Thread by @JuddLegum

1. In less than 24 hours, the South Carolina Board of Education will impose a centralized and expansive censorship regime on every K-12 school library in the state

The new regulations could result in the banning of most classic works of literature from South Carolina schools — from The Canterbury Tales to Romeo and Juliet to Dracula.

Follow along for details.

🧵

2. The rules were championed by South Carolina State Superintendent of Education @ellenfored, who is closely aligned with @moms4liberty, a far-right advocacy group seeking to remove scores of books from school libraries.

popular.info/p/south-caroli…

3. The new rules, which will go into effect tomorrow, will ban all books that include descriptions or visual depictions of "sexual conduct" from K-12 schools.

Critically, the regulations ban library books with any descriptions of "sexual conduct" whether or not those descriptions would be considered "obscene."

That means the book must be banned regardless of its artistic or literary merit. The Bible and Ulysses both contain sexual content and must be banned according to the new regulation.

4. The enforcement of the new regulation is highly centralized. Any parent can file a complaint about a book and, within a few months, get a hearing at the State Board of Education.

If the State Board finds that the book violates the rule because it contains sexual content, it will be banned from every school in the state.

@ellenfored @Moms4Liberty 5. Any school employee who fails to comply with the bans will be subject to discipline by the State Board, up to and including termination.

The regulations are opposed by over 400 authors, prominent book publishers, and free speech groups.

popular.info/p/south-caroli…

6. Pausing here to say that if you like this thread you'll LOVE the Popular Information newsletter.

Get your news directly and not moderated through algorithms controlled by right-wing billionaires.

And it's free to sign up.

popular.info/subscribe

7. Weaver is a close ally of Moms for Liberty, which has advocated across the country for the removal of books from school libraries. She appeared at the Moms for Liberty 2023 Joyful Warriors National Summit.

"There is nothing more precious that God has created than the hearts and the minds of our young people," Weaver said. "And that is what the radical woke left is after. Make no mistake: saving our country starts with saving our schools."

8. The South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL) opposes Weaver's efforts to impose a centralized censorship regime on school libraries. In response, Weaver wrote to the group and declared that "the South Carolina Department of Education will formally discontinue any partnerships with SCASL as an organization, effective immediately."

9. South Carolina's new regulations were drafted by attorney Miles Coleman, an attorney and the president of the local chapter of the Federalist Society, a far-right legal organization. According to public records published by the South Carolina ACLU, Weaver personally requested a contract that paid Coleman $225 per hour to create and advocate for the regulations.

10. This is a radical proposal that goes far beyond even what @RonDeSantis has done in Florida. South Carolina Republicans are called on Weaver to withdraw the regulation before it goes into effect.

“Regulations proposed by agencies should go into effect only after being vetted by the legislature,” South Carolina Senator Tom Davis (R) said. “Superintendent Weaver should withdraw [the regulation] and resubmit it in January 2025."

@RonDeSantis 11. Do you know someone who should know about what's happening in South Carolina? All the information is right here, with links to primary sources.

popular.info/p/south-caroli…