Tennessee School Districts Ban Hundreds of Manga Titles Following Updated Obscenity Laws

Recent changes to Tennessee's 'Age-Appropriate Materials Act' have led to the removal of popular manga series from school libraries, citing concerns over explicit and violent content.

• Two Tennessee school districts—Rutherford County and Wilson County—have removed over 550 manga titles from school libraries in response to updated state obscenity laws.
• The revised 'Age-Appropriate Materials Act' broadens the definition of obscenity to include content with nudity, sexual conduct, excessive violence, or sadomasochistic themes.
• Popular manga series like 'Attack on Titan,' 'Jujutsu Kaisen,' 'My Hero Academia: Vigilantes,' and 'Tokyo Ghoul' are among the banned titles, alongside classics like 'Akira' and 'Inuyasha.'
• Critics, including the Free Speech Center, argue that the bans misinterpret obscenity laws and undermine the educational value of these works.
• Similar manga bans have occurred in other U.S. states, reflecting a growing trend of restricting access to certain media in schools.

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