What Books Are Banned in Virginia Schools and Why?

There is no statewide list of banned books in Virginia schools. Each of the state’s 131 school divisions decides what stays on its own library shelves, and a 2025 survey by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found 223 unique titles had been removed somewhere in Virginia between July 2020 and March 2025.¹ About two-thirds of divisions reported pulling zero books for content reasons during that stretch, so the removals are concentrated in a relatively small number of communities. A book off the shelf in one county is often still available in the next.

The Titles Removed Most Often

Across the divisions that did remove books, a handful of titles came up repeatedly:

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe — removed in seven divisions, more than any other title in the state
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins — six divisions
Identical by Ellen Hopkins — five divisions
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky — five divisions
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut — three divisions
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood — three divisions

Other well-known titles pulled in at least one division include Beloved by Toni Morrison, It and Bag of Bones by Stephen King, Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, and All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson.¹ Spotsylvania County drew national attention when its superintendent ordered 14 titles pulled from high school shelves, including two Toni Morrison novels, Looking for Alaska by John Green, and several books featuring LGBTQ+ characters or themes.

Among the 32 divisions that reported any removals, the numbers varied widely. Some pulled one or two titles; others pulled dozens.¹

Why These Books Are Being Pulled

Two reasons dominate the explanations divisions gave. The most common was Virginia’s sexually explicit content law (Code § 22.1-16.8). The second was local school board policy. Other stated reasons included “developmental inappropriateness,” vulgar language, and anti-religious content.¹

The sexually explicit content law traces to Senate Bill 656, signed in 2022. It required the Virginia Department of Education to develop model policies for handling instructional materials containing sexually explicit content, and required every local school board to adopt consistent policies by January 1, 2023.² Under the VDOE model policy, principals must notify parents in writing at least 30 days before using any instructional material with sexually explicit content, identify the specific material, and offer alternative materials on request. Schools must also publish a current list of such materials by grade and subject on their public website.³

One important limit on SB 656 often gets missed. The law covers instructional materials used in teaching, not every book on a library shelf, and the statute itself says it “shall not be construed as requiring or providing for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.”² Despite that language, some divisions have applied the law’s framework to library collections, which is where much of the current controversy sits.

How a Book Actually Gets Removed

Removals in Virginia follow a general pattern, though every division sets its own specifics. It starts with a formal written complaint. Most divisions require the person objecting to fill out a specific form naming the book and explaining the concern.

The complaint then goes to a review committee, usually a mix of educators, librarians, and administrators who weigh the book against the division’s selection policies and any applicable legal standards. The committee recommends keeping, restricting, or removing the title. That recommendation moves to the principal or superintendent, and the school board holds final authority.

Many Virginia divisions base their procedures on a model policy from the Virginia School Boards Association. Under that model, the person who filed the challenge can appeal the committee’s decision first to the superintendent and then to the school board.¹ The level of detail varies sharply. Some divisions have thorough multi-step procedures; others simply say the decision is made at the school level with an option to appeal upward.

The Virginia Constitution gives each local school board supervisory and operational control over its schools, libraries included. The state government has no authority over an individual division’s book selections or removals under current law and does not issue divisions written guidance on the topic.¹ That is why the pattern across Virginia is so uneven: the board’s composition, the local community’s values, and whether any organized challenge campaign is active all shape what happens.

What School Boards Can’t Do

Local boards have broad authority but not unlimited authority. In Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico (1982), the U.S. Supreme Court held that while school boards have wide discretion over school management, they may not remove library books “simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.” A removal driven by the desire to suppress particular viewpoints violates the First Amendment.⁴

The Court drew a line between curriculum and library. In the classroom, boards have a recognized duty to shape what students learn, and so more leeway over assigned texts. The library is a space for voluntary inquiry, and the board’s authority there is narrower. Pulling a book because its graphic content is viewed as inappropriate for minors is treated differently than pulling a book because officials disagree with its political or social message.⁴

This is where most disputes get legally difficult. The stated reason is almost always age-appropriateness or sexually explicit content. When the removed titles overwhelmingly feature LGBTQ+ characters or deal with race and discrimination, challengers argue the real motivation is ideological, and courts look at the pattern of removals and the decision-makers’ reasons, not just the official justification on paper.

What You Can Do as a Parent

Your options depend on whether you are worried about instructional materials or library books. For instructional materials with sexually explicit content, the law gives you a clear right: review the material, and if you object, request alternative materials for your child without penalty. The school must comply, and you can change your mind later by notifying the school.³

For library books, the path is the formal challenge process. File a written complaint with your child’s school, be specific about the objection, and expect a review committee to evaluate the title. If the committee’s recommendation goes against you, most divisions let you appeal to the superintendent and then to the school board. A successful challenge only affects your division’s libraries; the book remains available in neighboring school systems and in public libraries.

Parents who want to keep books on shelves have the same standing to participate. School board meetings where challenges are discussed are public, and boards typically allow community input before voting. Several Virginia divisions have seen organized efforts on both sides, with parents arguing equally for removal and for retention.

1
Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. School Library Book Removals in Virginia
2
Virginia Legislative Information System. Virginia SB656 – Sexually Explicit Content; DOE Shall Develop Model Policies, Parental Notification
3
Virginia Department of Education. Model Policies Concerning Instructional Materials With Sexually Explicit Content
4
Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center. Island Trees Sch. Dist. v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853