ROCK HILL, S.C. — A subcommittee of the South Carolina Department of Education held a meeting on Thursday to review 11 books that were under consideration for being banned from South Carolina high school libraries. Of the 11, seven of them were banned while three of them were to remain. One is up for further discussion.
The list of books under review by the Instructional Materials Review Committee (IMRC) include a few that are commonly taught in schools, like "To Kill A Mockingbird," "1984" and "Romeo and Juliet."
However, the committee had given a preliminary recommendation that these three books be kept on the shelves.
As for the other books under review, the committee recommended they be removed. This is because the books contain sexual content that is considered not age and developmentally-appropriate.
Under South Carolina law, materials containing any descriptions or visual depictions of sexual conduct are not allowed in South Carolina schools.
Although sexual assault is part of the plot in "To Kill A Mockingbird," it isn’t depicted or described in the book. The romantic relationship in "Romeo and Juliet," according to guidelines in the state law, doesn’t include anything that is deemed age and developmentally inappropriate.
The full list of books under consideration includes:
- "Damsel" by Elana Arnold - banned
- "Ugly Love" by Colleen Hoover - banned
- "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins - under consideration at a later time
- "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee - allowed
- "A Court of Frost and Starlight" by Sarah J. Maas - banned
- "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas - banned
- "A Court of Thrones and Roses" by Sarah J. Mass - banned
- "A Court of Wings and Ruin" by Sarah J. Maas - banned
- "1984" by George Orwell - allowed
- "Romeo & Juliet" by William Shakespeare - allowed
- "Normal People" by Sally Rooney -banned
Thursday’s meeting was the first of its kind since the book ban law went into effect earlier this fall.
The committee will discuss these materials and bring a final recommendation to the South Carolina Board of Education for a vote. The board’s next meeting is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.