END BOOK BANS
The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a Texas county’s decision to remove 17 books from its public libraries
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BY: Knewz (CA)
Dec. 22, 2025
The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a Texas county’s decision to remove 17 books from its public libraries, allowing a lower court ruling to stand and clearing the way for the books to remain off shelves.
Knewz.com has learned that by leaving the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision intact, the justices ensured that the policy now applies across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
The dispute regarding banned books at a glance
The dispute began in Llano County, northwest of Austin, Texas, in 2021, when residents asked a county library commissioner to remove 17 books they found objectionable. BY: Unsplash© Knewz (CA)
The dispute began in Llano County, northwest of Austin, Texas, in 2021 when residents asked a county library commissioner to remove 17 books they found objectionable.
The commissioner agreed and instructed librarians to pull the titles, prompting a lawsuit from other residents who argued the removals violated their First Amendment right to receive information.
A federal district judge initially sided with the challengers.
However, in May, the Fifth Circuit reversed that ruling, finding that the Constitution does not guarantee access to specific books in a public library.
The appeals court concluded that decisions about which books to include are a form of government speech, not censorship.
Recently, it was reported that the Supreme Court declined to review that decision, leaving it in place
The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a Texas county’s decision to remove 17 books from its public libraries, allowing a lower court ruling to stand and clearing the way for the books to remain off shelves.
Knewz.com has learned that by leaving the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision intact, the justices ensured that the policy now applies across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
The dispute regarding banned books at a glance
The dispute began in Llano County, northwest of Austin, Texas, in 2021, when residents asked a county library commissioner to remove 17 books they found objectionable. BY: Unsplash© Knewz (CA)
The dispute began in Llano County, northwest of Austin, Texas, in 2021 when residents asked a county library commissioner to remove 17 books they found objectionable.
The commissioner agreed and instructed librarians to pull the titles, prompting a lawsuit from other residents who argued the removals violated their First Amendment right to receive information.
A federal district judge initially sided with the challengers.
However, in May, the Fifth Circuit reversed that ruling, finding that the Constitution does not guarantee access to specific books in a public library.
The appeals court concluded that decisions about which books to include are a form of government speech, not censorship.
Recently, it was reported that the Supreme Court declined to review that decision, leaving it in place
.
What the Fifth Circuit Court’s ruling says
The Fifth Circuit’s ruling holds that library curation is a discretionary act by local governments. BY: MEGA© Knewz (CA)
The Fifth Circuit’s ruling stated that library curation is a discretionary act by local governments.
“All Llano County has done here is what libraries have been doing for two centuries: decide which books they want in their collections,” Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan wrote.
The court also rejected the argument that removing books violates patrons’ rights, noting that readers can still obtain the materials elsewhere.
“If a disappointed patron can’t find a book in the library, he can order it online, buy it from a bookstore or borrow it from a friend,” Judge Duncan wrote.
Since the Supreme Court declined the review, the ruling now governs federal courts across three states, potentially shaping how similar challenges are resolved throughout the region.
The books that were banned
A full list of the 17 books has not been publicly released because complete court filings remain unavailable. BY: Unsplash© Knewz (CA)
While a full list of the 17 books has not been publicly released because complete court filings remain unavailable, reports have identified several categories. They include juvenile humor titles such as I Broke My B **! and Larry the Farting Leprechaun, young adult novels addressing coming-of-age issues like Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, books centered on gender identity like Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen and Freakboy, works examining racism including Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents and They Called Themselves the K.K.K., the picture book In the Night Kitchen, and the s * education guide It’s Perfectly Normal
What the Fifth Circuit Court’s ruling says
The Fifth Circuit’s ruling holds that library curation is a discretionary act by local governments. BY: MEGA© Knewz (CA)
The Fifth Circuit’s ruling stated that library curation is a discretionary act by local governments.
“All Llano County has done here is what libraries have been doing for two centuries: decide which books they want in their collections,” Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan wrote.
The court also rejected the argument that removing books violates patrons’ rights, noting that readers can still obtain the materials elsewhere.
“If a disappointed patron can’t find a book in the library, he can order it online, buy it from a bookstore or borrow it from a friend,” Judge Duncan wrote.
Since the Supreme Court declined the review, the ruling now governs federal courts across three states, potentially shaping how similar challenges are resolved throughout the region.
The books that were banned
A full list of the 17 books has not been publicly released because complete court filings remain unavailable. BY: Unsplash© Knewz (CA)
While a full list of the 17 books has not been publicly released because complete court filings remain unavailable, reports have identified several categories. They include juvenile humor titles such as I Broke My B **! and Larry the Farting Leprechaun, young adult novels addressing coming-of-age issues like Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, books centered on gender identity like Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen and Freakboy, works examining racism including Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents and They Called Themselves the K.K.K., the picture book In the Night Kitchen, and the s * education guide It’s Perfectly Normal
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Advocates for free expression raise concerns
Advocates for free expression warned the decision could accelerate book bans nationwide. BY: Unsplash© Knewz (CA)
Advocates for free expression warned that the Supreme Court’s decision could accelerate book bans nationwide.
“Leaving the Fifth Circuit’s ruling in place erodes the most elemental principles of free speech and allows state and local governments to exert ideological control over the people with impunity,” Elly Brinkley of PEN America said.
Supporters of the ruling argued that it affirms local control. On the other hand, critics countered that it narrows access to ideas — particularly those addressing race, coming-of-age issues and gender identity — at a time when book removals are spreading rapidly across the country.
Advocates for free expression raise concerns
Advocates for free expression warned the decision could accelerate book bans nationwide. BY: Unsplash© Knewz (CA)
Advocates for free expression warned that the Supreme Court’s decision could accelerate book bans nationwide.
“Leaving the Fifth Circuit’s ruling in place erodes the most elemental principles of free speech and allows state and local governments to exert ideological control over the people with impunity,” Elly Brinkley of PEN America said.
Supporters of the ruling argued that it affirms local control. On the other hand, critics countered that it narrows access to ideas — particularly those addressing race, coming-of-age issues and gender identity — at a time when book removals are spreading rapidly across the country.
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