GREENVILLE, S.C. — Four minors and their parents filed a lawsuit in federal court against Greenville County and two county library officials over restrictions on LGBTQ-related materials.

The complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina (ACLU) argues the library system “has completely removed dozens of titles that positively portray LGBTQ people, including in adult sections of the library.”

In 2024, the Greenville County Library Board adopted a policy requiring all materials discussing gender-transitioning be moved from young adult and juvenile sections of the library.

"Books are one of our greatest tools to learn about other peoples, the world around us, and more importantly to learn about ourselves through representation,” said Greg Rogers, a Greenville County parent and plaintiff in the lawsuit. “All children and young adults should have equal access to these tools. Keeping even one child from accessing the representation they provide is a travesty for the equality of all children.”

Wednesday’s lawsuit asks the court to prohibit the county from moving forward with similar policies or practices, arguing library executive director Beverly James, and youth services manager Karen Allen violated young readers’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

“By discriminatorily suppressing Plaintiffs’ access to these materials on the basis of Defendants’ animus towards gender transition and transgender people, Defendants have violated—and continue to violate—Plaintiffs’ rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, causing ongoing and irreparable harm,” the lawsuit reads.

Spectrum News has reached out to Greenville County and the Greenville County Library System and have not heard back at this time.