Escambia County Schools in Florida have removed over 1,600 books, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and popular titles like Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl and Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, in order to comply with a state law banning discussion of gender and sexual orientation in grade schools. The move comes as a result of HB 1069, which restricts material containing “sexual conduct.”
The removal of these books has sparked controversy and legal action, with literary group PEN America and publisher Penguin Random House filing a lawsuit against the school district and advocating for the books’ reinstatement. According to the Florida Freedom to Read Project, the list of banned books also includes works by authors such as Douglas Adams, Aldous Huxley, and Mark Twain.
Guidelines provided to school librarians by the district advise them to review book review sites to determine if a title violates HB 1069, referencing a right-wing book review site founded by a former Moms for Liberty member. The frequent complaints and calls for removal of books in Escambia County have largely come from high school English teacher Vicki Baggett.
PEN America’s director of Freedom to Read, Kasey Meehan, has expressed concern about the vague language in the standards and the slow review process, which could keep books off shelves for months or even academic years. This move has highlighted concerns about censorship and the impact on students’ access to diverse literature.
This controversial decision has raised important questions about how educators, parents, and policymakers navigate issues of censorship, academic freedom, and the importance of providing students with a wide range of perspectives and resources to support their learning and development. The lawsuit and ongoing debates will likely continue to draw attention as educators and advocates work to address these complex and challenging issues.
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