Full Breakdown
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s Push to Restrict Holocaust Books in Public Schools
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Call to Purge “Dirty, Filthy and Vulgar” Titles, Including Holocaust Works
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has urged Texas public-school districts to remove more than 2,000 books he says are unsuitable for students. The directive, issued after an August 19 press conference in which he warned that schools could lose state funding, specifically highlighted titles such as *Night* by Elie Wiesel and *The Diary of Anne Frank* while asserting that Holocaust education remains important.
Background & Context: Ongoing Texas Library Battles and the Recover America List
Patrick’s campaign is tied to the activist group Recover America, which maintains an online list of over 2,100 “harmful books.” The list includes dozens of Holocaust-related titles—*Night*, Art Spiegelman’s *Maus*, Bernard Malamud’s *The Fixer*, and several graphic adaptations of Anne Frank’s diary—alongside romance, fantasy, LGBTQ-themed, and classic works. Similar removal efforts have occurred in other Texas districts, sometimes prompting public outcry and subsequent reinstatement of the challenged books.
Data & Statistics: Scope of the Proposed Purge
- 2,000+ titles flagged by Patrick as “dirty, filthy and vulgar.”
- 2,100+ books on Recover America’s list, including more than a dozen Holocaust-related titles.
- Texas public schools serve over 5.5 million students, meaning the policy could affect the entire state student body.
Timeline
- August 19 – Patrick’s press conference, declaring “We’re coming for the books.”
- August 26 – Patrick posted on X that *Night* “would likely be rated R” if made into a movie, arguing it is unsuitable for sixth-grade readers.
- September 5, 2026 – At the Peacock Theater awards ceremony, retired librarian Carolyn Foote held up a copy of *Night* in protest of the removal effort.
Official Statements & Responses
- Patrick told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Texas students must learn about the Holocaust, citing *Night* and *The Diary of Anne Frank* as essential reading.
- He later clarified that the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) determines the appropriate grade level for each book, including *Night*.
- The Texas Educational Authority, which drafted the state-required reading list, said the SBOE placed *Night* in the eighth-grade curriculum to ensure age appropriateness.
- Elisha Wiesel, chair of the Elie Wiesel Foundation, acknowledged the state’s credit for Holocaust education but argued that Patrick’s focus on graphic violence “misplaces the purpose” of the memoir.
Criticism & Opposition
- Librarian activist Carolyn Foote, featured in the documentary *The Librarians*, displayed *Night* onstage, emphasizing the need to remember the Holocaust rather than shield students from it.
- Cameron Samuels, founder of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, warned that removing such texts does not help Jewish students and may exacerbate feelings of marginalization.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Regulatory reference: Patrick cited “FCC standards” for school books, although the Federal Communications Commission regulates broadcast content, not publishing. No clarification has been offered by the FCC or the Texas Education Agency.
What’s Next
- The Texas State Board of Education is slated to review the grade-level placement of *Night* and other Holocaust titles under the 2025 law governing school-book standards.
- Districts facing potential funding penalties may continue to pre-emptively remove titles while awaiting the board’s decision.