View obscene and harmful books located in NC schools North Carolina Book Locations Choose your school district to see book locations. If you don't see your district, contact us. We could use your help. You must be 18 years of age to view the links on district pages. DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT RATING SCALE CONTENT RATING SCALE Alamance-Burlington School System Alexander County Schools Asheboro City and Randolph County Schools Asheville City Schools Brunswick County Schools Buncombe County Schools Burke County Public Schools Cabarrus County Schools Caldwell County Schools Carteret County Schools Catawba County Schools Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Chatham County Schools Cleveland County Schools Cumberland County Schools Davidson County Schools and Lexington City Schools Durham Public Schools Edenton- Chowan County Schools Franklin County Schools Gaston County Schools Graham County Schools Guilford County Schools Harnett County Schools Henderson County Schools Iredell-Statesville Schools Jackson County Schools Johnston County Schools Lee County Schools Macon County Schools McDowell County Schools Moore County Schools Mooresville Graded School District Nash County Public Schools New Hanover County Schools Onslow County Schools Orange County Schools Pender County Schools Perquimans County Schools Person County Schools Pitt County Schools Polk County Schools Rutherford County Schools Surry County Schools and Mount Airy City Schools Swain County. Schools Transylvania County Schools Vance County Schools Wake County Public Schools Wilson County Schools Winston Salem/ Forsyth County Schools ACTION STEPS Contact

Contact us. Questions or concerns? Do you have a story to share? Would you like to join our team? Contact Us Join Our Team Would you like to be part of a team that advocates for children, parents, and excellence in education? Let us know how you would like to help! Up Join Our Team First name* Last name Email* Phone How did you learn about us? Check all that apply. Host neighborhood meeting Evaluate gender diverse books Increase social media presence Grow our phone lists Enter data on statewide excel sheets Research and update schools materials webpage Join the Love America Project Grow our recommended reading list Assist at events Coordinate Awake and Act Events Other Submit DONATE Are you a parent or educator with questions or concerns? Contact us. We will try to help. Contact Us First name Last name Email Phone Comments or Concerns Submit Thank you for contacting us. We will be in touch.

The Content Rating Scale The RATED BOOKS reports reflect familiar rating systems used for movies, television, video games, and music, which help families identify levels of explicit content, language, profanity, violence, and other mature themes. These mainstream systems were modeled after the widely recognized MPA film rating system introduced in 1968. Click on image to download. The National Book Rating Index (NBRI) is a multi-source review platform that combines evaluations from independent reviewers to create a single national rating for each book. These ratings help highlight content concerns such as language, violence, sexual themes, and ideological content, giving parents and educators a clearer understanding of how a book’s material may impact its overall rating. The NBRI is well suited for parent use, school and district use. Check out the GREENLIGHT TAB as well.

NC Legislation that will support children and families when passed. Supporting North Carolina Children and Families The Pavement Education Project supports the following bills making their way through the General Assembly. We ask you to let your legislators know you support them as well. House Bill 636 Promoting Wholesome Content for Students would require every school district to adopt a policy for the selection and procurement of library books, electronic media and other resources for school libraries. Library media must be suitable for the age, grade level, intellectual development, and ability level of students, aligning with their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacities. Materials would be considered inappropriate if containing descriptions or visual depictions of sexual activity or is pervasively vulgar as defined in G.S. 14-190.13. Those materials would be removed. HB 636 also strengthens the Parents Bill of Rights by providing relief for families. Read here . Contact your legislators today! https://www.ncleg.gov/findyourlegislators AND SIGN OUR PETITION in Support of HB 636 https://www.pavementeducationproject.org/wholesomecontent OTHER BILLS WE SUPPORT : House Bill 83 Revise Laws Governing Minors will amend the offense of disseminating obscenity to minors and add the offenses of disseminating obscenity, harmful material, and exhibiting harmful performances to minors to the list, possibly requiring offenders to register, while establishing new offenses of habitual and aggravated habitual indecent exposure with mandatory registration. Read here . Senate Bill 516 Women’s Safety and Protection Act focuses on safeguarding women and girls in sensitive environments by defining male, female, man, woman, and sex based on biological criteria. Read here . Contact your legislators today! https://www.ncleg.gov/findyourlegislators Please email these legislators as well. Sen. Rabon Bill.Rabon@ncleg.gov Sen. Daniel Warren.Daniel@ncleg.gov.. Sen. Barnes Lisa.Barnes@ncleg.gov Sen. Blue Dan.Blue@ncleg.gov. Sen. Berger Phil.Berger@ncleg.gov. Sen. Britt Danny.Britt@ncleg.gov Sen. Galey Amy.Galey@ncleg.gov Sen. Garrett. Michael.Garrett@ncleg.gov Sen. Sawrey Benton.Sawrey@ncleg.gov Contact us at pepnc@protonmail.com Visit us at https://www.pavementeducationproject.org CONTACT US/JOIN DONATE

Concerns and Remedies Concerns and Remedies Protecting North Carolina's Students: Identified Concerns & Proposed Remedies outlines the Pavement Education Project's recommendations for increasing transparency, accountability, and parental involvement in K–12 education. This resource identifies concerns related to library and classroom materials, digital resources, catalog accessibility, and compliance with existing North Carolina laws, while proposing practical solutions focused on statewide standards, legislative action, and consistent review processes. The goal is to equip parents, educators, and policymakers with actionable strategies that promote age-appropriate educational materials, strengthen parental rights, and restore confidence in public education. DOWNLOAD Tools and Documents to Aid Legislators, School Boards, and Educators Content Categories and Tier System This document outlines the Pavement Education Project's framework for evaluating instructional and library materials used in schools. It establishes content categories and a four-tier rating system designed to assess age appropriateness, educational value, and compliance with North Carolina laws, including the Parents' Bill of Rights and statutes regarding material harmful to minors. The framework provides guidance for reviewing sensitive content, determining grade-level suitability, outlining parental notification and permission requirements, and ensuring that instructional materials align with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study while supporting transparency and parental involvement in education. DOWNLOAD The National Book Rating Index aggregates reviews from multiple independent sources to assign a single National Rating for each book. This reveals how content concerns—such as language, violence, sexual themes, or ideological elements—influence the final rating. NBRI national database and automated audit tools that can move the conversation from cultural rhetoric to MULTIPLE ratings and reviews that enable informed choice for every family. Whether you are a district leader or public library looking to build trust or a parent seeking clarity, or a librarian preparing a purchase order, the NBRI can be a powerful tool to assist you.

NC Book Challenges UNDER CONSTRUCTION Contact us at PEPNCChallenges@proton.me

Please sign the petition to support HB 636: Promoting Wholesome Content for Students. The results will be share with North Carolina legislators. HB 636: Promoting Wholesome Content Pornographic content is unsuitable for educational environments. Exposure to sexually explicit material can be deeply harmful and traumatic for children, potentially causing long-term psychological damage. HB 636 establishes reasonable standards to safeguard children, ensuring that educational materials are suitable for their developmental stage. Schools should foster the growth of young minds, not expose them to content that undermines their innocence. This legislation protects public school students by mandating that library books and materials meet specific criteria: they must support and enhance personal learning, be appropriate for the students’ age, grade, intellectual development, and exclude content harmful to minors, such as material depicting or describing sexual activity or that is excessively vulgar. HB 636 ensures children are shielded from sexually explicit content presented as educational material in the public school library. Read HB 636 HERE. Please read and sign the petition below to show your support. We do not share your information with vendors or third parties. The petitions will be shared with North Carolina legislators.

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The SHOULDN'T READ LiST- Needs Parental Knowledge and Consent Read the Book Reports All Boys Aren't Blue by George Johnson Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Tricks by Ellen Hopkins Looking for Alaska by John Green The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews Crank by Ellen Hopkins Sold by Patricia McCormick Flamer by Mike Curato MISLEADING MESSAGE 1984 by George Orwell Interpretations of 1984 by George Orwell often overlook core themes of a dystopian society and totalitarian control. The novel serves as a warning against the erosion of truth. The Pavement Education Project supports the use of this book with mature students, late in high school. Here are some of the main themes: Totalitarianism and Oppression is depicted in a society under the iron grip of the Party, led by Big Brother, who exercises absolute control over every aspect of life. Surveillance and Loss of Privacy occurs through constant monitoring via telescreens, hidden microphones, and the Thought Police. The Party manipulates truth, rewrites history and controls information to maintain power as the book shows how truth can be distorted to serve political ends. Individualism is crushed by collective power. The Nature of Reality and Truth is altered by the ability of the Party to alter facts to challenge the existence of objective truth, leaving individuals powerless to resist. Psychological control is achieved through propaganda and mechanisms that manipulate emotions and thoughts to maintain loyalty to The Party and suppress dissent. Language is weaponized to restrict expression and ideas. Alienation and isolation is the norm because genuine relationships and trust are nearly impossible. The truth is that the no one in our movement is intent on "banning books." For the reasons stated above, 1984 is recommended reading for mature teens. However parents should be notified by letter and/or email regarding whenever sensitive content is considered for use. Parents expect educators to curate book collections to make them suitable for the students they serve. What is the real motive for introducing and promoting content that could harm children and teens? Why do numerous books introduce themes of pornography, violence, drug abuse, and excessive profanity, while also misrepresenting the definitions and distinctions between a man and a woman? Parents need to do their own research, consult rating organizations such as PavementEducationProject.org, RatedBooks.org, or PluggedIn.com before deciding if their child will participate in lessons with content if they have concerns. North Carolina School Library and Media Association Support Banned Books Week North Carolina Association Encourages Banned Book Week 2024 This is a copy of a letter that the North Carolina School Library Media Association. Read about the various ways media specialists can celebrate Banned Books Week with public school students. NCSLMA Members, Banned Books Week is this week, September 22-28! Please explore THIS INFOGRAPHIC for some ideas on how you can celebrate with your students. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to an uptick in book challenges faced by libraries, bookstores, and schools. No one could have ever imagined that number would continue to grow to the frightening level we have seen during the past few years. We celebrate this week every year to help our students and patrons understand the importance of tolerance, respect, representation, and diversity in the printed words that surround us. Celebrating our right to read looks different for different levels. We hope some of these resources help you find an appropriate way to celebrate with your students! Here are a few things to consider as you plan: Rather than focusing on book bans, celebrating lower elementary students’ right to read might look more like a celebration of variety in your library collection. What if one day is all about the books in your library that feature the word “blue” in the title? Maybe another day is all about schools as a setting? And maybe yet another day is all about books that feature a bear as the main character? Displays, signage, and props can make it a great week to show off the collection! Upper elementary students might benefit from displays that showcase the gender, cultural, and racial diversity in your collection. Let them see themselves featured in a colorful display of awesome books! Middle school is ready to broach the subject of book banning. A display of age-appropriate, frequently challenged books can spark wonderfully complex discourse. They’ve got good questions. Answer them. For obvious reasons, the highest number of challenges are aimed at young adult books. They are most likely to feature the themes, characters, and events that some parents, administrators, and school boards find uncomfortable. That is understandable, and it also makes high school the perfect place to let students take the lead with Banned Books Week. Let them research the challenges and the whys. Let them choose the best way to showcase the books. Let them talk about the policies we have in place to ensure quality, appropriate literature for them. Let them ask you why you do -- and do not -- have certain titles in your collection. Then let them talk to the adults in their lives about all of it. There is a lot of uncertainty in our profession these days. There are a lot of distractions and extra responsibilities that sometimes make us forget why we wanted to become librarians. Banned Books Week can be a week to get back to one of the coolest parts of our jobs – helping students discover the freedom that can be found within the pages of a book. Happy Banned Books Week 2024! Sincerely, Lucy Wilcox NCSLMA Advocacy & Governance Director lucywilcox@ncslma.org Check these NC School Websites, Links, and videos Durham County School Guilford County School American Library Association Bannedbooksweek.org Wake County School Books can take children on new and exciting adventures, inspire them, and challenge them to be the best they can be. Books should be safe and developmentally appropriate, specially selected to support the curriculum and interest levels of the students. If you believe a book is unsuitable for children at your child's school, you should contact the school administrators. You will be able to challenge the book and it's placement in your child's school. We encourage you to also reach out to your legislators with your concerns. In our experience, some schools and districts are more responsive to parents than others. Legislators have it within their power to pass legislation protecting children that includes enforcement which is sorely needed in NC statute. Contact us/ Join our Team

eBooks These sexually explicit ebooks are available through Libby and Overdrive. All that is needed is a library card nu Many schools also have subscriptions to ebooks that may include these titles. Libby is a reading app for borrowing digital books and audiobooks from the library's OverDrive collection. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah Maas All Boys Aren't Blue by George M Johnson Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan S Foer Looking for Alaska by John Green George by Alex Gino Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Perez Identical by Ellen Hopkins Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Speak by Laurie Anderson The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Thirteen Reasons Why: A Novel by Jay Asher This One Summer by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki ttfn by Lauren Myracle When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds CONTACT US

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION Diversity, equity, and inclusion Diversity, equity, and inclusion Diversity, equity, and inclusion Diversity, equity, and inclusion Some citizens doubt the existence of DEI n NC schools. Currently, it is present in several formats. Professional development for staff has focused on DEI in a mostly unsuccessful effort to close achievement gaps. The NC Report Cards 2023-2024 show a state with many districts in decline. Using other state data sources, student achievement has been in steady decline. What does it look like in the classroom? Ask any teacher about student behavior. Too many students are disruptive, disrespectful, and aggressive to peers and teachers. NC data supports that claim. Most teachers we talk with are frustrated with the lack of support from administration and sometimes parents. As indicated in the WCPSS Pathway to Excellence + Equity documents, system administrators claim there is "overrepresentation of students by race, ethnicity, or gender in discipline and suspension referrals". With this belief, administrators may feel they were not able to support teachers like they should or risk loosing funding or even their jobs. The increase in the number of reported teacher assaults is unacceptable. We have no idea how many go unreported. With so many disruptions in the classroom, academic studies suffer. If you are a parent, you may have noticed a classroom increase in calm down corners, busy bags with fidget toys, increase in social emotional learning lessons, and zones of regulation to teach self emotional management.This sounds great, but are we seeing positive results? Bullying curriculums, such as CASEL have online components with political agendas and elements of critical race theory. Referencing systemic problems. power and privledge opens the door to teach victimhood. DEI fosters animosity between subgroups. It also burdens some races and genders with oppression. As stated in the WCPSS powerpoint, schools should work towards "the elimination of underrepresented groups of students in advanced coursework". All students should be given classwork that is challenging, yet not too difficult. If students do not have the fundamentals of english, math, science, and social studies, they may not be ready for more advanced work no matter what we might want, regardless of their demographic. Students needing special education services must be placed in the least restrictive environment. The number of students eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has increased over time and so has the need for special education teachers. Our findings indicate that school districts are struggling to find teachers with special education training for self contained, pull out or push in classes. Furthermore, school d istricts are hiring behavior and special education coaches that work with regular education teachers to create plans of action. While this may seem a good solution for keeping students in the least restrictive environment, children with special needs are not meeting their individualized goals, nor are the children in regular education. This strategy also requires an enormous amount of record keeping and documentation. In some cases, teachers are expected to document a child's behavior or progress every 5 minutes. Meanwhile academic scores for regular education and students with disabilities are both unacceptable. Several of North Carolina's largest districts rewrote their Title IX policies under the Biden administration interpretation. Through executive order, Pres. Trump has removed those interpretations and established policies that recognize two genders, male and female. Board policies throughout the state should reflect the change. He has also prohibited hormone treatment and surgery on minors who want to transition. Another executive order addressed women in sports, ensuring safe spaces and fair competitions for girls and women. All educators and citizens want children and adults to be treated with respect and dignity. We want children to receive a high quality education. The elimination of DEI will benefit all students by setting high expectations for academics and behavior for ALL students, free of distractions of racial and sexual ideologies. Wake County School and other boards across the state are willing to risk loss of federal funds in order to maintain DEI programs and policies. US Dept of Education DEI reporting portal Executive Order Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling US Dept of Education Directs Schools to End Racial Preferences Executive Order Protecting Safety, Fairness, and Dignity in Women’s Sports Executive Order Protects Civil Rights and Merit-Based Opportunity by Ending Illegal DEI SHARE YOUR STORY NC Acts of Crime and Violence by Grade Level 2023-2024 https://nsjonline.com/article/2025/01/wake-county-schools-paid-440k-plus-to-legislators-equity-training-group/ https://www.johnlocke.org/wake-county-public-school-system-doubles-down-on-equity/ https://www.wcpss.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=21915&ModuleInstanceID=7209&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=309708&PageID=57774 https://ncreports.ondemand.sas.com/src/ https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article300911304.html

The Love America Project is aimed at sharing activities and lessons with children and teens that create a love for our country. Love America Project The Pavement Education Project wants to share our love of America with the children and teens of our state. We do this through special lessons and activities that reveal our nation’s story—its struggles, the truth of our history, and the bright future we believe still lies ahead. If you would like to join our team by co-teaching or creating content, please contact us and share your information and background. Our thought provoking content is appropriate for: school classrooms homeschool groups microschools civic groups The Creation of the US Constitution “AMERICA’S RULEBOOK: THE CONSTITUTION AND ITS ROOTS” is a unit designed for 5th and 6th grade students. The materials include activities on the Articles of Confederation, an introduction to the concepts and vocabulary needed to understand the Constitutional Convention, the Readers Theater Script, and follow-up Detective Missions. Our unit aligns with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. We are excited to share these engaging and age-appropriate materials with you. This unit has been used multiple times. Please contact us and share your name and the grade level you teach. Contact Memorial Day “Remembering Our Homegrown Heroes" is a Memorial Day project designed to provide an engaging Readers Theater for 5th and 6th grade students. The unit is complete, aligns with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, and focuses on North Carolina heroes It has been successfully used multiple times. If you are interested in us assisting you with this activity, please contact us by sharing your name, the grade level you teach, and your school. Contact Foundations and Freedoms The setting of the this Readers Theater is between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. It has a large cast of characters from George Washington, Lady Liberty, to Barack Obama. Fifth graders and sixth graders will develop an appreciation for the leaders of our country. Contact All units are created by current and retired North Carolina certified teachers. Each unit is designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of our nation, an appreciation for its founding principles, and respect for the sacrifices made to create, protect, and preserve our republic. Your donation helps provide the materials and resources needed to make these projects possible. DONATE

Celebrations! The following schools have removed or rehoused age inappropriate content from their school libraries! We are so pleased for the students and so proud of you! Under Construction Burke County Schools East Burke High And They Lived by Steven Salvatore Crank by Ellen Hopkins The Duff by Kody Keplinger Empire of Storms by Sarah Maas The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk Identical by Ellen Hopkins Life is Funny by ER Frank The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Red Hood by Elana Arnold Rumble by Ellen Hopkins Sold by Patricia McCormick Traffick by Ellen Hopkins Tricks by Ellen Hopkins Freedom High And They Lived by Steven Salvatore Boy Toy by Barry Lyga The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood multiple copies Heroine by Mindy McGinnis Rumble by Ellen Hopkins Sold by Patricia McCormick Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen Wicked:the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Mcguire The You I Have Never Known by Ellen Hopkins Robert Patton High The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Sold by Patricia McCormick Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Mcguire Draughn High Call Me by Your Name by Andre Aciman The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Life is Funny by ER Frank Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Sold by Patricia McCormick The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen WIcked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Mcguire East Burke Middle Chosen by PC Cast Fade by Lisa McCann Go Ask Alice by Anonymous The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi Hallyburton Academy Chosen by PC Cast Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult Sold by Patricia McCormick Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Liberty Middle Chosen by PC Cast Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Mcguire Table Rock Middle Crank by Ellen Hopkins Glass by Ellen Hopkins Speak by Laurie Anderson Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Walter Johnson Middle Speak: the graphic novel by Laurie Anderson Brunswick County Schools

Share your concerns regarding age-inappropriate and harmful materials found in school curricum or libraries. Protecting Children Protecting children means shielding them from age-inappropriate and harmful content that threatens their well-being and healthy development. Join us in this effort by adding your name to our call for action. We do not sell your information. Concerns About Age-Inappropriate and Harmful Books and Materials in Public Schools Pass Legislation & Policies to Protect Children From Harmful Content * First name * Last name * Street Address Address * City or Town * State * Zip Code County * Email Phone * Please state your concerns. Submit

Thankful...Veto Overrides Are Pro Family and Ensure Freedom of Religion North Carolina House Bill 805, the "Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors Act ," requires age verification for online pornography, prohibits state funding for gender transition procedures for minors and prisoners, regulates school sleeping arrangements by biological sex, and allows parents to access and restrict school library materials while permitting students to opt out of classroom activities conflicting with their religious beliefs If a lesson or materials conflict with your religious beliefs, complete the form and submit it to your child's teacher and principal. Keep a copy if emailing. Follow up to confirm receipt. Opt Out -Request for Religious Exemption editable form List of inappropriate books

North Carolina Statutes regarding material harmful to minors. LAWS, STATUTES, AND OPINIONS Mahmoud v. Taylor Case Summary Background: In Mahmoud v. Taylor, parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, challenged the school district’s policy on LGBTQ+-themed storybooks in elementary classrooms. The Dispute: The Montgomery County Board of Education integrated LGBTQ+-inclusive storybooks into the curriculum. Initially, parents could opt out, but the district later eliminated this option, citing administrative challenges and a commitment to inclusion. Parents from diverse religious backgrounds claimed the no-opt-out policy violated their First Amendment religious freedom and parental rights. Lower Court Rulings: The district court rejected the parents’ request for a preliminary injunction, a decision upheld by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Supreme Court Decision: On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the parents, finding that the no-opt-out policy infringed on their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. Impact: The court’s ruling strengthens parental rights and religious liberty, affirming parents’ ability to shape their children’s education according to their beliefs. It stated, “A welcoming classroom cannot be achieved through hostility toward students’ and parents’ religious beliefs.” SUPREME COURT RULING Allowing Parents to OPT OUT of Lessons Contrary to Religious Beliefs Read the Ruling HERE Click the PARENT RESOURCES for OPT OUT documents for you to use. More Important Supreme Court Rulings Below Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling Executive Order 14190 Issued 2/3/2025 Executive Order 14190, titled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K–12 Schooling," is an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 29, 2025. It aims to restrict federal funding for K–12 schools that implement curricula or policies related to "gender ideology" and "discriminatory equity ideology," a term defined within the order. The order also reinstates the 1776 Commission to promote "patriotic education". Read the complete document HERE. Examples of Violations Violations are centered on educational materials, curricula, and practices that are deemed to promote "discriminatory equity ideology" or "gender ideology". Specific actions and materials that could violate the order include: Facilitating social transition without parental consent: This includes a teacher or school counselor affirming a transgender minor's gender identity. Using preferred names and pronouns: Referring to a transgender or nonbinary student by their preferred name or pronouns, in instances where it would be interpreted as supporting "social transition" or "gender ideology". Granting access to segregated facilities: Allowing a student to use a bathroom, locker room, or sports team that differs from their sex assigned at birth. Teaching about systemic racism or implicit bias: School curricula that include concepts like "white privilege" or "unconscious bias" are considered anti-American and in violation of the order. Promoting DEI programs and frameworks: The order prohibits federally funded teacher training programs from including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) concepts. Distorting American history: Curricula that do not align with the "patriotic education" narrative promoted by the reinstated 1776 Commission could be seen as violations. RECENT NORTH CAROLINA STATUTES Recently HB 805: Prevent Sexual Exploitation of Women and Minors passed with a veto override. The bill defines sex as biological male or female, bans taxpayer-funded gender-transition procedures for inmates and restricts them for minors, extends malpractice lawsuit windows, mandates age verification for online pornography, regulates school sleeping arrangements, ensures parental opt-out rights for conflicting classroom materials, and makes school library catalogs searchable with parental controls. Gov Stein signed SB 442: Parents Protection Act i nto law. The Parents Protection Act, protects parents from losing custody or facing prosecution for refusing gender-affirming treatments for their children. It addresses cases where courts or social services deem non-affirmation as maltreatment, safeguarding parental rights and religious freedoms. NC Statutes That Impact Children, Education, and Parental Rights. Parents and Guardians send their children to school with expectations that they will receive a good education, and have access to appropriate materials and texts. They also expect an environment in which their child's physical and mental health is protected. Content defined as obscene is now included in libraries and classrooms by North Carolina Statute § 14-190.13 Definitions for certain offenses concerning minors. Content may show graphic images or have descriptions of sexual acts. Please take note of North Carolina Statute § 14-190.15. Disseminating harmful material to minors; exhibiting harmful performances to minors. It allows a defense for schools, libraries, and museums to have a pass. No one ever thought such inappropriate literature would appear within the walls of a school. We must work with legislators to make the changes needed to protect children from age inappropriate and harmful content. The Parents' Bill of Rights. § 115C-76.55. ( SB 49) addresses the requirement for age-appropriate instruction for grades kindergarten through fourth grade. It states that " instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality shall not be included in the curriculum provided in grades kindergarten through fourth grade, regardless of whether the information is provided by school personnel or third parties." It also prohibits the use of inappropriate inappropriate core and supplementary materials. Look at your child's school district and school on this website to see if there are inappropriate materials available to your child. Some books and materials available in schools may be in violation of NC General Statute 115C-81.30. Reproductive Health and Safety Education. This content and subject matter may lead children to question their own sexual identity. The Pavement Education Project team working with concerned citizens have identified a selection of books believed to be in violation of North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 14. Criminal Law § 14-190.1. Obscene literature and exhibitions. Other North Carolina General Statutes regarding Materials Harmful to Minors. Read Subchapter VII Offenses Against Public Morality and Decency Article 26 for the entire statute, definitions, and related offenses toward minors. Contact your legislators with your concerns related to this statute and the intent of the law. The PEP website shows books, book lists, and related information under the BOOKS tab. North Carolina school districts, books, and links to excerpts are shown under the LOCATIONS tab. If you are interested in assisting with book searches in your NC school district, we can help you get started. Book banning is not the focus, but the appropriateness of such books in a public school setting is questionable. SB 808: An Act to Prohibit Gender Transition Procedures for MinorsGender Transition for Minors limits medical transitioning procedures or to prescribe, provide, or dispense puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones to a minor. The statute makes provision for children that have disorders, under treatments for a variety of medical maladies, or suffer physiological abnormalities. The statute outlines penalties for violation of the statute. HOUSE BILL 574: Fairness in Women's Sports Act also became law. It will "prohibit male students from playing on middle school, high school, or collegiate athletics teams designated for females, women, or girls". It also will "require a student's sex to be recognized solely based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth for purposes of athletic participation." Changes in laws affecting charter schools were enacted in HB 219: The Charter School Omnibus. It clarifies requirements of charter application and renewal. It addresses enrollment in low performing schools. Admittance of out of state students and children of military families are also outlined. Other Important NC Statutes SUPREME COURT RULINGS AND DECISIONS RELATED TO BOOKS AND LITERATURE The Miller Test is the primary legal test for determining whether expression constitutes obscenity . It is named after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Miller v. California (1973) . The Miller Test i s a three-prong legal standard used to determine if material is considered obscene. It requires that the average person, applying contemporary community standards, find: 1) the material appeals to the prurient interest (a sexual interest) 2) the material depicts or describes patently offensive sexual conduct defined by law 3) the material, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. Island Tree School District VS Pico In the Supreme Court case Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982), the Court held that the First Amendment limits the power of junior high and high school officials to remove books from school libraries because of their content. The Supreme Court ruled in the students’ favor on First Amendment grounds, holding that the right to read is implied by the First Amendment. The government—in this case, a public school—cannot restrict speech because it does not agree with the content of that speech. The decisions called libraries places for “voluntary inquiry” and concluded that the school board’s “absolute discretion” over the classroom did not extend to the library for that reason. The ruling also established that public schools can remove books from libraries if they are deemed "pervasively vulgar" or not suitable for the curriculum. However, schools cannot remove books simply because they disagree with the ideas presented in those books. The ruling acknowledges the First Amendment rights of students to access information, while also allowing for school boards to exercise reasonable control over the educational environment. Case v. Unified School District (1995) This case concerned the removal of Annie on My Mind, a book about a lesbian relationship, from the Olathe, Kansas, school district’s high school libraries. The book’s removal was challenged as a violation of the First Amendment. The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas ruled that the school district’s decision to remove the book violated the First Amendment rights of students. The court found that the removal was motivated by the school board’s disagreement with the book’s content rather than any legitimate educational concerns. The book was ordered to be returned to the school libraries. The Pavement Education Project supports the passage of HB 636: Promoting Wholesome Content. Read and sign the Petition . HB 636: Promoting Wholesome Content CONTACT/JOIN OUR TEAM FIND MY NC LEGISLATORS

Reading and book resources, Lexile ratings, Destiny Discover Follett online card catalog, Manga and Anime, Graphic novels, Reading, Books, and More The Resources listed here are for parents, grandparents, and citizens. We want you to have the information needed to understand the numbers that educators are talking about, how to search for a book yourself, look at some good resources, and what to avoid. Please email us if you have questions. Understanding Lexile Reading Levels Using the Online Card Catalog Using Follett, the Online Card Clatalog Books We Love! What are Graphic Novels? What is Manga? What is Anime? Anime and Mental Health Video Games and Gaming Books Sora and Public Libraries Books with Awards and Medals Contact Us

Steps to protect your children, Challenge book forms, addressing your concerns with the school board, groups with similar interests Live in Wake County? Sign The Kite Runner Petition! Edit WHAT CAN I DO? TAKE ACTION. Protect your Child From Harmful Content Challenge a Book Address the School Board OPT Out of Reproductive Health Lessons Join our Team Groups Concerned About Education in NC OPT Out of APPS Linked to ebooks REPORT INCIDENTS of Students Accessing PORN on School Devices What is Social and Emotional Learning? CONTACT/ JOIN OUR TEAM