A group of Llano County, Texas, residents asked the county's library commissioner to remove 17 books from circulation in 2021. The books covered topics including transgender issues and slavery.

A separate group sued over the matter on First Amendment grounds. A federal judge ordered the books to be restored, but the decision was later reversed by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The court's ruling dismissed the free speech claims and said public library curation is a form of government speech. The Supreme Court's decision not to hear the case means the ruling stands.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 8 declined to hear an appeal by a group of Texas residents challenging a local decision to remove more than a dozen books from public libraries, allowing the disputed books to remain

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