Charlotte Sweeney, U.S. District Judge for the District of Colorado, wrote in her decision.
The lawsuit was brought against the school district in December 2024 by two parents, the Author's Guild, and the NAACP of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming.
In a statement responding to the judge's ruling, the Elizabeth School District said it plans to appeal the ruling:
"We are still reviewing the decision with our attorneys. We respect the Judge's order, but we are particularly disappointed with the decision to avoid a hearing so the District could explain the Board's decision and the careful and transparent process it followed before removing the books. We will be appealing the decision, and the District stands by the Board's decision to remove sexually explicit and age-inappropriate content from our school libraries."
But LeEllen Condry says it's clear to her this was an attempt by the district's school board to suppress ideas they disagree with.
She was a dean of students at Elizabeth Middle School from August 2024 until October 2024 when she was let go. While she says the district cited budgeting as the reason for her termination, she believes it was actually because she wrote a letter opposing the book removal.
"So basically, it's discrimination. You know, I'm a Black woman speaking up on behalf of books that are diverse," Condry said.
She thinks her loss of employment and the removal of books were motivated by the same reason.
"I feel that these communities that are conservative are afraid of what's being put out there," Condry said.
As an educator, she thinks books have educational value and should be in schools.
"These books are a part of our heritage. These books are for individuals who are coming from diverse cultures, from diverse communities, who need these books. They need to be on the shelves," Condry said.
The books removed were:
- "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
- "Beloved" by Toni Morrison
- "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
- "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
- "You Should See Me in a Crown" by Leah Johnson
- "#Pride: Championing LGBTQ Rights" by Rebecca Felix
- "George" (now published and referred to as "Melissa") by Alex Gino
- "It's Your World--If You Don't Like it, Change it" by Mikki Halpin
- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
- "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
- "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
- "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult
- "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins
- "Glass" by Ellen Hopkins
- "Fallout" by Ellen Hopkins
- "Identical" by Ellen Hopkins
- "Burned" by Ellen Hopkins
- "Smoke" by Ellen Hopkins
- "Redwood and Ponytail" by K.A. Holt
