PENNSYLVANIA BANNED BOOKS | Pennsylvania district didn’t actually ban ‘Girls Who Code’ books. Here are the facts September 16, 2024

PENNSYLVANIA BANNED BOOKS | Pennsylvania district didn’t actually ban ‘Girls Who Code’ books. Here are the facts

BY Usman September 30, 2022

When individuals driving a movement to narrow the gender gap in technology saw that the “Girls Who Code” book series had appeared on a list of prohibited books, the controversy about book bans was rekindled. Nevertheless, the Central York School District in Pennsylvania claims that the book series was not officially prohibited in classrooms. Pennsylvania Banned Books, It is accurate to say that four volumes from the series were included on a list of publications that were prohibited in the 2021–2022 school year. The list was collected by the free speech organization PEN America, which also utilized the information to issue a study that identified certain organizations as the driving force behind the widespread book bans.

According to a report released last week, 2,532 instances of books being banned were documented by PEN America researchers. Some of these cases, like the uproar surrounding “Girls Who Code,” were broadcast by the news media. Other bans were reported directly to PEN. An inquiry for comment from PEN America was not answered.

According to the Central York School District | Pennsylvania Banned Books

The Central York School District asserts that the series was never forbidden. As opposed to that, the books were on a list of resources that was later removed. The four “Girls Who Code” books, “Team BFF: Race to the Finish!” by Stacia Deutsch. The books “The Friendship Code,” “Spotlight on Coding Club!” by Michelle Schusterman, and “Lights, Music, Code!” by Jo Whittemore, were among 200 books selected for a Diversity Resource List by the Central York School District following the death of George Floyd in 2020.

According to spokeswoman Nicole Montgomery

According to spokeswoman Nicole Montgomery, the Central York School District is home to an active branch of Girls Who Code that offers an after-school program. There were objections soon after the school district published the Diversity Resource List in 2020. According to The Guardian, with the exception of using resources. That was already available before they were added to the Diversity Resource List. Instructors were instructed not to utilize the titles on the list for class teaching after the school board opted to put the list on hold. The “Girls Who Code” series was among them.

The board later decided to reinstate the list and make the resources available to teachers once more in September 2021 after the decision to remove the list. That included black voices in the curriculum drew widespread attention, according to The Guardian.