Huntington Beach, which restricts certain books and content to minors at city-run public libraries, is now being sued by three of its residents along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California.
The plaintiffs, which include two teenagers and Alianza Translatinx, an advocacy group for transgender people, allege the Huntington Beach Library System “directly violates the California Freedom to Read Act and the California Constitution.”
The lawsuit stems from the resolution that the Huntington Beach City Council passed in October 2023 to make certain library materials inaccessible to underaged patrons without their parent/guardian consent, including those with “sexual content.”
But the ACLU and the residents suing the city claim that the phrase “sexual content” is too broadly used for sweeping censorship, even blocking literary classics such as “The Great Gatsby” and “Romeo and Juliet.”
The complaint alleges the city is also impeding access to educational materials on gender identity and reproductive health.
One of the books banned for rental by minors at Huntington Beach public libraries include ‘Everyone Poops,” a children’s book which illustrates animals, including humans, having to defecate as part of their biology.
“Public libraries are a vital resource providing access to information and free or low-cost services that improve people’s lives,” said Ryan M. Kendall, attorney for Alianza Translatinx. “California law protects the important role libraries play in our communities. This lawsuit seeks to keep the Huntington Beach Public Library and its services free from censorship and accessible to all, so that everyone, from individuals to community organizations, can continue to rely on the knowledge and empowerment the library provides.”
But Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns, in response to the lawsuit, insisted that the city has not banned or removed any books from its libraries.
“The safety, wellness, and protection of our community, children, and library patrons remains our primary goal,” Burns said in a statement.
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