Stephen King is now the most banned author in U.S. schools.

According to a new report from PEN America, his books have been censored 206 times in the past year alone — including iconic titles like Carrie, The Stand, and It.

This isn’t about protecting kids. It’s about political censorship.

Across the country, vague laws targeting “adult content” are being used to strip shelves of books with LGBTQ+ characters, themes of race and identity — and now even bestselling fiction by one of America’s most celebrated writers.

In some school districts, dozens of King’s books were removed preemptively, with no review process, no public input, and no appeals. These bans are happening “in advance,” out of fear — not facts.

We, the undersigned, call on:

State departments of education

Local school boards

District curriculum committees

The Department of Education

to:

• Restore banned books by Stephen King to public school libraries
• Review all book removal decisions transparently, with community oversight
• Oppose blanket bans and vague content laws that silence authors and limit learning
• Protect students’ freedom to read, learn, and think critically
   

Stephen King’s books are more than horror — they’re about friendship, fear, trauma, survival, empathy, and justice. They help students confront hard truths in a safe space. Taking them away doesn’t protect students — it undermines their education.

If Stephen King — one of the most famous living American authors — can be erased from classrooms, no writer is safe.

Let students read. Let libraries teach.

Stop banning Stephen King’s books.