Read Freely Alabama Highlights First Amendment Issues in Brief to Appeals Court 

Florida – A leading anti-censorship organization has submitted a friend-of-the-court brief to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, in support of the plaintiffs in a case challenging school library book removals. The brief comes from Read Freely Alabama, a grassroots, volunteer-run organization made up of concerned citizens who oppose censorship and work to uphold the values of American democracy by fighting any censorship in public libraries, and by advocating for inclusive library collections that accurately reflect the diversity of the communities served by those libraries. Democracy Forward is representing Read Freely Alabama in the brief.

The case, Parnell v. School Board of Escambia County, Florida, was brought in 2023 by the authors of children’s book And Tango Makes Three as well as an elementary school student against two Florida school boards for the removal of the book from school libraries. Read Freely Alabama, which is part of a coalition that brought a suit challenging library restrictions in Alabama, offered important perspective and legal context in the brief submitted today, explaining that the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to receive information, including in school libraries.

“You can’t have the freedom of speech without the freedom to listen, and in libraries, that means the freedom to read,” said Robin Thurston, Legal Director at Democracy Forward. “We are inspired by the bravery of Read Freely Alabama for continually defending the First Amendment and freedom of thought in America.” 

This work is part of Democracy Forward’s efforts to defend the freedom to read, which has also included partnerships with parents and librarians in Alabama, Arkansas, and an additional challenge in Florida.

The legal team at Democracy Forward on this case includes Robin Thurston and Kalli Joslin. 

Read the friend of the court brief here. 

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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.