WENTZVILLE, Mo. — The ACLU and two students filed a class-action lawsuit against the Wentzville School District over the banning of multiple books, including Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye."
The lawsuit alleges that the district removed multiple books and the "decisive factor in the decisions to remove the Banned Books was dislike of the ideas or opinions contained in the books by policymakers, school officials, community members, or a combination of those."
The books named in the lawsuit are:
- "All Boys Aren’t Blue" by George Matthew Johnson
- "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" by Alison Bechdel
- "Gabi, a Girl in Pieces" by Isabel Quintero
- "Heavy: An American Memoir" by Kiese Laymon
- "Invisible Girl: A Novel" by Lisa Jewell
- "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison
- "Modern Romance: An Investigation" by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg
- "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison.
The lawsuit claims the decision to remove the books violated the students' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights "by restricting their access to ideas and information for an improper purpose."
It was filed by the ACLU on behalf of two students in the district. The students were identified by initials in the lawsuit because they are minors.
5 On Your Side contacted the school district about the lawsuit. A spokesperson said they are aware the suit has been filed and declined to provide a comment on the litigation.
"The Bluest Eye" was the latest book banned by the district. In a January school board meeting, the board voted to ban the piece of literature from school libraries.
Concerned parents say it's not suitable for children and contains "graphic sexual violence."
The lawsuit is seeking a preliminary injunction to get the books back onto library shelves until the suit can play out in court.
The lawsuit can be read below or by clicking here.