Why stories about girls and young women are disappearing from some Virginia schools

In July 2025, a statewide review found that Virginia schools removed more than 220 books from libraries and classrooms between 2020 and 2025 — but the vast majority of those removals occurred in only a handful of school divisions that aggressively interpreted or misapplied 2022 state policy. Many of the challenged titles centered on LGBTQ+ youth, young women, and Black girls, illustrating how the interpretation of laws can disproportionately affect stories that reflect marginalized students’ lives.

Why it Matters

For students, book access shapes who they see represented in school and whether they feel their experiences are understood. When books featuring LGBTQ+ youth, girls of color, or young women navigating adolescence are disproportionately removed, students lose access to perspectives that help them make sense of themselves and the world around them. Families also face uneven rules across divisions: while some school systems maintain broad access to diverse literature, others remove books quickly or add multiple barriers to access.

Educators operate under a different kind of pressure. Confusion about how to apply the 2022 “sexually explicit materials” law — and concern about complaints — has led some teachers and librarians to avoid assigning or highlighting books that touch on identity, trauma, or coming-of-age themes. Even in divisions that did not remove books, educators report a shift toward caution as policies and expectations remain unclear.

Background

Between 2020 and 2025, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) identified 344 book challenges and more than 220 unique titles removed across Virginia schools. Importantly, JLARC found that most removals came from a small number of school divisions. The commission also noted that its findings were limited by a 72% survey response rate, meaning the data reflects an incomplete statewide picture.

During its review, legislators emphasized the need to balance access to literature with parental notification and consent — but also acknowledged significant confusion about how the 2022 law should be interpreted. That law applies to instructional materials used in class, yet some districts mistakenly treat it as a mandate to remove library books.

The books most commonly challenged included:

• Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Things to Know

School division: How Virginia refers to its school districts.

Resources

13 News Now (ABC) - Virginia report reveals niche districts lead in school book removals, with one removing over 100 books
The Virginia Independent - Over 220 books banned from Virginia schools since 2020, survey finds