School librarians in Missouri pull books as new law allows charges for 'explicit' material

ST. LOUIS — School librarians across Missouri are pulling books from shelves as they face the potential for criminal charges under a new state law banning “explicit sexual material.” The law goes into effect Aug. 28 and applies to both public and private schools. It was part of a state bill addressing various sexual assault and other crimes and creating a “sexual assault survivors bill of rights.” The law defines explicit sexual material as any visual depiction of sex acts or genitalia, with exceptions for artistic or scientific significance. “It applies to any kind of images, which could incl...