In a time when freedom of speech and the right to hold personal convictions are foundational to the United States, the practice of banning books in public schools has become increasingly common.
On July 26, 2024, South Carolina State Superintendent Ellen Weaver’s Regulation 43-170 passed. According to the S.C. Department of Education, the regulation gives local educators and school boards the authority to ban reading materials deemed “inappropriate” for certain age groups or developmentally unsuitable. The regulation also establishes a process for school boards to review complaints and hold public hearings, with an appellate process for decisions made by the State Board of Education (SBE), Greenville News reports.
Jason Blanton (12), an avid reader, believes the issue with book bans is not the content itself, but the potential for unnecessary drama.
“The problem with banning books based on their content, even if that content is truly objectionable, is that it sets a precedent for more books being banned in the future,” Blanton said. “I foresee constant battles as new school boards come in and ban books they dislike while lifting bans on others they favor. This will create chaos, consume time that could be better spent and lead to confusion about what is allowed in school libraries.”
While book bans may disrupt school board operations, they also pose potential harm to students’ educational growth.
Katie Cockrell, an English and creative writing teacher at Spartanburg High School (SHS), emphasizes the importance of diversity in literature. She believes it plays a crucial role in students’ development.
“High school is when students explore their identities and develop empathy for those different from them,” Cockrell said. “When we remove diverse options from libraries, we limit their opportunities for growth and understanding.”
However, South Carolina School Board member Cheryl Abrams Collier defended the ban during an interview with WSPA News, arguing that age-appropriate guidelines should determine which books are accessible.
“We aren’t making judgments on the value of the book or the writer, nor are we saying people shouldn’t read the material,” Collier said. “We are simply being asked one question: does it violate the regulation?”
Despite these concerns, many educators and counselors argue that book bans do more harm than good.
Jessica Spearman Childs, a local upstate school counselor, shared her view with WSPA News, saying that banning certain books sends a damaging message to students.
“Every time we remove a book, we send a very clear message that survivors should be invisible,” Childs said.
Cockrell also highlights the significance of diverse literature in classrooms, noting that teachers use various books to help students connect with different perspectives.
“In education, we talk about diversity and representation in literature using the concept of ‘mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors,’” Cockrell explained. “Students need to see themselves reflected in literature (mirrors), be shown the experiences of others (windows), and step through to empathize with those experiences (sliding glass doors).”
