ACLU Statement on Book Banning Legislation

The Florida Legislature today passed CS/CS/HB 989, a bill that makes it easier to object to books and other instructional materials in public schools.
Responding to the bill, ACLU of Florida Legislative Counsel Kara Gross stated:
“The ACLU of Florida is concerned that this bill makes it easier to censor and ban books and other instructional materials in public schools. This bill not only broadens the scope of those who can object to school instructional materials to include county residents who do not even have school-age children, but it also includes additional grounds for raising such objections.
“According to the bill, any county resident could raise an objection and prompt a review and hearing process. Additionally, it would allow an individual to object based on their own personal beliefs of what is and is not age appropriate, and may open the door to objections and hearings based on science textbooks that teach evolution as a fact, or that include issues of global warming, among other things.
“Will the school districts’ resources and taxpayer money be wasted reviewing materials that teach evolution in science classes? Will history textbooks that include accounts of the Holocaust or the moon landing be yanked from classrooms because a resident believes those are fake events and has compiled extensive Internet research in support of his objection?
“Florida’s educational resources are stretched thin enough. Taxpayer dollars should be spent teaching students with instructional materials that meet state standards, not wasted on countless public reviews and hearings on textbooks and lessons that one person doesn’t like or agree with.”