Trump's Education Department Fires Biden 'Book Ban' Czar and Dismantles His Office

Matt Dempsey

The Department of Education announced Friday that it had eliminated the Biden-created office of "book ban coordinator" and the supporting office. This office was created in June 2023 in response to many school districts removing age-inappropriate and sexually explicit books from school libraries (The White House Is Weaponizing the Department of Education Against Your Children – RedState). Biden's Department of Education was naturally in favor of keeping soft-core porn and LGBTQQIP2SAA (did I miss anyone?) recruiting materials in the reach of elementary school kids; see Leftists Have a Huge Problem With Florida Removing Pornographic Material From the Classroom – RedState and Disgusting: Parents Forced to Sue School District for Compelling Student to Read Sexually Explicit Monologue in Class – RedState).

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The director of the "book ban coordinator" office, a gay progressive activist, solicited complaints from activists and threatened school districts with lawsuits by the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. That all ended on Friday.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today announced that it has dismissed 11 complaints related to so-called “book bans.” The complaints alleged that local school districts’ removal of age-inappropriate, sexually explicit, or obscene materials from their school libraries created a hostile environment for students – a meritless claim premised upon a dubious legal theory. Effective Jan. 24, 2025, OCR has rescinded all department guidance issued under the theory that a school district’s removal of age-inappropriate books from its libraries may violate civil rights laws. OCR is also dismissing six additional pending allegations of book banning and will no longer employ a “book ban coordinator” to investigate local school districts and parents working to protect students from obscene content.

“By dismissing these complaints and eliminating the position and authorities of a so-called ‘book ban coordinator,’ the department is beginning the process of restoring the fundamental rights of parents to direct their children’s education,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. “The department adheres to the deeply rooted American principle that local control over public education best allows parents and teachers alike to assess the educational needs of their children and communities. Parents and school boards have broad discretion to fulfill that important responsibility. These decisions will no longer be second-guessed by the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education.”

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This is exactly right. Schools are the quintessential community organization. They have historically had autonomy, and there is no reason to permit the federal bureaucracy to enter that space.

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