Lawsuits (9)
Active and decided litigation challenging (or enforcing) laws and policies that restrict book access. Every case links to the laws it touches and the sources we used to verify it.
| Case | Court | Jurisdiction | Status | Filed | Plaintiff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peling v. Grossmont Union High School District Peling-v-GUHSD-2026 | San Diego Superior Court, California | California | FiledThe complaint has been filed with the court but the case has not yet advanced. | Apr 1, 2026 | Tenzin Peling (special-education administrator, GUHSD) |
| 9 Former Librarians v. Grossmont Union High School District GUHSD-Librarians-9-2026 | San Diego Superior Court, California | California | FiledThe complaint has been filed with the court but the case has not yet advanced. | Apr 1, 2026 | 9 former GUHSD teacher-librarians (names not in accessible public coverage) |
| PEN America v. Utah State Board of Education 2:24-cv-00055-DBB | U.S. District Court, District of Utah | Utah | OngoingThe case is active — no final ruling yet. | Jan 1, 2024 | PEN America; authors; students; Vonnegut estate |
| ACLU v. Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District 3:23-cv-00265-SLG | U.S. District Court, District of Alaska | Alaska | SettledThe parties reached a settlement — often with monetary terms — without a court ruling on the merits. | Dec 1, 2023 | ACLU of Alaska; parents and students |
| Iowa Safe Schools v. Reynolds 24-1075 | U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit (originally U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa) | Iowa | AppealedThe decision has been appealed to a higher court. | Nov 28, 2023 | Iowa Safe Schools; eight Iowa students and their families (grades 4-12) |
| Book People, Inc. v. Wong 23-12532 | U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit | Texas | Injunction GrantedA court has granted an injunction blocking enforcement of the challenged law or policy. | Sep 1, 2023 | Book People, Inc.; Blue Willow Bookshop; American Booksellers Association |
| Penguin Random House v. Escambia County School Board 3:23-cv-10385-TKW | U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida | Florida | OngoingThe case is active — no final ruling yet. | May 17, 2023 | Penguin Random House; authors; PEN America; students; parents |
| ACLU v. Douglas County School District RE-1 (Elizabeth SD) 1:22-cv-01481-PAB-SBP | U.S. District Court, District of Colorado | Colorado | Ruling for PlaintiffThe court ruled in favor of the plaintiff (usually the side seeking to restore book access). | Jun 1, 2022 | ACLU of Colorado; parents and students |
| Tagnesi v. Grossmont Union High School District Tagnesi-v-GUHSD-2024 | San Diego Superior Court, California | California | SettledThe parties reached a settlement — often with monetary terms — without a court ruling on the merits. | — | Rose Tagnesi (special-education teacher, GUHSD) |