As classes near in Elizabeth, a book ban hangs over the town’s schools

In early April, the Elizabeth School District was ordered to return 19 titles that they removed last year from their school libraries to the shelves.

School officials and a principal say they have since returned the books, but lawyers for the plaintiffs in a case challenging the removal say they haven’t gone to take a look in person. And while they say the books should be there in compliance with court orders, they don’t know for sure. 

The school district of about 25,000 students — across a handful of schools in a rural, rolling community south of Denver — removed the books last year. At issue were themes in the 19 books that the school board and some parents felt were inappropriate. After a lawsuit was filed challenging the removal, the school district was ordered this spring by a federal court to return the books to its school libraries.

The district is appealing the ruling, and appears ready to take the case to trial, but, in the meantime, it has been ordered to keep the books on the shelves.

CPR News visited Elizabeth Middle School and Elizabeth High School in early August to attempt to verify the books are on the shelves. District officials declined to let a reporter verify that the books were back on the shelves. But the principal of the high school, Bret McClendon, said he could confirm that the books have been replaced. 

“I can tell you that they are on the shelves. I have seen them there,” he said during a brief conversation in his office. “I have been there since,” he said, referring to the court order, “and I have seen the pictures. It’s been documented.” 

Elizabeth school board members largely did not respond to requests for comment. One member declined to be interviewed. 

A spokesperson for the district declined an interview request, but also said the books had been returned to the shelves.

The Backstory

In August 2024, Elizabeth School District removed 19 book titles from school library shelves. That’s after it selected 19 books from a list of 100 they considered “sensitive.” 

Court documents show that the school board arrived at this conclusion after getting input from families on the appropriateness of certain books. The “sensitive” books were placed in a visible part of the school, and then parents were to select from two options: remove them from the library altogether, or to place them on a “Sensitive Books” list.

If a student tries to check out a book on that list, their parents or guardian will automatically be notified. Parents can also prohibit their children from checking out all books on the list.

The survey resulted in 19 books being selected for removal from school libraries, with the original list having gone through a few revisions. The list now includes books like “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky. Six of the 19 books are by Ellen Hopkins, a young adult author whose work has touched on sensitive topics like sexuality, drugs and relationships.

Jenny Brundin/ CPR News

Soon, word got out about the action, and legal reactions were not far behind. A few months later, in December 2024, the ACLU of Colorado filed a federal lawsuit, claiming the district's actions violated federal and state free speech protections.

Then in March 2025, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction and ordered the Elizabeth School District to return the 19 books to school library shelves. 

The following month, in April 2025, the school district appealed, and asked for an emergency administrative stay. The court declined to lift the injunction and forced the school district to return the books. The case now appears headed for trial.

ACLU attorney Sara Neese said the case has entered the discovery process and that she expects oral arguments in the case to be scheduled soon.

Neese said the school filed a notice to the court that they had complied with the court’s order and returned the books to the libraries. But she also said no one from the ACLU had gone to Elizabeth to see if the books were placed back on the shelf.

One Author’s Reaction

Ellen Hopkins

Of the 19 titles, there are six by one author – Ellen Hopkins, whose work takes up nearly a third of the list. (Toni Morrison is the only other repeat scribe with two titles.) 

Hopkins, who has been writing young adult fiction since 2000, has lived in southeastern Missouri for the past few years, after spending most of her life in California and Nevada. She said she was dismayed by the ban in Elizabeth. 

“Colorado is not a state I’d be expecting a book ban to come from,” she said, adding that finding out she’s taking up so much space on Elizabeth School District’s restricted list made her feel disappointed.

She said she’s heard of cases where a particular parent was having an issue with a specific title, but she considers what’s happening in Elizabeth School District something else. 

“What’s different now is that this is a political drive, rather than a parent who has a concern about a book …. We’re facing this pushback from conservative areas …. It’s a drive to cripple public education …. and authors are an easy target.”

Larry McCormack / For Chalkbeat

She said her books are intended to inform young people about things that are really happening around topics like relationships and drugs, and making her work unavailable could do students a disservice. 

She said one of the titles, “Crank,” was inspired by her daughter’s addiction to drugs. “I just wanted to save other kids from making that same mistake,” she said. “I’ve gotten thousands and thousands of messages from kids thanking me for that book, for turning their lives around, giving them some understanding” about loved ones who might also have addictions. 

“If that book’s not available to kids that need that book,” she said, “it angers me, it makes me sad.” 

Classes in the Elizabeth School District are set to begin on Aug. 15 for all middle school and high school students and on Aug. 18 for elementary students.