DeSantis releases disturbing video of pornographic books found in schools
Editor’s Note: Some content in this article is only appropriate for adults.
TAMPA, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis released a video showing graphic content found in school library books during a press conference Wednesday.
The videos are in response to claims that the administration is banning books.
“I think that we need to have truth prevail. And so today we’re going to be exposing, we’ve already exposed with that video I think, this idea of a book ban in Florida,” DeSantis said.
The video included pictures from books that were found in schools that contained sexual imagery. It also listed out the schools that some of the books were located in.
“That’s [book ban] a hoax. And that’s really a nasty hoax, because it’s a hoax in service of trying to pollute and sexualize our children,” DeSantis said.
The material, which was in public schools, was marked “sensitive content” on Florida’s Voice’s live Twitter coverage.
The governor’s announcement comes after a viral video showed a Duval County school with empty bookshelves following a new Florida law. The law requires media specialists to go through approved training to brush up on Florida law before approving books for classrooms and libraries.
The video led to a frenzy of people believing the state was banning books, even though the DeSantis administration said it was attempting to protect students from pornographic books.
Officials from the governor’s office told Florida’s Voice the administration never dictated shelves be cleared, calling it political theater.
However, Democrats such as House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell claimed that “books are banned and librarians are terrified.” Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book made similar comments that banning books is “not freedom” during her response to the governor’s State of the State Address.
“The important thing is, is that’s a false narrative in service of using our schools, for indoctrination, rather than education and we’ve drawn a very firm line in the sand and Florida about that,” DeSantis said at the press conference.
The DeSantis administration recently announced that more than 20 Florida schools removed books in the 2022-23 school year, noting many of them contained pornography, violence, or were not appropriate for the grade level.
The governor’s video revealed sexually explicit books that were found in schools. One book titled Flamer was found in Broward, Collier, Hillsborough, Marion, Seminole, and Volusia County.
In the book, a group of young boys attend a camp and go to an island that is shaped like a penis. It also contains a shower scene with the group of boys and one of them gets an erection.
Another part in the book shows a young boy watching porn. There is another section where a group of boys masturbate together and are pressured to ejaculate into a bottle.
Another book titled Let’s Talk About it was found in a Broward County school and contains graphic images and descriptions showing males and females how to masturbate and an entire section about anal sex.
In another section of the book, there is a guide on how to sext for children, encouraging kids to send photos that don’t include their face and to hide their birthmarks and scars.
“These books are clearly not just conversation starters about the birds and the bees, they are pushing an agenda,” the video said.
A book titled Gender Queer was found in Orange, St. Lucie, and Hillsborough County schools and is a graphic novel, depicting masturbation and encouraging transgender surgery.
“Education is about the pursuit of truth, not woke indoctrination,” said Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “Under Governor DeSantis, Florida is committed to rigorous academic content and high standards so that students learn how to think and receive the tools necessary to go forth and make great decisions.”
During Wednesday’s press conference, Broward County School Board Member Tory Alston said he has seen inappropriate materials in classrooms and is “proud” that the district removed “graphic material that no one in elementary or middle school should have been exposed to.”
“When you go to a movie theater, you have to be 18 to watch a rated R movie, right? When you buy an explicit CD, there’s a warning on it. Where are the warning labels for these books?” Moms for Liberty member Tia Bess said during Wednesday’s press conference.
DeSantis said parents should not have to worry about this “garbage” being in schools.
“I just think parents, when they’re sending their kids to school, they should not have to worry about this garbage being in the schools,” DeSantis said. “They should just know that you’re going to get a good education, we’re going to do well to really do the basics and have our kids succeed. That’s what they want. They don’t want the garbage.”
