Judge: Salem Library can't block website content; Library says lawsuit changes nothing [View all]

A woman says filtering software kept her from viewing sites about Wicca.

ST. LOUIS -- A federal judge ordered a small library in southern Missouri to stop blocking access to websites related to Wicca and other minority religions, calling it a violation of patrons' First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber issued the ruling on Tuesday in a case involving the Salem Public Library.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued last year on behalf of Anaka Hunter of Salem, which is a largely Christian community of 5,000 residents in the Missouri Ozarks. It's the county seat of Dent County.

The lawsuit said Hunter was trying to do research at the library but filtering software blocked access to sites about things such as Wicca, a pagan religion that worships nature and involves witchcraft.

http://www.kspr.com/news/ky3-judge-salem-library-cant-block-website-content-20130306,0,6035051.story?track=rss