Why We are Suing the City of Los Angeles to Save Libraries

Jenan Matari and Nora Lester Murad are award-winning authors with children’s books featuring Palestinians. They have filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles after their invited author talk for teen patrons at Los Angeles Public Library was cancelled

Résumé

Authors' canceled event

In December 2025, award-winning authors Jenan Matari and Nora Lester Murad were invited to speak at Los Angeles Public Library as part of Read Palestine Week, a program aimed at sharing Palestinian stories.

Three days before their scheduled event on December 6, 2025, the library canceled the talk without explanation.

Matari and Lester Murad, both Palestinian authors, had planned to discuss their books: Matari’s picture book Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden and Lester Murad’s young adult novel Ida in the Middle.

The cancellation occurred despite the library’s stated commitment to inclusion and open access to information.

The authors later learned that an internal email circulated within the library accused them of having 'strong terrorist ties' and 'virulently antisemitic views,' though no evidence was provided.

The lawsuit they filed against the City of Los Angeles argues that the cancellation was an act of censorship rooted in anti-Palestinian racism.