(NewsReady.com) – A very public battle is taking place in Florida between Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and teachers. After the state passed a sweeping education bill last year, schools are required to go through their books to root out inappropriate material. The governor’s administration has now released a partial list of novels it’s pulling from the institutions.
On February 19, the Daily Caller reported it obtained a list of some of the books pulled from school shelves. Most of the banned material was actually available in the media centers, not in individual classrooms, according to the report. Among the books removed from schools is “Let’s Talk About It,” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan.
The novel, which is advertised for teenagers ages 14 to 17, is written as a graphic novel. It answers questions they might have about sex and relationships but contain very graphic descriptions. For example, it provides teens with a how-to guide on sending nude photos.
Taryn Feske, the governor’s communications director, posted about another book found in schools called “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson. The novel is also advertised for teenagers ages 14 to 17 and is sold as a non-fiction book about gender and sexuality. It includes various definitions the state believes are inappropriate.
Found in a Florida school:
“This Book is Gay”
Recommended age: tweens & teens.
Includes a glossary: pic.twitter.com/JVzZOl9Alr
— Taryn Fenske (@tarynfenske) February 15, 2023
DeSantis spoke about the books at a press conference and hit back amid reports that Roberto Clemente’s autobiography was pulled from shelves because it mentioned the racism he experienced. The governor pointed out that some of the books pulled show actual drawings of kids engaged in graphic acts. “You’re gonna compare that to a biography of Roberto Clemente? Give me a break,” he said.
Over the last 24 hours, we provided examples of books found in Florida schools with drawings of kids engaged in sex acts.
That’s inappropriate and wrong.
“You’re gonna compare that to a biography of Roberto Clemente? Give me a break.”
– @GovRonDeSantis pic.twitter.com/2apc3DygTN— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) February 15, 2023
Media specialists across the Sunshine State are continuing to comb through the books to remove any that could have a negative impact on kids. The Daily Caller found 84% of books removed from Duval County schools contained violent, inappropriate, or pornographic material. The state has not clarified what constitutes inappropriate outside of the explicit content.
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