response

• The ACLU of Tennessee filed a lawsuit on behalf of three Knoxville families and PEN America against the Rutherford County Board of Education for banning over 145 books from school libraries.

response

• National Censorship launches new resource: A Legal Advocacy Guide: Combating Racial Discrimination and Censorship in K-12 Public Schools

response

• Coalition members sign on to EdTrust-TN’s DEI Sign On Letter

response

• Coalition partners support Representative Justin Jones’ Literary Day on The Hill

response

• Xan Lasko, Intellectual Freedom Chair for the TN Association of School Librarians, testified in the House K-12 Education Subcommittee on HB1051/SB1130, a bill promoting the freedom to read sponsored by Rep. McKenzie (D-Knoxville) & Sen. Yarbro (D-Nashville)

response

• • Coalition launches petition with letter to protect public schools from harmful lawsuits and petition with letter to protect inclusion on Tennessee’s college campuses

response

• Stand for Children TN launches Freedom to Learn petition

response

• TN Coalition for Truth in Our Classrooms launches 2024 Advocacy Toolkit

response

• Tennessee Education Association and teachers sue Tennessee law restricting what they can teach about race, gender, and bias

response

• New resources launched, incuding ACLU-TN’s Censorship in Tennessee’s Public Higher Education Institutions

response

• Coalition voices – including One WillCo, TN Youth Coalition and Facing History & Ourselves – are elevated in media through Chalkbeat, the AP, and the Tennessean

action

• New laws: Public Chapter 438 (Implicit Bias), Public Chapter 448 (Student Pronouns), Public Chapter 353 (Parent Consent), Public Chapter 268 (Higher Education Freedom of Expression & Transparency Act), Public Chapter 278 (Textbook Seller/Distributor Threats), Public Chapter 285: (Anti-Trans Sports Regulations), & Public Chapter 472 (Library Complaints Process)

action

• One law established that promotes the teaching of holistic history: Public Chapter 127 (requiring the teaching of the Civil Rights Movement in 9-12)

response

• TN Association of School Librarians speak out to the Tennessean and Mom’s for Social Justice – Chattanooga advocate to the Washington Post

response

• Coalition sends letter in support of HB1078/HB1040, which passes the full Senate, but fails in the House K-12 Subcommittee

response

• Coalition sends letter of opposition to SB1141/HB1377, which successfully failed in the Senate Education committee

action

• 3 bills taken off notice including HB0571/SB0603 (DEI Restrictions for Health Degrees), HB1414/SB0620 (The Families’ Rights & Responsibilities Act), and HB1411/SB1117 (Parent Consent)

action

• Tennessee’s Textbook & Instructional Materials Quality Commission voted & approved Library Guidance in accordance to TCA 49-6-2201

response

• Coalition launches 2023 Censorship Bills Advocacy Toolkit

action

• Tennessee’s Textbook & Instructional Materials Quality Commission misses guidance deadline & says its ill equipped to manage library book appeals

action

• Parents’ Choice v. Golden Case: Judge says lawsuit does “not even come close to CRT” and grants the Williamson County Board of Education’s motion to dismiss

response

• ACLU-TN creates Coalition Resource FAQ: Censorship in Tennessee’s Schools

response

• Coalition creates action toolkit to support community members submit public comment

response

• 20 Coalition members send letter of recommendations to TN SBE Educator Advisory Team on social studies standards

response

• TN Association for School Librarians speak out to Chalkbeat and Mom’s for Social Justice – Chattanooga create examples of local level guidance to support

response

• One WillCo parent speaks out to Education Week

event

• May 18, 2022: Coalition Webinar – Know Your Rights: What You Need to Know about Tennnessee’s latest Censorship Laws

action

• One law established that promotes the teaching of holistic history: Public Chapter 938 (Requires the teaching of Black History & Culture in grades 5-8)

response

• Memphis Press Rally: ‘This is not progress’: Memphis students oppose bills banning ‘obscene’ and LGBTQ books

response

• TN Youth Coalition organizers testify before TN Senate Judiciary Committee opposing HB/SB1944 on library censorship; as a result, bill is killed & deferred to summer study

response

• Four other censorship bills killed: HB2451/SB2360 (Parents Bill of Rights Act), HB1723/SB2006 (Inspection of School Instructional Materials), HB2417/SB2283 (Higher Education Restrictions on Academic Courses), & HB2569/SB2440 (Anti-Affirmative Action)

event

• Chalkbeat TN Panel: CRT laws promote bias in school, hurt mental health

response

• TN Coalition for Truth in Our Classroom event established

response

• Coalition launches email campaigns & statewide digital social media ads using 2022 Censorship Bills Advocacy Toolkit

response

• August 2021: Ed Trust TN & Alliance partners submit public comment on TDOE draft rules

response

• November 23, 2021: Ed Trust TN Issues Statement on Recent TDOE Emergency Rules Regarding “Prohibited Concepts in Instruction”