Utah bans Stephen King novella collection from public schools

Different Seasons, which incudes stories that inspired films such as Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption, judged to contain ‘objective sensitive material’ Stephen King is the most banned author in US schools, according to report A collection of Stephen King novellas that inspired classic films including Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption has been banned from Utah public schools. Published in 1982, the collection, titled Different Seasons, contains four novellas: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: Hope Springs Eternal, Apt Pupil: Summer of Corruption, The Body: Fall from Innocence, and The Breathing Method: A Winter’s Tale. But earlier this month, the Davis, Jordan, Tooele and Washington school districts decided to remove the collection from their libraries, triggering a statewide ban by the Utah state board of education on 6 July. The book had previously been available to students in grades seven through 12, according to the board. A book is removed from all public schools in the state if at least three school districts – or at least two school districts and five charter schools – determine that a book contains “objective sensitive material” defined under Utah code,

Jul 15, 2026 → Jul 15, 2026