Should Parents or Other Adults Be Able to Ban Books from Schools and Libraries?

“Protecting children from explicit sexual material is common sense, and I have signed House Bill 1205, which prohibits books containing explicit sexual material from being kept in the children’s collection at public libraries. House Bill 1205 also standardizes the process for local public libraries to review material when requested by parents, library users or other members of the public – a process already in place and working at nearly all public libraries across the state.”

“Exposing the ‘book ban’ hoax is important because it reveals that some are attempting to use our schools for indoctrination,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “In Florida, pornographic and inappropriate materials that have been snuck into our classrooms and libraries to sexualize our students violate our state education standards. Florida is the education state and that means providing students with a quality education free from sexualization and harmful materials that are not age appropriate.’

…Governor DeSantis also signed HB 1557, Parental Rights in Education, which reinforced parents’ fundamental rights to make decisions regarding the upbringing of their children. The bill prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through 3rd grade and prohibits instruction that is not age appropriate for students. During the upcoming 2023 Legislative Session, the Governor is in support of legislation which would expand these restrictions through the 8th grade. Additionally in 2022, the Governor signed HB 1467, which requires school districts to be transparent in the selection of instructional materials, including library and reading materials. As a part of the Year of the Parent, this legislation aims to preserve the rights of parents to make decisions about what materials their children are exposed to in school.”

Editors’ Note: DeSantis has stated that “there has not been a single book banned in the state of Florida,” and says book removals are “curation choices that are consistent with state standards.” However, the policies enacted and subsequent removal of books fit the standard definition of “book banning.”

“We’re excited to partner with Tiffany Justice and Moms for Liberty. This is a group that many have said are extreme. And I’ve said if this is extreme, count me in because this is about parents getting control of their children again…. We don’t want to give custody of our kids to the teachers’ unions. We deserve to know what’s happening in schools, and we should get complete transparency in the classroom. No parent should ever wonder what’s being said or taught to their child in the classroom, and that’s the case right now. And you look at Tiffany and what she’s done with Moms for Liberty. She’s given the voices back to parents. Parents are fighting back.”

Editors’ Note: Moms for Liberty takes issue with the phrase “book bans,” preferring “parental rights.” However, the group promotes a “Model Parents’ Bill of Rights” that includes the following, which fits the standard definition of “book banning”: “Each district school board shall, in consultation with parents, teachers, and administrators, develop and adopt a policy to promote parental involvement in the public school system. Such policy must include:… (c) Procedures for a parent to object to instructional materials and other materials used in the classroom. Such objections may be based on beliefs regarding morality, sex, and religion or the belief that such materials are harmful. For purposes of this section, the term “instructional materials” has the same meaning as in [cite to relevant statute, if applicable] and may include other materials used in the classroom, including workbooks and worksheets, handouts, software, applications, and any digital media made available to students.”