Book censorship in US schools has become 'rampant and common', free speech advocates warn

Source: USA Today

Oct. 2, 2025, 2:20 a.m. ET


A free speech advocacy group warned on Oct. 1 that book censorship in public schools across the United States has become "rampant and common," with book bans increasing significantly over the last few years.

Though book censorship is not a new issue, the United States has seen a sharp rise in book bans and attempted bans since 2021. PEN America's “Banned in the USA" report, released on Oct. 1, recorded about 6,800 instances of books being removed from schools during the 2024-2025 academic year.

While the new number is down from the more than 10,000 bans reported in the 2023-2024 school year, PEN America noted that it was still an uptick from previous years when the advocacy group did not release an annual report or index of book bans. Since July 2021, PEN America has documented more than 22,800 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 public school districts.

According to the report, the systematic removal of books from schools and school libraries in many parts of the country has resulted in the "normalization and routinization of censorship" in public education. PEN America cited "alarming censorship pressures" on school districts, including recent federal efforts to restrict education, continued attacks on LGBTQ+ identities, and state-mandated book bans.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/10/02/pen-america-report-book-bans/86468824007/