EBSCO Databases
Following a parent’s complaint that she found pornographic materials in EBSCO databases, the state provider for electronic resources, Utah Education Network (UEN), blocked access to all of the licensed EBSCO resources in the state for every K-12 school. After a period of public comment and investigation, UEN restored K-12 access to the EBSCO database.
The Cherry Creek School District in Greenwood, Colorado cancelled its contract to have EBSCO provide online research databases in its schools, after a two-year campaign by a couple who said their daughter’s EBSCO school account allowed her to see unfiltered pornography. The following month, the couple sued to limit materials from EBSCO at schools throughout Colorado. The suit is pending in a Colorado District Court.
Gale Databases
A parent of a freshman at the Smithfield (Virginia) High School attended an open house at the school and found what she considered pornography in a Gale database. The “Gender Studies” section included articles from The Advocate, a gay and lesbian periodical. Photographs of nude men accompanied some articles. The parent, an IT professional, made a video of how she found the content, and alerted school officials. According to one news article, officials then took down the site.