Supreme Court declines Llano County library case, leaving 5th Circuit ruling intact
The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in the Llano County library case, leaving a 5th Circuit ruling in place that allows local officials to remove books deemed objectionable from public libraries. Plaintiffs and librarian Carolyn Foote warned the denial will embolden wider removals — a reversal of a district judge’s order to restore titles such as Caste and They Called Themselves the K.K.K. — and the 5th Circuit’s opinion, which said “No one is banning” books, now carries precedential weight across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
📌 Key Facts
- The Supreme Court declined to take the Llano County library case, leaving the 5th Circuit’s ruling intact.
- The 5th Circuit, in an opinion by Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan, reversed a district judge’s order to restore removed books and wrote that “No one is banning” books and that patrons can obtain them elsewhere.
- The 5th Circuit ruling now has precedential effect across its jurisdictions: Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
- Specific titles removed from the Llano County library included Caste and They Called Themselves the K.K.K.; a district judge had ordered those books restored before the 5th Circuit reversed that restoration.
- Plaintiff Leila Green Little and librarian Carolyn Foote provided on‑the‑record reactions, warning the Supreme Court’s denial will embolden broader book removals and is already being cited elsewhere.
📊 Relevant Data
Authors of color wrote 39% of the books banned in US schools during the 2021-22 school year, despite comprising only 10% of all US authors.
Most U.S. Book Bans Target Children’s Literature Featuring Diverse Characters and Authors of Color — Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
In the 2023-24 school year, 36% of banned book titles in US public schools featured people of color.
Most banned books feature people of color and LGBTQ+ people, report finds — The Guardian
In the 2023-24 school year, 25% of banned book titles in US public schools featured LGBTQ+ characters or themes.
Most banned books feature people of color and LGBTQ+ people, report finds — The Guardian
The non-Hispanic White population in Texas decreased from 45.3% in 2010 to 39.8% in 2022, while the Hispanic population increased from 37.7% to 40.2%.
📰 Sources (2)
- Axios cites the 5th Circuit opinion by Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan, including his line that 'No one is banning' books and patrons can obtain them elsewhere.
- Plaintiff Leila Green Little and librarian Carolyn Foote provide on‑the‑record reactions, warning the denial will embolden broader book removals and is already being cited elsewhere.
- Specific removed titles are named (e.g., 'Caste' and 'They Called Themselves the K.K.K.'), along with background that a district judge ordered the books restored before the 5th Circuit reversed.
- The article notes the precedential effect of the 5th Circuit’s ruling across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.