environmental studies major
President Donald Trump’s proposed educational policies aim to reshape the American public school system. For example, Trump wants to dismantle the Department of Education. In his previous term, he proposed billions of dollars worth of budget cuts in the Department of Education.
Under the current Trump Administration, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has revoked all department guidelines that were based on the idea that a school district’s removal of age-inappropriate books from its libraries could potentially breach civil rights laws.
By dismissing these complaints and eliminating the position and authorities of a so-called
‘book ban coordinator,’ the department is beginning the process of restoring the fundamental rights of parents to direct their children’s education,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said on Jan. 24.
This new guideline does not consider students who seek valuable and safe information at school, due to having parents who would otherwise punish them for seeking certain information. LGBTQ+ students, for example, may not be able to talk about their sexuality or gender identity at home. This does not mean that they do not deserve access to books that highlight sexuality, representation and gender identity.
Censorship drains the life out of education, but censorship is nothing new. States like Florida and Texas have a fast-growing rate of book bans in schools and libraries. In the 2023-24 school year, there were over 10,000 recorded books banned from schools, many of which were on school shelves for decades. Students deserve the right to take charge of their education with access to the resources they need to thrive. With the Department of Education’s potential elimination, the threat of book bans is at even greater risk as oversight and protection for educational content continue to diminish.
Typically books are banned due to sensitive material, including themes of race, sexuality and identity. “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” are just a few of the titles that have been banned by several school districts. These titles were provided in schools despite the “sensitive” content because they give students valuable critical thinking skills and exposure to different identities.
Although it remains unconfirmed whether Trump plans to implement Project 2025 policies, LGBTQ+ content is equated to pornography in Project 2025. The damage this generalization brings is not worth shielding children from finding out about sexuality in a safe way. It should not be equated or used as a reason to remove a book with LGBTQ+ characters from public bookshelves. The main alternative to children reading about content learned outside the home is finding out about it online. Reading published books is a safer option for understanding new ideas, especially for children. These books were published and put into the public for a reason.
Any child is going to be allowed to choose what they read eventually, book bans simply isolate them from seeing new perspectives early on.
The American Library Association’s list of frequently banned books includes many important pieces of classic literature, such as “Of Mice and Men,” “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl.” These books should be accessible because they allow expansion on different aspects of life, past and present, fiction and nonfiction. They are a part of so many school curriculums because they play a vital role in literary and historical comprehension.
Parents often organize book bans at local school districts, upset that their child has read about sensitive content at school. The common theme in these bans is that the content is almost always identity based. It’s a clear problem when the books being banned from schools and libraries discuss topics like slavery, the holocaust, LGBTQ+ rights, abuse and sexism. This is not coincidental, it is a systemic issue that will persist throughout the next four years.
For some, school is the only place they can read about these topics safely. Future generations deserve to read books about their own identities and find representation and validation in their local libraries and schools.
Graphic by Delaney Lumpkin / Graphics Center
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, Opinion Editor: Dakota Duran, Scene Editor: Elina Graham
