Librarians could be criminally charged over 'obscene' books in West Virginia bill
ABC News
A new bill in West Virginia would remove protections for librarians over books that include "obscene" material amid a national spike in book-banning attempts.
The West Virginia legislature is considering a bill that would remove protections for librarians concerning books that include alleged "obscene" material.
The bill passed the House of Delegates on Feb. 16 and has now been introduced in the Senate.
The bill would remove any exemptions from criminal liability for public libraries or museums that display or distribute "obscene matter to a minor."
A librarian or museum who violates these restrictions could be charged with a felony, fined up to 25,000, and sentenced to up to five years in a correctional facility if found guilty.
Obscene matter, as defined in three parts in the state code, applies to matter that: "an average person, applying contemporary adult community standards, would find, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest, is intended to appeal to the prurient interest, or is pandered to a prurient interest."
