Utah Bans Stephen King’s Different Seasons from Public School Libraries

Utah’s state board of education expanded a statewide ban on Stephen King’s Different Seasons after several districts removed the four novellas for “objective sensitive material.” The collection—linked to films like Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption—includes Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body, and The Breathing Method and was previously available to grades 7–12. Bans are triggered when enough districts (three, or two districts plus five charter schools) deem material harmful to minors; as of mid-July Utah lists 35 banned titles. The ACLU filed suit in January challenging the bans as unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, highlighting ongoing clashes over censorship in U.S. schools.