Harry Potter series will stay on the shelves of school libraries in Gwinnett County, Georgia
Author J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series will stay on the shelves of school libraries in Gwinnett County, Georgia, despite a parent’s formal complaint that the books are violent and promote witchcraft and the Wicca religion. Laura Mallory’s complaint was rejected by two committees of parents, teachers, and community members and the Gwinnett County school board. She appealed to the Georgia State Board of Education (GBOE), which assigned the case to a hearing officer. The administrative law judge (ALJ) who heard Ms. Mallory’s complaint recommended that the GBOE uphold the Gwinnett County school board’s decision to leave the books on the library shelves. The ALJ ruled that the parent failed to present evidence to back up her claim that the novels indoctrinate children in pagan religion. GBOE voted without discussion to uphold the local school board's decision to deny Ms. Mallory's request. She says she is not surprised by the outcome and is considering an appeal to state court. "I guess I didn't do a good enough legal job because I didn't hire a lawyer," she says. "... But these books are the most controversial, highly challenged books of the century. There's a reason for that."
Washington Post
By Associated Press
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Macon.com
By Associated Press
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Bridget Gutierrez
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[Editor’s Note: For background, see below.]
[NSBA School Law pages on banning Harry Potter]