NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award Previous Recipients
2021
Adam Morfeld, State Senator, Nebraska
Nominated by Nebraska English Language Arts Council
Honorable Mention
Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times–bestselling author
The Leander ISD English language arts teachers and district staff
2020
Nic Stone, Author
Honorable Mention
Todd Schlecht, NE
Nominated by Nebraska English Language Arts Council
2019
Claudette Brassil of Brunswick, ME
Nominated by the Maine Council for English Teachers
Honorable Mention
Martha Hickson of North Hunterdon High School, Annandale, NJ
2018
Victoria Orepitan of Katy Independent School District, TX
Nominated by the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts
Honorable Mention
Lindsey Whittington of Dixie County High School, Trenton, FL
2017
Joan Bertin, Former Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship
Honorable Mentions
Christina Berchini of the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire
SAGA 6, a group of six students from Mount Horeb High School, Wisconsin, and their school and community advisors
2016
Matt de la Pena, Author
Honorable Mention
Courtney Kincaid, North Richland Hills, TX
Nominated by the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts
2015
Laurie Halse Anderson, Author
Honorable Mentions
Rod Wagner, Lincoln, NE
Nominated by the Nebraska English Language Arts Council
Margaret Ford, Campbell, OH
Nominated by the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts
2014
Brian Jeffrey, Montclair, CA
Honorable Mention
Karen Arnrus Tollafield, Kent, OH
Nominated by Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts
2013
Judy Blume, Author
Honorable Mention
Dorothea Susag, Fairfield, MT
Nominated by the Montana Association of Teachers of English Language Arts
NCTE/SLATE* National Intellectual Freedom Award Winners
2012
Martha Brennan and Rebecca Slagle, Louisville, KY
Honorable Mention
Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award Organization
2011
Texas Civil Rights Project
Honorable Mention
Educators Network for Social Justice
2010
David Protess, director of the Medill Innocence Project and professor of Journalism at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Honorable Mention
Karyn Storts-Brinks, Knoxville, TN
2009
Texas Freedom Network (Austin)
2008
Heather Gillman, high school student, Ponce de Leon High School, Florida
Honorable Mention
Brandon Hensler, Howard Simon, and Randall Marshall of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida
2007
Kimberly Horne, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Austin, Texas
2006
Blue Springs Board of Education, Blue Springs, Missouri
2005
Senator Richard Durbin (Illinois)
2004
James LaRue, Director of Douglas County Library System, Colorado
2003
Gloria Pipkin and ReLeah Cosset Lent, Lynn Haven, FL, At the Schoolhouse Gate: Lessons in Intellectual Freedom and Silent No More: Voices of Courage in American Schools
2002
Mark Goodman, Esq., Student Press Law Center, Virginia
2001
Joyce Meskis, The Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, Colorado
2000
Frosty Troy, editor The Observer, Oklahoma
1999
Jim Burke, Moderator of CATENet
1998
Chris Crutcher, Young Adult Author
1997
Washington Coalition Against Censorship
*SLATE Steering Committee was sunset in April 2012.