On December 7, a group of Florida Democrats took a stand against the recent surge in book bans within the state's schools and libraries. Led by U.S. Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Democrats wrote a letter of appeal to Gov. Ron DeSantis to end the government's current book censorship initiative, citing concerns about the impact these bans could have on learning and freedom of expression.
Earlier this year, the American Library Association (ALA) revealed a 38% spike in the banning or challenging of 2,571 unique titles from the 1,858 titles last year. The lawmakers cited this report in their appeal and urged the governor to reconsider his administration's decision to sever ties with the ALA.
Over 40% of all book bans occurred in school districts in Florida, recording 1,406 book ban cases during the 2022-2023 school year compared with the previous school year.
The letter emphasized the detrimental impact of book censorship on children's education, stating that the ban infringes their First Amendment rights. Referring to the 1982 Supreme Court case, Board of Education v. Pico, the Democrats highlighted that school boards cannot remove books from libraries based on their disagreement with their content.
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The lawmakers urged Gov. DeSantis to engage substantively with educators, librarians, and parents to ensure students' rights to an inclusive and comprehensive education. They argued that banning books containing LGBTQI+ content or addressing issues of race or ethnicity attempts to silence communities already facing legislative attacks.
In a legal brief filed over the summer this year, Attorney General Ashley Moody argued that schools' censorship of LGBTQI+ content violates the First Amendment because the government cannot restrict students' access to materials depicting ideas to which the school board disagrees.
David Stacy, Human Rights Campaign Vice President for Government Affairs, stated that book censorship deters the freedom that every student - no matter their background, sexual orientation, or gender identity - deserves. Stacy's claims were further affirmed by Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, the Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, stating that book bans contribute to the increased isolation of transgender youth from their peers and convey the damaging notion that students who belong to minority communities are unrecognized and unwelcome.
Co-led by Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the letter was also endorsed by Representatives Lois Frankel, Maxwell Frost, Darren Soto, and Kathy Castor. The Democrats pointed out that fostering an inclusive educational environment is crucial for the student's growth, emphasizing the value of diverse stories in promoting acceptance.
Notably, the letter comes days after Representative Maxwell Frost introduced the Fight Book Bans Act. The proposed legislation aims to stand against censorship, enabling the Department of Education to provide grants to school districts, assisting them in covering expenses incurred while resisting book bans. Representative Frost emphasized that book bans are a direct assault on freedoms and liberties, asserting the need to protect libraries, truth, and history.
As the debate over book bans continues, the Democrats' call for action resonates as a plea for safeguarding education, diversity, and freedom of expression in Florida's classrooms.
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