Department of Education Drops Book Ban Complaints, Rescinds Related Guidance

The new department leadership said that decisions about school library content should be made at the local level by parents and school boards.

The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington on July 21, 2007. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Education has taken steps to end what it called the “book ban hoax” promoted by the previous administration.

On Jan. 24, the department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the dismissal of 11 complaints related to alleged book bans in schools and rescinded guidance that suggested removing certain books from school libraries could violate civil rights laws.