Stand for Access: The Case of St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish leads Louisiana in book restrictions and in an overly broad interpretation of LA R.S. 25:225. For more than a year, resident Kevin Marino has been asking a simple question: Why are dozens of graphic novels being restricted from public access? Instead of answers, he has received instead a process marked by delay, shifting rules, and last-minute barriers.
A Process That Raises Concerns
After challenging restrictions on 63 graphic novels, Kevin waited:
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13 months for a decision on the books
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9 months for an appeal hearing to even be scheduled
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23 days without a responses to his request for basic technical guidance on a presentation he created to show the board members how important it is to maintain access to these graphic novels.
Then, just three business days before the hearing, the new St. Tammany Parish Library Director prohibited the use of visual aids, despite the fact that the case centers on graphic novels. A “verbal-only” presentation requirement fundamentally limits the ability to show context—context that is often essential to understanding illustrated works.
A Broader Policy Shift
Kevin's fight to have these books reconsidered comes on the heels of a series of resolutions passed by the library board with the intention of permanently restricting access to books.
Earlier this year, the board passed Resolution 26-004, which permanently restricted access to certain graphic novels by:
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Moving them behind circulation desks
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Limiting digital access
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Categorizing them under “sexual conduct”
This is no longer a temporary review process—it is a structural, policy-based restriction on access to constitutionally protected materials.
Legal Warnings Were Already Issued
In May 2023, the Tulane First Amendment Law Clinic warned the library board that:
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Removing books before a final determination may constitute prior restraint
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Restricting access based on content creates a presumption of censorship
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These actions may expose the parish to legal liability
Constitutional Concerns
Courts have addressed similar issues before. In Board of Education v. Pico, the Supreme Court made clear that government bodies—including libraries and school boards—cannot restrict access to books simply because they disagree with their content or ideas. Policies that single out materials for special restriction based on subject matter risk crossing that constitutional line.
Why This Matters
The St. Tammany Parish Library already uses a tiered card system, allowing parents to guide their children’s access. This system balances parental choice with the public’s right to read. Creating additional barriers raises an important question:
Why restrict access for everyone when tools already exist for individual choice?
Today, the focus is graphic novels.
But the implications extend further:
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Memoirs
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LGBTQ+ literature
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Award-winning fiction
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Health and educational materials
History shows that restrictions often expand incrementally, and once begun, it is a process which is ever-harder to halt.
Want to Take Action?
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Show up at the St. Tammany Parish Library Board of Control meeting on Monday, April 20. Speak out to defend these books. Stand up for your community and the right to read for everyone.
📅 Monday, April 20
⏰ 6:30 PM
📍 Koop Drive Council Chamber