Missouri Library Blocks Access to Websites about Wicca, Native American Religion
Thursday, January 05, 2012
The city of Salem, Missouri, is being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for blocking access at its library to websites about minority religions.
Using the Netsweeper filtering program, library officials had classified information pertaining to the Wicca Church, Native American spirituality and astrology as “occult” or “criminal.” Those wishing to look at such websites were subject to being reported to local authorities. Librarian Glenda Wofford grudgingly allowed patron Anaka Hunter to view one page about prominent Native American women,
“It’s unbelievable that I should have to justify why I want to access completely harmless websites on the Internet simply because they discuss a minority viewpoint,” Hunter, the patron represented by the ACLU, said in a prepared statement. “It’s wrong and demeaning to deny access to this kind of information.”
Among the blocked websites were Wikipedia: Wicca, Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, and About.com: Paranormal Phenomena.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
ACLU Asks Court to Stop Missouri Library From Illegally Censoring Websites (American Civil Liberties Union)
Anaka Hunter v. City of Salem, Missouri (U.S. District Court, Eastern Missouri) (pdf)
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