Harford County Judge Sides With State Board To Reverse Book Ban

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — The controversial book "Flamer" can remain on bookshelves at Harford County middle and high school libraries.

On Thursday, the Harford County Circuit Court heard arguments from the Harford County Board of Education, which asked the court to uphold its initial decision to remove the novel. Harford County Judge Yolanda Curtin deliberated for two hours, then ruled that the book should remain on school library shelves.

In Thursday's ruling, Curtin criticized the county school board, saying it didn't follow its own policies and procedures. The judge said the "collective wisdom of the board" was not enough to overturn the reconsideration committee's review, according to CBS News.

In 2025, the Harford County Board of Education removed the novel "Flamer" after a group of parents raised concerns about the book's content.

The novel is about a teenage boy who "navigates friendships, deals with bullies and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about)," according to the author. The main character, Aiden Navarro, is away at camp and about to enter high school when he "finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance."

The county school board voted to ban the book in a closed-door session in June 2025 after a parent appealed a school district committee's approval, Patch reported previously.

Some teachers and parents spoke out against the school board's decision, while others supported the ban, WJZ reported.

"It's sexually explicit, and it has tons of vulgar language in it," said Suzie Scott, from the group Moms for Liberty, in July 2025. "It's just not the kind of thing that is appropriate for your average middle school or high school student…There's only so much shelf space in a school library, and we want to curate the best school library possible."

Members of the advocacy group Together We Will - Harford County led a protest before the county school board meeting Monday to oppose the book ban, Patch reported. In a statement released in 2025, the group said the decision to ban the book "threatens student rights."

"In the school system, parents can opt out of any book that they want for their child. There is already plenty of support or protection for any parent who doesn't want their child to read a book," said Delane Lewis, president of Together We Will. "What we have is the Board of Education stepping in front of parents and telling them what they should or shouldn't have their children read."

In November 2025, the state board directed the county board to revisit its book review procedures and reversed the county's decision to remove the book from middle and high school libraries, Patch reported.

After the ruling, parents spoke out about the judge's decision.

"We're obviously very, very happy, very excited," parent Leslie Thompson told WBAL. "There's been so much work put in, but it feels good to see law and procedure prevail the way it’s supposed to."

The judge said Harford County's ban violated the state's Freedom to Read Act and the First Amendment.

The state Board of Education previously recommended that Harford County schools update its evaluation procedures to "ensure transparency, provide opportunities for public participation and handle future reconsideration matters," according to CBS News.

In 2024, the Maryland Freedom to Read Act set rules for school libraries, including creating policies to review objections to materials in each school district. The act specifically states that "materials may not be excluded from a school library media program solely because of the origin, background or view of the individual who created the material" and that "materials may not be excluded or removed from the catalog of a school library program because of partisan, ideological or religious disapproval."

Outside court, some parents and community advocates celebrated the judge's decision, saying it is important to give children diverse reading materials. Together We Will Harford County advocates called the ruling a win for children in the school district.

Related: Education Board Reverses Book Ban By Harford County Schools

Book Banned By Harford County Education Board, Parents Speak Out About Decision

'Controversial' Book Spurs School Board To Appeal State's Decision