DeSantis calls medias narrative on Florida education policies a book ban hoax
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hit back at media "narrative" on Florida's education policies, saying the press has created a "book ban hoax" and misrepresented what state schools are allowed to teach.
Vicki Baggett, a high school language arts teacher from Escambia County, Florida, attacked Santa Rosa County school districts over "inappropriate" and "pornographic" books found in their libraries.
Baggett confronted Santa Rosa County commissioners on June 5, claiming that she discovered many books featuring adult content in the county’s school libraries despite the district insisting otherwise.
"As recently as last Thursday I found a book within this school district that has graphic pictures of an adult giving pornographic magazines to minor school age boys, complete with open legged naked women on the magazines’ covers. And yes, this is in your public-school libraries. And this book is one of many," Baggett said.
She continued, "What are we doing? What are we doing to our future leaders of our communities, our cities, our states? Why would this material ever be available to our most cherished asset, our children?"
Escambia County, Florida previously held a "special workshop" to review controversial books kept in their schools. (iStock)
Baggett, who teaches at Northview High School, previously spearheaded a motion in September within her own district to remove 115 books from school libraries until they could be reviewed for inappropriate or political content. The accusation led to Escambia County schools holding a "special workshop" one month later to discuss a proposal to revise a policy and allow parents to decide what books their children can read.
The school district’s decision to later remove or restrict books led to book publisher Penguin Random House filing a lawsuit in May, claiming that it was a violation of the First Amendment.
"The School District and the School Board have done so based on their disagreement with the ideas expressed in those books. They have repeatedly ignored their existing policies for review," the lawsuit stated. "In every decision to remove a book, the School District has sided with a challenger expressing openly discriminatory bases for challenge, overruling the recommendations of review committees at the school and district levels."
In response to Baggett’s allegations, Santa Rosa County Commission Chairman Colten Wright argued that the school board is an independent board and therefore not controlled by commissioners.
Escambia County is currently facing a lawsuit by a book publisher after restricting several titles in school libraries. (iStock)
A statement from the Santa Rosa County School District reiterated a commitment to comply with Gov. Ron DeSantis’, R-Fla., new education laws which go into effect on July 1.
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"It is always a priority of Santa Rosa County District Schools to be in compliance with legislative mandates. In reference to recent legislation surrounding Parental Rights in Education, the district has a form on our website where parents can select their child’s library access level. If parents want to go in and limit their child’s access or prefer their child have no access at all, they can make that selection," the statement read.
It continued, "In alignment with our district’s instructional material grievance procedure, any citizen may file a complaint with a school concerning the use of instructional materials, which includes library books. Currently, if a book is being reconsidered, that book shall not be removed from use until the procedures have been completed."
In Florida, some schools have covered or removed books under a new law that requires an evaluation of reading materials and for districts to publish a searchable list of books where individuals can then challenge specific titles. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
The statement concluded, "We want parents to trust the things the district has done to comply with parental rights education."
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Neither Baggett nor the Santa Rosa County School District responded for a comment.
Fox News' Joshua Nelson contributed to this report.
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