He took his school to the Supreme Court in the 1980s for pulling 'objectionable' books. Here's his message to young people
CNN
When school officials in New York removed 11 books they disliked from library shelves, 17-year-old Steven Pico joined a legal fight that would eventually take him and his school to the US Supreme Court.
In 1976, Pico was a high school student at the Island Trees Union Free School District in Levittown, New York when the school board ordered the removal of several books from the junior high and high school libraries, including "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut and "Best Short Stories of Negro Writers" edited by Langston Hughes. The books were part of a list of "objectionable" books that some board members obtained months before when they attended a conference by the conservative group Parents of New York United. When Pico learned about the board's actions, he and a few other students filed a lawsuit in 1977 with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union to try to get the books back into the libraries.
This month marks 40 years since Pico's fight in court ended as the Supreme Court recognized the First Amendment rights of students in Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico and ruled that school boards may not remove books because they dislike the ideas contained in those titles.
Gorilla at Calgary Zoo died after worker mistakenly activated wrong door, zoo officials say
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to offer Kelly Loeffler the job as of secretary of the Department of Agriculture, two people familiar with the matter told CNN.
Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general on Thursday, said Friday he will not be returning to Congress next year.
Republican Dave McCormick will defeat Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, CNN projects, boosting the GOP majority in the Senate next year.
The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial has adjourned his sentencing which was set for next week.
In the aftermath of the 2024 elections, Democrats are less optimistic about their party’s future than they’ve been at any point in the past eight years, according to new Pew Research Center polling released Friday.
After recent burglaries at homes of professional athletes – including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce – the NFL and NBA have issued security memos to teams and players warning that “organized and skilled groups” are increasingly targeting players’ residences for such crimes.
Laken Riley’s name was heard in court countless times and repeated by politicians around the country who described her brutal killing. But to those who really knew her, she was much more than a victim.
Hungry bears broke into a storage room at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to feast on the military rations.
A man convicted in the 1994 killing of a female hitchhiker in Alabama was put to death Thursday evening in the nation’s third execution using nitrogen gas.
President-elect Donald Trump is considering shaking up the leadership at the FBI by firing the director and installing an experienced former agent and MAGA loyalist in the top two roles.