Anaheim Removes Mother Speaking on Sexualized Library Books at City Council
In June 2023, Anaheim, California city officials cut the microphone and had a mother escorted from council chambers during public comment about books she considered sexually explicit, invoking a council decorum rule against 'obscene' material. She sued in federal court alleging viewpoint discrimination.
During a June 2023 public-comment period, a resident began reading aloud passages from books available in Anaheim public libraries that she argued were sexually explicit and inappropriate for minors. The mayor gaveled her down, ordered her microphone cut, and had her escorted out under a council rule barring 'obscene' or 'threatening' speech. She was not arrested. Represented by the Center for American Liberty, she filed a First Amendment lawsuit alleging viewpoint discrimination — that speakers reading the same passages critically were silenced while others quoting the same books favorably were not. The case remained pending as of 2024.