A coordinated group of people read book excerpts that were inappropriate for most young children at a recent school board meeting, a meeting that is open to all.
The district should not remove books in response to those antics. There is a formal review process to remove challenged books.
I support the school district’s efforts to respect the parental rights of all with its formal opt-out process for parents who want more restrictions for their children.
I support the school district’s committee review process—it allows a book to be considered in its entirety.
What is appropriate in a self-selected book for independent reading is different from what we expect to find in a book read aloud to a captive audience of various ages. In addition, books selected for 12th graders may not be appropriate for younger people.
According to state law, “Parents shall have the right to read passages from any material that is subject to an objection” but it does not say the book must be “read aloud at a school board meeting.”
Some books are approved for specific ages so reading them out-loud in a public forum is a bad idea in my view. BUT if the majority of the school board feels it is important to allow people to read provocative passages from books out of context to all of the school board, I suggest placing the reading of passages from books that are in our school libraries LAST on the school board meeting agenda so audience members can decide if they want to leave the meeting before that agenda item. I don’t think it is a good idea because there is a process for book reviews that the school board should insist people follow
I also have asked the school board to require people who speak during the public comment period to not only state their name but also what city they live in. I’d like to know if the provocateurs reside within our city or belong to a statewide organization trying to stir up trouble with its main goal to harm our public neighborhood schools.
Plain Reading of the Law
There is a plain reading of the law that needs to be considered before entertaining these performances and taking action against books in response to these antics.
1006.28(2)(a)(2.) starts with, “each district school board must adopt a policy regarding an objection by a parent or a resident of the county to the use of a specific material, which clearly describes a process to handle all objections and provides for resolution.” Everything falling underneath this provision is related to the formal policy for objection created and upheld by the district. The district’s current policy has a clear objection process that does not include the immediate removal of a book that is not allowed to be read aloud at meetings.
The last provision within 1006.28(2)(a)(2.) reads as follows:
Any material that is subject to an objection on the basis of sub-sub-subparagraph b.(I) or sub-sub-subparagraph b.(II) must be removed within 5 school days of receipt of the objection and remain unavailable to students of that school until the objection is resolved. Parents shall have the right to read passages from any material that is subject to an objection. If the school board denies a parent the right to read passages due to content that meets the requirements under sub-sub-subparagraph b.(I), the school district shall discontinue the use of the material. If the district school board finds that any material meets the requirements under sub-subparagraph a. or that any other material contains prohibited content under sub-sub-subparagraph b.(I), the school district shall discontinue use of the material. If the district school board finds that any other material contains prohibited content under sub-sub-subparagraphs b.(II)-(IV), the school district shall discontinue use of the material for any grade level or age group for which such use is inappropriate or unsuitable.
“Parents shall have the right to read passages from any material that is subject to an objection” does NOT continue to say “aloud at a board meeting.”
Notice that it states that materials that are challenged due to criteria found to meet II.-IV. are not required to be completely removed from all students, but from students where it is not age or developmentally appropriate for them to have access to this kind of content. This means books with descriptions of “sexual conduct” as defined in 847.001(19) may be available to some high school students.
Some of this information is from Florida Freedom to Read. You can find more about them at:
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