Education

Ruling Prompts Withdrawal of Sex Book

October 06, 1982 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

St. Martin’s Press has withdrawn Show Me!--a picture book for children about sex--because of a July 2 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a New York State law that bans child pornography.

The New York law bars the use of children in sexually explicit films, photographs, and performances. The law also prohibits the sale of such items. Several other states have similar laws.

The book, written by a Swedish child psychologist, has sold almost 150,000 copies since it first appeared in this country in 1975.

Booksellers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma have been brought to court for selling the book, but until the Supreme Court’s decision, no court had ruled it illegal to sell it.

A version of this article appeared in the October 06, 1982 edition of Education Week as Ruling Prompts Withdrawal of Sex Book

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum Supporting the New K-12 Workforce: What Teachers Need to Stay at School
 Join this free virtual event to discover what teachers say they need to feel supported to stay in classrooms for the long haul.
College & Workforce Readiness K-12 Essentials Forum Career and Technical Education Takes Its Next Big Step
Join this free virtual event to hear creative approaches to modernize CTE programs and navigate the shift away from a near-exclusive focus on "college preparedness."

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Opinion The Education Wisdom Our Readers Keep Revisiting: Top 10
These opinion blog posts and essays have made a lasting impression on readers.
1 min read
Trendy halftone collage cutout elements. Laptop, rising arrow chart, gears, handshake, watch, magnifier. Idea, teamwork, brainstorming and success concept Modern retro vector illustration
Cristina Gaidau/iStock
Education Opinion The Opinions EdWeek Readers Care About: The Year’s 10 Most-Read
The opinion content readers visited most in 2025.
2 min read
Collage of the illustrations form the top 4 most read opinion essays of 2025.
Education Week + Getty Images
Education Quiz Did You Follow This Week’s Education News? Take This Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz How Did the SNAP Lapse Affect Schools? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read