Florida schools removed more than 100 books due to age-inappropriate material

Published Feb. 16, 2023, 11:14 a.m. ET | Updated Feb. 16, 2023

Library bookshelves. (Photo/Jason Leung)
Library bookshelves. (Photo/Jason Leung)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – More than 20 Florida school districts removed books in the 2022-23 school year, noting they contained pornography, violence, or were not appropriate for the grade level, according to a recent survey.

Some of the books districts removed include “Gender Queer,” “This Book is Gay,” “Perfectly Normal,” and “Let’s talk about it”- all books that the DeSantis administration and parents have criticized for their sexually graphic nature.

Senior officials from the governor’s office are pushing back against certain narratives, including articles about the removal of a book on MLB legend Roberto Clemente being tied to a bill Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law last year.

Florida lawmakers passed HB 1467 in mid-2022, which requires media specialists go through approved training to brush up on Florida laws in order to approve books for classrooms and libraries. The training was formally approved in January 2023.

NBC News reported that “Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates” and other “books about Latino figures” have been “covered or stored and paused for student use” in Duval County schools. Videos have surfaced of one Duval County school library without any books on the shelves.

“Additionally, we’re looking at giving teachers duty free time to assist in reviews, and reemploying retired media specialists who still have an active certificate to increase our capacity to conduct reviews. In the meantime, books not on the district approved list or not approved by a certificated media specialists need to be covered or stored and paused for student use,” Duval County Schools Chief Academic Officer Paula Renfro said in an announcement about the media specialist training.

Officials from the governor’s office told Florida’s Voice the administration never dictated the removal of books like Roberto Clemente or wanted shelves wiped of books, calling it political theater. They expressed frustration that the book of Clemente had taken eight months to review.

DeSantis addressed the situation at a press conference, saying that the concerning books are those containing pornography, not a biography by Clemente.

“Having young kids engaging in sex acts, you’re going to compare that to a biography of Roberto Clemente?” DeSantis said. “Give me a break.”

The Florida Department of Education sent a survey to school districts that questioned whether any materials had been removed or discontinued during the 2022-23 school year. Schools then provided the reason for discontinuing a book.

According to DOE, there were 23 schools that said they removed a total of 175 materials with 94% removed from media centers and not classrooms.

Their data shows 87% of those removed books were because the district identified them as containing pornography, violence, or were not suitable for the grade level.

Common books removed from the school districts also included “Bluest Eyes,” Nineteen Minutes,” and a slew of books authored by Ellen Hopkins, according to the data provided to Florida’s Voice.

The media specialist training for Florida’s new law was approved by the Florida State Board of Education in January 2023, but the department of education believes schools knew to start reviewing the books eight months ago.

The training references state statute that has been on the books for years, including one that said adults can face a third-degree felony for providing minors with sexual material. The Florida Department of Education had previously said that teachers unions had been “spreading lies” and “causing fear” about the felony statute.

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