Gov. Gavin Newsom, on Thursday, sent a message to county and district superintendents and charter administrators warning that any attempt to ban books from classrooms or libraries will face investigation by the state’s attorney general, the Sacramento Bee reported.
The warning comes amid a nationwide rise in book bans, according to free speech organization Pen America. In California last year, the American Library Association recorded 87 challenged book titles, the subject matters of which mostly centered around LBGTQ issues.
Newsom, in his letter alongside State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and Attorney General Rob Bonta, told school leaders that anyone who attempt to remove certain instructional materials will be asked to explain their decision-making process to Bonta’s office, the Bee reported. The letter highlighted constitutional precedent and case law that Bonta’s office says bars the banning of books and mandates that school administrators protect academic freedom and freedom of speech, according to the Bee.