A Legal Victory for Students, Readers, and the Constitution in Elizabeth, Colorado.
This ruling is not only a win for the students of Elbert County but also reinforces the principle that public schools cannot censor books simply because some individuals disagree with their content.
We are celebrating a legal victory for students, readers, and the Constitution in Elizabeth, Colorado.
A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction ordering the Elizabeth School District to return 19 books that were removed from school libraries earlier this school year.
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This ruling is not only a win for the students of Elbert County but also reinforces the principle that public schools cannot censor books simply because some individuals disagree with their content.
The EveryLibrary Institute has proudly supported this local fight through our Fight for the First platform and has provided ongoing pro bono support to local organizers and coalition partners since the fall.
Although we are not a party to the lawsuit, our efforts alongside community leaders have helped mobilize action, raise awareness, and maintain the pressure that helped bring this issue to court.
Despite being a small town, hundreds of people have taken action to defend their students' right to read.
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The school board has argued that the books—many written by authors of color or addressing issues of identity and mental health—were removed due to content involving graphic violence, racism, mental illness, or sexual themes. The banned titles included The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Beloved and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
In December, the ACLU of Colorado filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that the school district violated state and federal free speech protections. Representing two students, the Rocky Mountain NAACP, and the Authors Guild, the lawsuit claimed that the district engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.
U.S. District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney partially agreed, ordering the district to return the books to their shelves by March 25, 2025. She also prohibited the removal of books solely based on disagreement with their contents or in an attempt to promote a political or religious ideology.
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The district has indicated that it may appeal the ruling. Superintendent Dan Snowberger expressed disappointment that the district did not have the opportunity to fully present its rationale for removing the books before the injunction but acknowledged that the order would be followed.
EveryLibrary Institute stands with the students and families of Elizabeth—and all communities—fighting for intellectual freedom.
Our work through Fight for the First supports local actions like these nationwide, helping to organize grassroots resistance to censorship and advocating for policy changes that protect our rights.
We are proud to have contributed to this outcome and will continue to support the Elizabeth community as the case progresses.
We will stand up wherever government overreach threatens our rights to read, think, and learn freely.