January 17, 2024
The United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit has reached an opinion which removes accountability for book vendors while allowing the library state standards to remain intact. I am disappointed by this decision in part, as book vendors have an obligation to be aware of the content they are distributing, especially if that content is sexually explicit material into the hands of school children. Thankfully, the state library standards, which are the first ever of their kind, remain Texas law, as the court opinion states, “the library standards are not an issue.” These standards, passed and approved by TSLAC and SBOE, create guardrails to empower parents, prevent sexually explicit materials, and improve school district transparency. I call on the Office of Attorney General to appeal this decision to the United States Supreme Court and in the meantime look forward on how Texas can improve vendor accountability with other legislative solutions next session. I will not stop fighting to protect Texas schoolchildren from sexually explicit material.”
