Following its decision to confiscate copies of dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other publications due to their depictions of "sexual activity," a school district in Florida is now the target of a federal lawsuit.
After determining that the volumes in question were in violation of Florida legislation (HB 1069), school authorities in the Pensacola, Florida-based Escambia County School District withdrew a number of dictionaries and encyclopedias from educational libraries.
The bill, which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law last year, limits access to educational resources that depict "sexual activity" in Florida schools.
Officials took out five dictionaries and at least eight encyclopedias during the district's summer vacation in 2023.
District authorities also took away copies of Ripley's Believe It or Not, a children's book that features strange tales and “hair-raising oddities,” as well as The Guinness Book of World Records.
Other titles eliminated include Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl and biographies of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black judge of the Supreme Court.
According to a press statement from Pen America, an organization that promotes freedom of expression and access to literature, more than 1,600 books were taken down in total. The Florida Freedom to Read Project, a group that opposes governmental censorship and book restrictions, supplied the list of titles that were taken down.
Pen America, Penguin Random House, and a number of writers have sued the school district on federal grounds, claiming that the prohibition infringes on their right to free expression.
A court decided on Wednesday that the case had standing and that it could proceed.
The director of PEN America's Florida branch, Katie Blankenship, demanded the restoration of the books in a statement in response to Wednesday's decision.
According to Blankenship, "these books need to be put back on the shelf where they belong, and every day that children are denied access, is a day they are not receiving the excellent education they deserve."
Several advocacy organizations have criticised the extensive book prohibition. The Florida Education Association (FEA) claimed in a statement to the Guardian that state legislators who are seeking "political triumphs and backing fringe anti-education organizations" are the main cause of the most recent prohibition.
"This is what happens when leaders prioritize political gains and supporting fringe anti-education groups over what is best for teachers, parents, and students—where our state goes from banning books to banning words,” the group said in a statement.
In a statement to the Messenger, representatives of the Escambia County School District indicated that the books had been "removed for additional evaluation to verify compliance with the new regulations," not outright prohibited. As per the Messenger, the number of books evaluated to date is fewer than 100. Book bans have grown nationwide in response to stringent education legislation, especially in places with Republican governors. According to US News & World Report, Texas, Virginia, and Florida have the most number of book bans.
After determining that the volumes in question were in violation of Florida legislation (HB 1069), school authorities in the Pensacola, Florida-based Escambia County School District withdrew a number of dictionaries and encyclopedias from educational libraries.
The bill, which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law last year, limits access to educational resources that depict "sexual activity" in Florida schools.
Officials took out five dictionaries and at least eight encyclopedias during the district's summer vacation in 2023.
District authorities also took away copies of Ripley's Believe It or Not, a children's book that features strange tales and “hair-raising oddities,” as well as The Guinness Book of World Records.
Other titles eliminated include Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl and biographies of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black judge of the Supreme Court.
According to a press statement from Pen America, an organization that promotes freedom of expression and access to literature, more than 1,600 books were taken down in total. The Florida Freedom to Read Project, a group that opposes governmental censorship and book restrictions, supplied the list of titles that were taken down.
Pen America, Penguin Random House, and a number of writers have sued the school district on federal grounds, claiming that the prohibition infringes on their right to free expression.
A court decided on Wednesday that the case had standing and that it could proceed.
The director of PEN America's Florida branch, Katie Blankenship, demanded the restoration of the books in a statement in response to Wednesday's decision.
According to Blankenship, "these books need to be put back on the shelf where they belong, and every day that children are denied access, is a day they are not receiving the excellent education they deserve."
Several advocacy organizations have criticised the extensive book prohibition. The Florida Education Association (FEA) claimed in a statement to the Guardian that state legislators who are seeking "political triumphs and backing fringe anti-education organizations" are the main cause of the most recent prohibition.
"This is what happens when leaders prioritize political gains and supporting fringe anti-education groups over what is best for teachers, parents, and students—where our state goes from banning books to banning words,” the group said in a statement.
In a statement to the Messenger, representatives of the Escambia County School District indicated that the books had been "removed for additional evaluation to verify compliance with the new regulations," not outright prohibited. As per the Messenger, the number of books evaluated to date is fewer than 100. Book bans have grown nationwide in response to stringent education legislation, especially in places with Republican governors. According to US News & World Report, Texas, Virginia, and Florida have the most number of book bans.
