A coalition of major publishers, authors, librarians, parents, and students has filed a federal lawsuit against Idaho’s House Bill 710 (HB 710), arguing that the law unconstitutionally restricts access to books in public schools and libraries.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, claims that the law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments by forcing libraries to remove books deemed “harmful to minors” or face legal penalties. Among the books affected are Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones.
Publishers, Authors, and Libraries Unite Against HB 710
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include some of the largest publishers, such as Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan, and Sourcebooks. They are joined by the Authors Guild, authors David Levithan, Malinda Lo, and Dashka Slater, as well as the Donnelly Public Library District, a public high school librarian, two students, and a parent.
