© Yusei Matsui, Shueisha, Viz Media
Horry County Schools, which serves the region of Horry County, South Carolina, decided to remove the Assassination Classroom manga from its libraries on Friday, following a complaint from a mother whose ninth-grade daughter attends Socastee High School. According to district policy, the decision of the District Reconsideration Committee, as well as any local board review, cannot be appealed for five years.
The Assassination Classroom series revolves around a class of middle school students tasked with assassinating their homeroom teacher, an alien with superpowers, before it destroys Earth at the end of the school year.
The complaint, filed by Jennifer Hannigan, raised concerns about the content, specifically citing depictions of violence (such as handguns, rifles, and knives) and the theme of killing. Hannigan also highlighted the presence of inappropriate scenes, mentioning “girls in lingerie hopping on top of men.” She expressed concern about the discussions in the manga regarding ways to kill the alien teacher.
The manga was temporarily removed from libraries in October during the review process.
Background
This incident follows similar actions taken in other regions. In March 2023, Gifford Middle School in Florida removed the manga after receiving complaints, and the Elmbrook School District in Wisconsin did the same with its digital library. Several other states have seen similar challenges, including Utah, where a new law bans books in all public schools if they are deemed pornographic or indecent by at least three district boards. Other states like Tennessee and Idaho have similar regulations.
Source: WMBF News (Ale Espinosa) via Otaku USA Magazine