MISSOURI — A 2022 state law that prohibited schools from providing books classified
as “explicit sexual material” to students was overturned in Cole County on Nov. 17, 2025, by
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs after a lawsuit filed by local librarians.
Before it was struck down late last year, the law — legally referred to as Missouri
Revised Statute 573.550 of Senate Bill 775 — criminalized librarians, teachers and any other
school staff who made available materials containing visual depictions of sexually explicit acts.
Any violation would be labeled a Class A misdemeanor and could result in up to one year in jail
or a fine of up to $2,000.
Following the law’s enactment, 12 school districts removed 315 books from their shelves
between July and December 2022, according to St. Charles Community College’s website. At
Lindbergh High School, the removed titles included The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel,
The Sun and Her Flowers and volumes one through four of the popular series A Game of
Thrones, based on information obtained from the school through the Missouri Sunshine Law
and Freedom of Information Act, made in November of 2022.
Missouri SB 775 was officially challenged in February 2023 on behalf of the Missouri
Association of School Librarians (MASL) and the Missouri Library Association (MLA). The
lawsuit was filed by American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri (ACLU), according to court
documents filed within the appeal.
In their petition, the plaintiffs said that the bill was “unconstitutional” and violated both the
Missouri Constitution’s Free Speech Clause (Article 1, Section 8) and Due Process Clause
(Article 1, Section 10).
“The ACLU of Missouri will always stand for the right to access ideas and information in
schools and defend the ability of trained library professionals to make choices about what books
are appropriate for their library shelves,” Gilllian R. Wilcox, the ACLU’s Director of Litigation,
said in a statement.
The petition also said that the law appeared to target minorities, as a large number of the
banned books “[were] authored by or are about individuals who are minorities and/or identify as
LGBTQ+,” according to the court filing.
The petition also described SB 775 as “vague and overbroad,” stating that the law was
unclear on the difference between actions taken in a school capacity versus personal capacity.
This left educators and volunteers unsure whether they could be held liable for what they taught
or discussed at home, they said.
“This statute has created a chilling effect on school library collection development,
resulting in fewer representative books within our collections due to fear of prosecution,” Melissa
Corey, MASL’s former president, said in a statement. She believed that librarians were being
forced to second-guess every decision, which she claimed limited students’ access to a larger
range of ideas.
The lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Missouri sought to clarify when and how such
restrictions could apply, aiming to eliminate the threat of arbitrary enforcement. Jenn Baldwin,
current President of the Missouri Association of School Librarians, said the court’s ruling
restored librarians’ ability to support students’ literacy without fear.
“This decision affirms our work as Missouri school librarians to respect parental rights to
help their own children select diverse books appropriate for them,” Kimberly Moeller, Missouri
Library Association’s 2024 president, said. Moeller added: “This ruling removes the fear of
prosecution and allows library professionals to continue doing what they do best: partnering with
families to foster a love of learning and literacy.”
However, the ruling does not immediately change how SB 775 is enforced statewide.
According to district officials, the court’s decision currently applies only to Cole County, meaning
the law remains in effect elsewhere in Missouri unless addressed by further legal action or
overturned by a higher court.
Lindbergh’s Communications Director Beth Johnston said the district is closely
monitoring the situation but must continue following state law as it currently stands.
“This ruling only applies to the jurisdiction where the circuit court is located, and the law
is still in effect at this time,” Johnston said. “Our district values the role that library media centers
play, both as a part of the academic experience and social-emotional development. In serving a
large, diverse student population, it is our intention to help students see themselves reflected in
the literature as well as be exposed to new learning opportunities. Having said that, as long as
the law remains in effect, Lindbergh Schools will continue to ensure compliance with the
requirements set forth in SB 775.”
