Pinellas and Pasco Schools Remove Books Amid State Threat to Hillsborough

The Impact of Threats on School Library Policies

In recent weeks, a series of events has unfolded in Florida school districts following discussions by the State Board of Education regarding the removal of certain books from school libraries. These actions have led to significant changes in library collections across multiple counties, raising concerns about the influence of external pressures on educational content.

The State Board's initial remarks about "pornographic" materials prompted immediate reactions from several districts. For example, Pinellas County schools had 38 out of 55 titles in their media centers just days after the State Board addressed Hillsborough County officials. Within a short period, all these books were removed from the shelves. Similarly, Pasco County saw a similar trend, with 20 titles being taken off the catalog following the June 5 meeting.

Books such as "Forever" by Judy Blume, "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo, and "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess were among those targeted. The State Board chairman, Ben Gibson, made it clear that he wanted the offending books removed within two weeks. He also indicated that if this didn't happen, the Education Department and Attorney General would take further action.

This warning was enough to prompt immediate responses from other school districts. Some, like Escambia, St. Johns, and Orange counties, publicly expressed their concerns and voted to treat the list as non-grata. In contrast, some districts, including Columbia County, took a more discreet approach. They directed schools to remove the books without engaging in the standard processes outlined in statutes and policies.

Responses from School Boards

School board members in both Pasco and Pinellas reported that they were unaware of the actions taken by district administrators. They noted that no formal requests for action were made. Dawn Peters, a Pinellas board member, stated she supported the superintendent’s discretion but expressed a desire for more communication regarding any concerns about specific books.

Eileen Long, another Pinellas board member, felt that the administration should have informed the board about the actions taken in response to the State Board’s comments. She mentioned her concern over the lack of transparency and the urgency behind the decisions.

Donnika Jones, the district’s chief academic officer, explained that the removal of books was part of an annual review of library collections. She emphasized that the district was committed to ensuring that its media offerings aligned with current compliance requirements and the needs of students.

However, on June 19, which was two weeks after the State Board meeting, Pinellas provided a list of 70 titles that were subject to its summer book review. Notably, none of the titles mentioned by the State Board appeared on this list.

Public and Community Reactions

Pasco County officials were more open about their actions. Deputy superintendent Betsy Kuhn mentioned that they wanted to get ahead of any potential state orders and preemptively remove the books. Board members, though uninformed of the move, were not surprised by the decision.

Stephana Ferrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, expressed concerns about the districts’ decisions to pull books without formal state votes or community input. She highlighted that while the Legislature refused to change the law regarding harmful books, threats and intimidation were being used to enforce new practices.

Ferrell pointed out that the process started with 55 books, and there is nothing currently holding them to a constitutionally sound review process. This raises important questions about the future of library policies and the role of external influences in educational decisions.

As the situation continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how these actions will impact the availability of books in school libraries and the broader conversation around censorship and educational freedom.