Utah bans 13 books at schools, including popular “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series, under new law

Thirteen popular books have been banned from all public schools in Utah in the first wave of bans expected under a new law that prohibits books when at least three of the state’s 41 school district boards claim they contain pornographic or indecent material.

Allowing just a few districts to make decisions for the whole state makes the law one of the most lenient for book banning in the United States, according to PEN America, an organization that advocates for free speech and tracks book banning around the U.S.

The state education board released its first list of banned books this month, which includes a popular young adult novel series by author Sarah J. Maas called “A Court of Thorns and Roses” and books by Judy Blume and Margaret Atwood. The state’s two largest school districts, which are located in conservative parts of the state, led the charge to ban the books. The Davis School District voted to ban all 13 books on the list, while Alpine School District banned seven of them, including Maas’ series.

The books are still available at public libraries.

Utah’s actions come amid a renewed push in recent years to ban more books by conservatives around the country despite concerns from free speech advocates and some educators and parents.

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