South Carolina bill aims to limit offensive content in schools

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – There’s a push in the final weeks of this year’s session to pass a bill that would affect students in South Carolina.

If passed, teachers and schools could face consequences if they discuss topics or content seen as “offensive” or “obscene” with students.

“This material would not be, like I said, allowed on TV, wouldn’t be allowed on the radio,” said Representative April Cromer (R – Anderson). “So why are we exposing our children to it? There’s a time and a place for those materials, and the schoolhouse is not that place.”

The bill would change the state’s current obscenity laws by making the definition of “harmful to minors” more strict. Small parts of a book would be considered “inappropriate” if they contain obscene or graphic material.

The South Carolina Code of Laws defines obscenity, but the bill would redefine it.

“Categorizing an absurdly amount of speech as obscene. This bill is a far-reaching attack on South Carolinians first amendment rights,” Josh Malkin, American Civil Liberties Union.

Cromer said that as the bill’s sponsor, it is crucial to protect children.

“We’ve had parents that have complained and called in all over the state with concerns of what the material that their children are being exposed to,” Cromer said.

Malkin strongly opposes this bill. He testified and said if this bill is passed, a potty-training book would be seen as “obscene.”

He said since there was a minor in the room while he was testifying, if this bill was a current law, he could be in trouble.

“I think if Bill 4123 were to pass, a bill that categorizes a mention of excretion as sexual activity. My testimony where I talked about excretion in the book ‘Everybody Poops’ could technically be considered a violation of that bill,” said Malkin.

Representative Travis Moore said this bill has significant constitutional implications.

This bill is still in discussion in the House and will likely not pass this year.