Elgin School District U46

Date: 1997

Region: North America

Subject: Explicit Sexuality

Medium: Literature, Education


Artist: Judy Blume

Confronting Bodies: Elgin School District U46, Illinois

Dates of Action: 1997

Location: Middle School, District U46, Elgin Illinois

Description of Artwork: The novel Forever depicts a first time teenage romance wherein the couple decides to have sex. It's an idyllic affair -- until they're separated that summer...

The Incident: The school board removed the novel from the school library in 1997, citing parental complaints about sexuality.

Results of Incident: The decision was challenged in 1999, but the policy remained despite the complaints. The NCAC has urged the school board to reinstate Forever, pointing out that removal of books due to their content is unconstitutional.

Source: NCAC, judyblume.com, American Library Association