← Back to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
RemovedThe book has been formally removed from the library or curriculum.
Ban Details
- Jurisdiction
- Mason City Community School District, IA
- Type
- school district · school
- Stated Reason
- Removed from Mason City school libraries in August 2023 to comply with Iowa SF 496, which requires all public school library materials to be 'age-appropriate' and prohibits any texts that include descriptions or depictions of a 'sex act'. The district used ChatGPT to filter its catalog by asking whether each book contained sexually explicit content.
- Categories
- Sexual ContentLegal Compliance
- Challenged By
- Mason City Community School District (SF 496 compliance via ChatGPT review) (legislation)
- Key Dates
- Reported: Aug 17, 2023Effective: Aug 17, 2023Resolved: Aug 17, 2023
- Verification
- Verified by Mason City Community School District / Gizmodo / Fortune reporting on Apr 8, 2026
Timeline
RemovedThe book has been formally removed from the library or curriculum.
Removed from Mason City Community School District libraries under IA SF 496.