Read Freely Alabama last week filed an amicus brief in support of Florida plaintiffs challenging the removal of library books.
The case, Parnell v. School Board of Escambia County, Florida, was brought in 2023 by the authors of children’s book And Tango Makes Three as well as an elementary school student against two Florida school boards for the removal of the book from school libraries. The book depicts the true story of two male penguins who raise a child together.
Read Freely Alabama, which is part of a coalition that brought a suit challenging library restrictions in Alabama, offered perspective and legal context in its brief, arguing that the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to receive information, including in school libraries.
You can’t have the freedom of speech without the freedom to listen, and in libraries, that means the freedom to read,” said Robin Thurston, legal director at Democracy Forward. “We are inspired by the bravery of Read FreelyAlabama for continually defending the First Amendment and freedom of thought in America.”
This work is part of Democracy Forward’s efforts to defend the freedom to read, which has also included partnerships with parents and librarians in Alabama, Arkansas, and an additional challenge in Florida.
The legal team at Democracy Forward on this case includes Robin Thurston and Kalli Joslin.
