Weaponized Fear: How Government-Sanctioned Scare Tactics Are Silencing Readers and Educators

In the past few years, censorship in the United States has moved beyond book bans and challenges. Today, we are witnessing a much broader campaign of intimidation. Government bodies at every level are adopting scare tactics to pressure schools, libraries, and educators into preemptive self-censorship. The result is a chilling effect that stifles free expression, narrows the scope of ideas accessible to the public, and punishes those who resist.

While censorship has often been framed as grassroots concern from parents, the mechanisms we see today are top-down, coordinated, and increasingly punitive. Individuals are being fired. Libraries are being defunded. Entire state systems are being reshaped by political pressure. It is not simply about restricting access to certain books. It is about reshaping public discourse itself.

A Culture of Retaliation

A striking example of this new tactic came to light when Carla Hayden was fired from her position as Librarian in Residence with the Library of Congress. The reason? American Accountability Foundation accused her and other library leaders of promoting children’s books with “radical” content and literary material authored by Trump opponents. Despite Hayden being one of the most respected library professionals in the country, the decision to terminate her was driven by partisan outrage rather than job performance. This incident set a disturbing precedent: even the most accomplished figures in their fields are not immune to political retribution.

And the message is clear to others: stay quiet. Don’t be visible. Don’t advocate. Don’t include controversial topics, or you could be next.

Manufactured Outrage as a Political Tool

One of the most disturbing features of this movement is the way outrage is being manufactured. Consider the Florida Education Commisioner’s recent letter to the Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools. In it, he accuses the district of intentionally allowing Hillsborough County high schools to contain "pornographic” books despite the titles given as examples never facing a formal objection or review by a local committee to determine appropriateness. These claims are designed to provoke moral panic, generating headlines and fear rather than solutions or safeguards.

The use of this language is not accidental. The term "pornographic" carries a visceral charge, even when applied to books that address topics like consent, identity, trauma, or social justice. These are not obscenity trials of the past. They are rhetorical weapons deployed to scare districts into overreaction. The goal isn’t to evaluate educational content. The goal is to suppress it.

In some cases, scare tactics are even more direct. In Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma, politically connected religious organizations are working hand-in-hand with state officials to shape public education. Their influence is spreading, embedding coordinated ideological agendas into public education.

This blending of religious activism and government power violates long-standing norms around separation of church and state. But more than that, it puts educators and administrators in a state of fear. A single misstep in a politically charged environment can lead to job loss, public shaming, or threats of litigation.

Self-Censorship by Design

The impact of these tactics is not always visible. Often, the books never make it to the shelf in the first place. Teachers skip texts that might draw attention. Librarians quietly remove or avoid ordering certain titles. School boards pass vague policies that allow any community member to challenge books without clear procedures, prompting schools to preemptively remove them.

In Las Cruces, New Mexico, a booklet circulating in the community lists over 95 books labeled as "pornographic" or "violent"—with selective, out-of-context summaries compiled by advocacy groups. The intent is not just to challenge specific books, but to build a hostile atmosphere where librarians must defend every decision and parents are encouraged to assume the worst. The publication encourages parents to distrust professionals and assume that any mention of sexuality, race, or trauma is inherently harmful.

This is not about transparency. It is about weaponizing access to information to intimidate and control.

Systematic Defunding and Institutional Collapse

We are now seeing entire institutions targeted for elimination. In Alabama, legislation was introduced in 2025 that would have effectively closed the state library agency, shifting all power to a small political board. In Louisiana, lawmakers introduced bills that would punish libraries for failing to remove books someone deems objectionable. This isn’t just censorship. It is the slow dismantling of the public infrastructure that supports access to knowledge.

Instead of celebrating libraries as places of community connection and literacy, they are being cast as sites of controversy. That shift is deliberate. It primes the public to view educators and librarians with suspicion, to question their motives, and to see information as a threat instead of a tool for growth.

The Real Target: Public Trust

The ultimate goal of these scare tactics is not just to remove specific books. It is to erode trust in public education, public libraries, and the professionals who run them. When the public no longer believes in the neutrality or value of these institutions, it becomes easier to replace them with ideologically driven alternatives.

In this environment, even books that have not been banned are at risk. Authors are writing with one eye on political backlash. Educators are revising lesson plans to avoid controversy. Students are being taught that certain identities, histories, or ideas are too dangerous to explore.

This is a profound loss. Not just for the individuals targeted, but for our collective understanding of democracy, diversity, and free inquiry.

Resisting the Silence

At the Freedom to Read Project, we know that silence is what these campaigns rely on. They want educators to stop speaking out. They want librarians to give up. They want parents to feel isolated.

But we are not alone. Across the country, parents, students, and educators are fighting back. They are organizing read-ins. Speaking at school board meetings. Filing lawsuits. Donating banned books. Writing letters. Using their voices.

We urge everyone reading this to recognize these scare tactics for what they are: deliberate tools of suppression. They are not about protecting children. They are about controlling what future generations are allowed to think, question, and understand.

It is time to stand together, speak up, and push back.