RESOLUTION ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM

WHEREAS, censorship in any form attacks the basic foundation of our American educational goal; and

WHEREAS, censorship denies teachers and students the freedom to explore ideas and pursue knowledge; and

WHEREAS, teachers, librarians, school officials, and publishers have a responsibility as guardians of academic freedom; and

WHEREAS, the AFT recognizes that there are laws governing obscenity and subversive materials subject to the interpretation of the courts; and

WHEREAS, the AFT recognizes that the responsibility for the removal of any textbook or library materials from public access rests with the above-mentioned established process:

RESOLVED, (1) that the AFT shall actively oppose book banning and censorship, and (2) that the AFT shall contest encroachment by individuals and groups seeking to impose their philosophy or standards upon the community-at-large in the selection, access to, and utilization of reading materials, and (3) that the AFT shall defend the right to read and discuss issues freely and defend teachers and librarians in the pursuit of these principles.