Judge says in tentative ruling California city can't restrict children's book access

"Huntington Beach can't restrict minors from accessing books with sexual content in the city's libraries, an Orange County judge said in a tentative ruling Friday, Sept. 5. The decision stemmed from a lawsuit that some Huntington Beach residents and a local nonprofit filed against city leaders, alleging that efforts to restrict children's books amounted to censorship that violates the state's Freedom to Read Act."

"In October 2023, the conservative majority of the Huntington Beach City Council directed librarians to relocate from the children's section books containing sexually explicit material. The council also arranged to establish a community library board, made up of 21 members appointed by the councilmembers, that would be tasked with reviewing and blocking the purchase of books with content it deemed inappropriate. The board was never seated."

An Orange County judge issued a tentative ruling that Huntington Beach cannot restrict minors' access to books with sexual content in city libraries. Plaintiffs included residents and a local nonprofit who sued city leaders under the state's Freedom to Read Act. Judge Lindsey Martinez directed the plaintiffs' attorney to file a writ of mandate within 30 days specifying how the city must comply with state law. In October 2023 the conservative-majority City Council instructed librarians to move sexually explicit children's books out of the children's section and proposed a 21-member community library board to review and block purchases. The board was never seated and the ordinance's definitions of sexual or inappropriate content were vague.

Read at www.ocregister.com