FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1st, 2025
Contact: Ashley Vaughan
[email protected]

BILL INTRODUCED TO PROMOTE WHOLESOME CONTENT FOR STUDENTS

Today, a bill was introduced in the NC House to ensure that wholesome content is promoted in public schools. HB 636 would require every school district in the state to adopt a policy for the selection and procurement of library books, electronic media and other resources for school libraries, including the removal of books and media that no longer meets the criteria. Selection and removal of books will be based on eight criteria, including that the materials must be age appropriate and must not include descriptions or visual depictions of sexual activity or be pervasively vulgar. The bill also requires school to screen donated materials and books sold at book fairs for explicit content. In order to allow parents more involvement in the book selection process, the bill sets up a process for books to be reviewed and for parents to object to books and offer feedback to the public school unit.

“Pornographic content is never appropriate in an educational setting. Exposure to sexually explicit material is devastating and traumatic for children, and it can have lasting psychological effects,” said Tami Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the NC Values Coalition. “This bill would put in place common-sense criteria to protect our children and ensure that the materials we provide them are appropriate for their developmental stage. Our schools should be places that nurture the development of young minds, not expose them to harmful material that robs them of their innocence.”

HB 636 provides additional remedies to parents against a public school unit that has violated the Parents Bill of Rights passed in 2023, which includes the book selection and removal provisions of the bill. New remedies provided to parents include:

(1) Declaratory relief.
(2) Injunctive relief.
(3) Damages of five thousand dollars ($5,000) per violation.
(4) Reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.
(5) Any other appropriate relief in the determination of the court.

The bill’s primary sponsors are Representatives Neal Jackson, Brian Biggs, David Willis, and Jennifer Balkcom.

Background:

Pornography in schools is a problem across our state. In Wake County alone, 54 schools are reportedly using books that contain explicit sexual nudity and obscene content. Shockingly, only eight districts in the entire state currently consider obscenity and pervasive vulgarity when selecting materials for school libraries. Moreover, there is no system in place to screen donated materials or books sold at school book fairs for obscenity or vulgarity.

Parents across the political spectrum do not want porn in schools. A staggering 69% of voters believe that books containing pornography should be banned from public high school libraries. The concern deepens with younger students, as 79% of voters agree that such material should not be present in middle schools, and 85% say the same for elementary schools.

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