Department of Education dismisses book ban complaints

The Department of Education has dismissed 11 complaints regarding “book bans” the federal agency received during the Biden administration, it announced Friday.

The department said it ended former President Biden’s “book ban hoax,” calling the complaints about book removals “meritless” and based “upon a dubious legal theory.”

The complaints alleged the removals created a hostile environment, while the federal agency said the books were age-inappropriate or contained sexually explicit or obscene material.

The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has pulled back guidance saying that removal of books with that type of material violated civil rights.

The department will also not employ a “book ban coordinator” and dismissed another six allegations of pending book bans.

The announcement said the department began an investigation of these allegations on Jan. 20 and found there are no book bans but that schools and parents are working together to establish processes to determine age-appropriate material for students.

“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.

“The department adheres to the deeply rooted American principle that local control over public education best allows parents and teachers alike to assess the educational needs of their children and communities. Parents and school boards have broad discretion to fulfill that important responsibility. These decisions will no longer be second-guessed by the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education,” he added.

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