Twelve school districts in Missouri banned 315 books between July and December 2022, with Wentzville School District banning 220 of those. The book removals were a result of Missouri’s SB 775, passed in 2022. A provision in that law specifically bans any depiction or description of sexually explicit material, which includes sexual intercourse, genitalia, or “sadomasochistic abuse.” It also makes it a misdemeanor for school officials (educators, librarians, student teachers, coaches) or any visitor to a school, to distribute material to students deemed “harmful to minors.”
Pendharker, Eesha. "Nearly 300 Books Removed From Schools Under Missouri’s ‘Sexually Explicit Materials’ Law." Education Week, 18 Nov. 2022, https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/nearly-300-books-removed-from-schools-under-missouris-sexually-explicit-materials-law/2022/11.
Additional news stories on book banning in Missouri:
Parents Urge St. Charles County Libraries to Ban Two Books -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 20, 2023
St. Charles County residents raise concerns about 'explicit' library book -- KSDK, September 19, 2023
Books Banned Most in Missouri, Kansas Top National List -- KCTV, August 28, 2023
Missouri No. 1 for School Censorship Measures, Report Says -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 23, 2023
Missouri School Board's Decision to Retain Maus is a Positive Move But Removing Six Other Books is Unfortunate, Says PEN America -- PEN America, June 21, 2023
Springfield Nixa School District
Art Spiegelman on Banning Maus -- PEN America, June 2023
Spiegelman reflects on fascism as third Missouri school district debates banning his Holocaust memoir
State Laws Are Behind Many Book Bans, Even Indirectly, Report Finds – Education Week, May 19, 2023
Wentzville School District
Missouri Book Bans in Response to SB 775 -- PEN America, as of November 15, 2022
list of titles
Suburban School Districts in St. Louis Area More Likely to Ban Books under New Law – St. Louis Post-Dispatch (subscription required), September 25, 2022
Use the interactive map to find out how many books were banned in each district.
Schools Removing Books -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch via ProQuest (requires SCC login), August 30, 2022
St. Louis metro area school districts: Francis Howell, Wentzville, Parkway, Rockwood, and Mehlville
Parents, School Librarians Concerned about Repercussions as Missouri’s Book Law Takes Effect -- KMOV (video), August 29, 2022
Find additional articles on banned books in Missouri from EBSCOhost (requires SCC login).
Missouri has the third highest rate of book banning behind Texas and Florida.
Used with permission.
Meehan, Kacy and Jonathan Friedman. "Banned in the USA: State Law Supercharge Book Suppression in Schools." Pen America, 20 Apr. 2023, https://pen.org/report/banned-in-the-usa-state-laws-supercharge-book-suppression-in-schools/.