Utah bans the novel Wicked from public schools.

Utah's Board of Education added Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked to the statewide list of books prohibited in public schools on Jan. 5; the ACLU of Utah filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law on Jan. 7.

Utah's Board of Education added Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked to the state's list of books prohibited in public schools on Jan. 5, announcing it contained what the board described as "objective sensitive materials." Under a 2024 state law, a title can be barred statewide after a threshold of local district removals is met. The novel is a separate, adult-targeted work that differs from the Broadway musical and the recent film adaptation. The ACLU of Utah filed a federal lawsuit on Jan. 7 challenging the state's book ban law. Key points: - The Utah Board of Education added Gregory Maguire's Wicked to the statewide prohibited list on Jan. 5. - A 2024 law in Utah triggers a statewide ban when at least three school districts remove a book as "pornographic or indecent." - Davis, Tooele, and Washington County school districts reached that threshold for this title. - The novel is a 1995, adult-targeted work and is distinct from the stage and film versions. - The ACLU of Utah filed a federal lawsuit on Jan. 7 representing several authors and two anonymous high school students. Summary: The Board's action removes Maguire's novel from public school collections across Utah and adds it to a growing statewide list of prohibited books. The ACLU's federal challenge is pending; the legal outcome is undetermined at this time.