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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">If you haven’t already seen it, James LaRue (Director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom) has penned this in response to this lawsuit:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><a href="https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=16002">https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=16002</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Have a great day!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Mark Peterson<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Faculty Librarian, Collection Management Coordinator</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Mt. Hood Community College<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">26000 SE Stark Street, Gresham, Or 97030<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><a href="mailto:mark.peterson@mhcc.edu"><span style="color:#0563C1">mark.peterson@mhcc.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">(503) 491-7693<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Libs-Or <libs-or-bounces@listsmart.osl.state.or.us>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Diedre Conkling<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, October 10, 2018 12:27 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> PUBLIB <PUBLIB@oclclists.org>; libs-or <libs-or@listsmart.osl.state.or.us><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Libs-Or] Fwd: [alacoun] Fwd: FW: EBSCO and Colorado Library Consortium targeted by lawsuit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Wow, I’m passing this along because what happens in one state often ends up happening in other states as well. It probably is worth it to watch this one and see how much traction it gets.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>
From: <strong>K.G. Schneider</strong> <<a href="mailto:kgs@freerangelibrarian.com">kgs@freerangelibrarian.com</a>><br>
Date: Wed, Oct 10, 2018 at 12:22 PM<br>
Subject: [alacoun] Fwd: FW: EBSCO and Colorado Library Consortium targeted by lawsuit<br>
To: <<a href="mailto:alacoun@lists.ala.org">alacoun@lists.ala.org</a>><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Just saw this -- it was shared widely across the California State University system. How serious is this?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Karen G.Schneider<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">ALA Councilor at Large<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711colour"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711colour"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in;border-right-color:currentcolor;border-bottom-color:currentcolor;border-left-color:currentcolor">
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b></span><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
<a href="mailto:icolc-bounces@lyralists.lyrasis.org" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">icolc-bounces@lyralists.lyrasis.org</span></a> <<a href="mailto:icolc-bounces@lyralists.lyrasis.org" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">icolc-bounces@lyralists.lyrasis.org</span></a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>George Machovec</span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><br>
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, October 10, 2018 10:30 AM</span><br>
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b>To:</b> ICOLC Confidential List <<a href="mailto:icolc@lyralists.lyrasis.org" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">icolc@lyralists.lyrasis.org</span></a>></span><br>
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b>Subject:</b> [Icolc] EBSCO and Colorado Library Consortium targeted by lawsuit</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Dear ICOLC Colleagues,</span></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Today I just received a press release indicating that EBSCO and the Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC) are being
sued over alleged “pornography” in EBSCO products that are being licensed to libraries in Colorado. This is baseless but is of great concern over broad censorship issues. In some products, EBSCO provides indexing for magazines like GQ, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan,
etc that they claim have objectionable material along with further links from those articles to Websites they find objectionable.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Our consortium (Colorado Alliance) is not in the suit, but our sister in-state CLiC consortium is in the crosshairs
since they are licensing for public and school libraries. Be aware that this could spread to your region particularly if you do licensing for public or school libraries. Other companies like ProQuest and Gale could also be at risk but EBSCO is the primary
target in this lawsuit since that is the vendor being used for a big statewide contract.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">George</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b></span><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
Thomas Ciesielka <<a href="mailto:tc@tcpr.net" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">tc@tcpr.net</span></a>>
</span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><br>
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, October 10, 2018 9:46 AM</span><br>
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b>To:</b> George Machovec <<a href="mailto:George@coalliance.org" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">George@coalliance.org</span></a>></span><br>
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b>Subject:</b> Pornography Hidden in School Children’s Databases: Parents Sue Educational Tech Company</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">George,</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Today, a law suit was filed suit against EBSCO, a nationwide corporation that imbeds pornography in databases
it markets to schools for use by unsuspecting school children for their homework and research, and the Colorado Library Consortium (details below).</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Please let me know if you would like to speak with an attorney with the Thomas More Society.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Best regards,</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Tom Ciesielka, TC Public Relations 312-422-1333</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><b>Pornography Hidden in School Children’s Databases: Parents Sue Educational Tech Company</b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><i>EBSCO and Colorado Library Consortium Are Plying Children with Graphic Pornography</i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312.422.1333,
</span></span><span class="m-5260695570321974711colour"><u><span style="color:#0563C1;background:white"><a href="mailto:tc@tcpr.net" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">tc@tcpr.net</span></a></span></u></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><u><span style="background:white"> </span></u></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><i><span style="background:white">(October 10, 2018 – Denver, CO)
</span></i><span style="background:white">The Thomas More Society filed suit today against EBSCO, a nationwide corporation that imbeds pornography in databases it markets to schools for use by unsuspecting school children for their homework and research. In
the same suit, the Thomas More Society also sued the <a name="m_-5260695570321974711__Hlk526788631">
Colorado Library Consortium</a>, a tax-supported nonprofit corporation that knowingly brokers EBSCO’s pornographic databases to schools and libraries throughout Colorado.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">“This case is about two things: protecting children and calling out corporate deceit,” explained Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Matt Heffron. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">“EBSCO gets schools to purchase databases by falsely promising the databases are age-appropriate and</span></span><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;background:white">
</span><span style="background:white">specifically tailored for elementary, middle and high school children,” said Heffron. The Colorado Library Consortium has parroted and supported EBSCO in brokering these databases to schools, according to the suit.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">But unknown to most parents, the databases are anything but safe or kid-friendly. They are riddled with easily accessible graphic pornography. And both EBSCO and the Colorado Library Consortium
are well aware of it, according to the law suit.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">“This is not the internet, as some school officials have falsely stated,” said Heffron. Instead, EBSCO controls and limits the content of its databases marketed to schools. The curated
databases are simply initially accessed through the internet. “That control of the databases is why parents can expect the databases to be safe for their children at school,” he said. “They should not be infested with adult sexual fantasies.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">The law suit is filed under the Colorado Deceptive Trade Practices Act, under which it is illegal to make false claims to sell a product. “These databases definitely are not age-appropriate,
nor can parents consider them reliable, as EBSCO claims,” said Heffron. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">Heffron and the Thomas More Society are representing
<a name="m_-5260695570321974711__Hlk526767476">Pornography is Not Education</a>, a Colorado group that includes parents who are “understandably outraged” at what they have discovered, said Heffron.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">Parents in Aurora, Colorado, initially discovered two years ago that EBSCO databases marketed for use by school children contained substantial amounts of easily accessible, hardcore pornography.
And they discovered the EBSCO database system bypasses school internet filters and private, parent-supplied internet filters. Within the last year, the Aurora parents have been joined by parents and citizens in other Colorado counties.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">A month ago, the parents claimed a major victory after one of the largest school districts in Colorado, Cherry Creek, acknowledged it had discontinued purchasing or using any products from
EBSCO. That development followed a two-year struggle with the parents ... and just before to the filing of a law suit against the school district by the Thomas More Society.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">“We were happy Cherry Creek finally did the right thing,” said Dr. Robin Paterson, one of the parents most involved in the effort. “But EBSCO still is supplying its pornographic databases
to school children in other school districts across Colorado. With this law suit being filed today, the other shoe has dropped. Now it’s time for EBSCO and the Colorado Library Consortium to do the right thing also.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">“EBSCO had plenty of chances to avoid a law suit,” said Paterson. “We tried to work with them for the last two years. So did the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. But all EBSCO was
willing to do is put on a band-aid, not fix the problem.” Due to the materials discovered by the Colorado parents,
<a name="m_-5260695570321974711__Hlk526790784">the National Center on Sexual Exploitation
</a>named EBSCO to both its 2017 and 2018 “Dirty Dozen List” of the worst twelve corporations in America that perpetuate sexual exploitation.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">Technology exists to allow EBSCO to exclude sexually explicit materials from the databases for school children, and it would be relatively inexpensive for a corporation as large as EBSCO
to apply that technology, according to the parents’ lawsuit. EBSCO simply has decided not to use such technology, they say.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">The law suit gives a sampling of what parents have found in their children’s school databases, provided by EBSCO and the Colorado Library Consortium:</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;vertical-align:baseline;background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size">a “summer reading list” for children contained many erotic and BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadomasochism) stories, which could be located through as innocent a search as “romance;”</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;vertical-align:baseline;background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size">an EBSCO database marketed to school children contained a full-text e-book entitled “Pornography in America: A Reference Handbook,” which contained live url links to a company hosting video pornography and promoting the
pornography industry;</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;vertical-align:baseline;background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size">benign searches for terms such as “robotics,” “girl’s stories,” “boy stories,” “grade 7 biology,” and “respiration” retrieved hyperlinks to “Lust”, “Bondage,” “Sex Toys,” and “Sexual Positions;”</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;vertical-align:baseline;background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size">more than 100 different instances of advertising for one particular large-scale sex toy store;</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;vertical-align:baseline;background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size">an allegedly teen website that advises children to use saran wrap to prevent sexually transmitted disease.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">“Children don’t have to be looking for porn,” said Paterson. “They can stumble into it in these EBSCO databases. Imagine how that might affect your grade schooler!”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">“This case also is about corporations obeying the law,” said Heffron. “It is against the law to ply children with pornography. If the local convenience store or movie theatre can’t do
it, why should EBSCO and the Colorado Library Consortium be allowed to get away with it?”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">The second count of the law suit, alleging a civil conspiracy between
<a name="m_-5260695570321974711__Hlk526792098">EBSCO and the Colorado Library Consortium</a>, lists six federal and state statutes outlawing sexually explicit materials from being supplied to children. These statutes apply two well-established legal standards,
“obscene-as-to-minors” and “harmful-as-to- minors,” which have withstood constitutional challenges. The law suit alleges EBSCO and the Colorado Library Consortium agreed, at least tacitly, to violate laws such as these.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">“As one would expect, courts apply a much stricter standard when deciding whether to shield children from pornography than they apply when deciding cases involving adults” said Heffron.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">The Thomas More Society, and the Colorado parents, find themselves now on the forefront of what appears to be shaping up as a national movement of parents outraged by pornography in the
schools. The Colorado parents demonstrated their EBSCO searches recently to Utah parents, who in turn brought to the attention of the Utah Education Network, which immediately shut down EBSCO while Utah investigates.
</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">“EBSCO claims to be in 55,000 schools across the country,” said Heffron. “We’re just getting started.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white">In April this year, the Thomas More Society filed a law suit against a Chicago public school,
</span></span><span class="m-5260695570321974711colour"><u><span style="color:#0563C1;background:white"><a href="https://www.thomasmoresociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/COUR.Complaint.EmergencyInjunctive.Relief.2018-04-16.FILED_.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">(</span><i><span style="color:#0563C1">Wagenmaker
et al (parents) v. Kenner et al. (Whitney Young administrators</span></i></a></span></u></span><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><i><span style="background:white">),
</span></i><span style="background:white">forcing the school to cancel sexual education instruction for 7<sup>th</sup> through 12<sup>th</sup> graders by a sex columnist, whose extensive online articles advocated casual hook-up sex, pornography use, and other
risky sexual behaviors.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size">In the Colorado case, the Society is associated in this case with attorney Theresa L. Sidebotham, of Telios Law, Monument, Colorado, whose law practice regularly includes advising
organizations on how to protect children, particularly those harmed by sexual abuse.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size">Read the Complaint,
<i>Pornography is Not Education v. EBSCO Industries, Inc. and Colorado Library Consortium,
</i>filed by the Thomas More Society at the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on October 10, 2018,</span><span class="m-5260695570321974711colour"><span style="color:red">
<a href="https://www.thomasmoresociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/EBSCO-2018-10-10-Filed-Complaint.pdf" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#0563C1">here</span></a> [<a href="https://www.thomasmoresociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/EBSCO-2018-10-10-Filed-Complaint.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.thomasmoresociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/EBSCO-2018-10-10-Filed-Complaint.pdf</a>]</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-size:auto auto;background-origin:padding-box;background-clip:border-box;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:0%">
<span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="background:white"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">George Machovec</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Executive Director</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">3801 E. Florida Ave., Suite 515</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Denver, CO 80210</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">(303) 759-3399 x.101</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">(303) 759-3363 (fax)</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.coalliance.org" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">https://www.coalliance.org</span></a></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span class="m-5260695570321974711size"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">-- <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Diedre Conkling</span></em><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS""><br>
</span></i><a href="mailto:diedre08@gmail.com" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">diedre08@gmail.com</span></em></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<h6>“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”―Maya Angelou<o:p></o:p></h6>
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