Politics
Harford County must restore ‘Flamer’ after judge upholds state education ruling
A Harford County judge upheld Maryland’s state education board decision overturning the local school board’s removal of the graphic novel “Flamer.” The case marks the first court test of the state’s 2024 Freedom to Read Act.
A Harford County Circuit Court judge has upheld a state ruling that requires the county school system to keep Mike Curato’s graphic novel “Flamer” in its libraries, rejecting the local school board’s effort to remove it. The decision, issued from the bench Thursday by Judge Yolanda Curtin, is the first legal test of Maryland’s 2024 Freedom to Read Act.
The law is intended to prevent school library materials from being removed because of an author’s background or partisan, ideological or religious objections. State lawmakers and educators welcomed Curtin’s decision Friday. Del. Dana Jones, an Anne Arundel County Democrat who sponsored the law, said it protects libraries and the freedom to read, while leaving parents free to decide what their own children read.
“Flamer” follows a boy at camp in the summer before he enters high school as he struggles with sexuality, religion, bullying and thoughts of suicide. A parent asked Harford schools to reconsider the book in November 2024, raising concerns about its content and whether it offered local resources for young people dealing with questions about their identity.
Under the county’s review process, a nine-member panel that included students, parents, educators and other community members read the book in full and considered professional reviews and the district’s evaluation standards. In March 2025, the panel voted to retain it in high school libraries, finding its depictions contextually appropriate and its literary and artistic qualities valuable. The superintendent accepted that recommendation in May.
The county school board reversed those decisions in July 2025, voting 5-3, with one abstention, to remove the book. It cited profanity, sexual content and what it called a lack of educational suitability. A group of parents, a local advocacy organization and the Harford County Education Association appealed to the Maryland State Board of Education, which overturned the county board’s decision in November 2025.
The state board said the local board had not shown that the review panel or superintendent acted improperly. It also noted that the record did not establish that local board members had read the book beyond selected passages or explained how the panel’s review violated county procedures. Harford County’s board then challenged the state ruling in court and lost.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, which argued the case, said Curtin’s ruling affirmed the Freedom to Read Act and students’ access to books reflecting a range of experiences and identities. The Harford County Board of Education had not responded to a request for comment by Friday.