South-Carolina

SC leads nation in school book bans after board votes to remove 10 more titles

Published

11 months ago

May 8, 2025

SC leads nation in school book bans after board votes to remove 10 more titles

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Following a vote that removed ten more books from public schools across the Palmetto State, South Carolina is now the state with the most state-mandated public school book bans in the United States.

The South Carolina Board of Education met on Tuesday to discuss the removal of ten more books from public schools across the Palmetto State. The titles are as follows:

“Collateral” by Ellen Hopkins
“Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas
“Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“Hopeless” by Colleen Hoover
“Identical” by Ellen Hopkins
“Kingdom of Ash” by Sarah J. Maas
“Last Night at the Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo
“Living Dead Girl” by Elizabeth Scott
“Lucky” by Alice Sebold
“Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins

This latest round of removals brings the total number of books banned from South Carolina public schools to 21, surpassing Utah’s 17 books that have been removed from their schools.

The board initially met to discuss these materials on Tuesday, April 1 but decided to postpone the vote after several board members expressed hesitancy about recent applications of Regulation 43-170, a rule that allows the State Board of Education to have the final say in local disputes over what materials are appropriate.

“I am concerned about potential abuses of a process that we intended to be fair and equitable,” said board member Maya Slaughter during the April meeting.

Despite the concerns voiced during the April meeting, only two board members, David O’Shields and Tony Vincent, dissented during Tuesday’s vote.

Regulation 43-170 bans “instructional material [that] is not ‘age and developmentally appropriate’ for any age or age group of children if it includes descriptions or visual depictions of ‘sexual conduct.‘”

If a citizen has a complaint about a book found in public school libraries and classrooms, the regulation allows them to send a form to the Instructional Materials Review Committee (IMRC), who review the complaint and submit a recommendation to the state board.

After receiving the recommendation from the IMRC, the State Board of Education then votes to accept or deny it. Under Regulation 43-170, the board is not required to read the books before making their vote.

All 10 of the most recently banned materials had been reviewed at the Beaufort County local board before being kicked up to the state board, as the complaints for the titles were all submitted by one woman from Beaufort County.

“The state is continuing to leave educational decisions for all students up to one parent,” said Josh Malkin, Advocacy Director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of South Carolina. “This is problematic and counter to the foundational democratic ideals of public education.”

Regulation 43-170 went into effect in June 2024 and has been used frequently since then, though not without controversy.

Malkin and other critics of the regulation have argued that one individual should not have the power to influence reading access for the entire state while the legislation’s proponents believe it’s a valuable way to protect children.

The 11 books that had been previously removed by the board include:

“A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas
“Damsel” by Elana Arnold
“Ugly Love” by Colleen Hoover
“Normal People” by Sally Rooney
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
“All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson
“Flamer” by Mike Curato
“Push” by Sapphire

In addition to the 21 removals, access to “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins has been restricted. The book remains in high school libraries, but a parent or guardian must fill out an opt-in form for a student to borrow it.

As a response to Regulation 43-170, several Democratic State House representatives spoke in February about a “Freedom to Read” bill focused on access to books in public school libraries across South Carolina.

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South-Carolina

NFL Draft Injury Analysis: Jalon Kilgore, S – South Carolina

Published

2 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

NFL Draft Injury Analysis: Jalon Kilgore, S – South Carolina

The Lions may be looking for a safety within the first two rounds due to injuries to Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. That’s where Jalon Kilgore may come in. He has some minor injuries, but appears to be a relatively low-risk prospect for a team that needs to add health to that room.

Here is the excerpt of my medical report on Jalon Kilgore:

Jalon Kilgore, S (21) – South Carolina

Projected round 2-3.

Concern level 2/10

While his availability has been excellent, Kilgore has a history of hamstring strains in 2025 and 2023. If his 2024 injury is found to be also a hamstring, then happenstance becomes a disturbing trend.

With fast-twitch athletes, hamstrings are going to be very common, and generally don’t present any long-term issues. The difficult trick will be to determine if a certain player is more prone to hamstrings.

What helps Kilgore a lot is his young age.

For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD

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South-Carolina

Motorcyclist critically injured in Longs area crash

Published

14 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Motorcyclist critically injured in Longs area crash

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — One person was critically injured in a motorcycle crash in the Longs area on Thursday afternoon, according to Horry County Fire Rescue (HCFR).

Just before 2:00 p.m., crews responded to the area of Old Highway 31 near Hidden River Road.

MORE: 1 critically injured in vehicle rollover near International Dr.

One person was transported to the hospital as a result of the motorcycle crash, HCFR said.

Officials ask that drivers avoid the area as lanes of traffic are currently blocked.

The incident is under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol with assistance from the Horry County Police Department.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina’s Raven Johnson carries her grandfather’s legacy into Sweet 16

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina’s Raven Johnson carries her grandfather’s legacy into Sweet 16

Alyssia Hamilton
| Special to USA TODAY

COLUMBIA, SC ― With the clock winding down and pressures of the Women’s NCAA Tournament rising, South Carolina senior guard Raven Johnson isn’t playing just to win. She plays in honor of a voice she can no longer hear – but that she still carries with her every time she steps onto the court.

That motivation was on full display Monday night, as the No. 1-seeded Gamecocks took down No. 9 USC to advance to the Sweet 16. Johnson earned her 1,000th career point ― what would prove to be her last point at Colonial Life Arena ― on a steal and fast-break layup that brought a roar from the crowd. The Gamecocks will face No. 4 Oklahoma Saturday in Sacramento, with another Elite Eight appearance on the line.

For Johnson, the moment symbolized something deeper – a career shaped by the memory of her late grandfather. Johnson’s family watched as she achieved the milestone, her mother, grandmother and twin brother. It was a full circle moment for a player whose journey took root in her grandparents’ home.

Her grandparents helped raise her and her twin brother, Richard Johnson. The family lived together and she often calls her grandmother “mother” and her grandfather “papa,” reflecting the impact they had on her upbringing.

“My grandparents did a really good job,” Johnson said. “We wouldn’t be playing sports if it wasn’t for them.”

The Boones introduced the twins to basketball through their church and spent countless hours training them, often pushing them past their limits. A sergeant first class in the Army Reserves, he supervised soldiers in his unit and brought that same discipline to his grandchildren on the court, being demanding, structured and determined.

“I remember being outside and he was training us and I thought it was so hard. I wanted to give up,” Johnson said. “I used to cry, and he would be like ‘You’re not going to cry in my face, and you’re not going to give up.’ It was little things like that that made me tough.”

The standard of grit, accountability and composure, is something Johnson carries today.

“She’s just a winner and she’s a great point guard,” said South Carolina senior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who also played with Johnson at Westlake High School in Atlanta. “When she’s confident, we’re confident. When she’s poised, we’re poised. It’s hard to have that type of personality and leadership on the court, but she carries it well.”

Rodrick Boone was diagnosed with stomach cancer in December 2012 and died in April 2013 while Johnson was at a tournament in New Orleans. She was 10 years old.

“I remember I shut down,” Johnson said. “My mind went blank. I was like ‘What?’ I thought he was untouchable.”

Months after her grandfather’s death, something shifted in her mindset.

“I think that’s my why,” Johnson said. “I keep going today because he is my why.”

As a child, Johnson didn’t even like basketball. She preferred T-ball and cheerleading and thought basketball wasn’t for girls, until she saw Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins and began to see herself differently.

“She was so pretty to me and I remember asking ‘Can I be girly and hoop?’” Johnson said.

She was the only girl on her recreational team, earning the nickname “Killer” for her defensive intensity alongside her brother, nicknamed “Thriller” for his offensive ability. The boys tested Johnson by playing physical and trying to push her out of the sport.

“I used to be cooking them out there a little bit, and I think they didn’t like that,” Johnson said.

She said the boys trying to make it hard on her actually made her tougher both physically and mentally.

Her grandmother, Connie Boone, said her grandfather would be proud of what Johnson has become.

“He might be crying but he would be happy about it,” her grandmother said. “You start them young, but you never know what the outcome is going to be.”

Johnson imagines the conversations she’d be having with her papa if he was still here.

“He would still be on my butt riding me, he’ll tell me maybe I need to fix something,” Johnson said. “He’ll be happy and I think he’ll be like ‘All right let’s get back to the drawing board. Let’s get ready for the next opponent.’”

She knows her papa is always watching, and she talks to him a lot at night.

“I just want to tell him that I’m going to keep pushing through even when it gets tough,” Johnson said. “He’s always telling me to push through because nobody cares. Nobody cares if you’re at your lowest, nobody cares.”

On Monday, fans chanted “Raven, Raven, Raven” as she walked off the court for the final time at Colonial Life Arena, Johnson’s moment was bigger than the scoreboard.

It was about diligence, progress and a promise kept.

With another game ahead and the possibility of a deeper tournament run, she isn’t finished. She continues to push and play for the voice that gave her a reason to begin.

Alyssia Hamilton is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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