Florida Schools Are Bypassing Book Review Laws: Parents Push Back

Florida schools are quietly pulling hundreds of books off their shelves—but not always through the legal review process. Instead, fearing lawsuits or retaliation from the State Board of Education, many districts are removing titles without formal challenges from parents or committee input. This rush to comply with political pressures has left families and educators cut out of the conversation.

There is a better way forward. The Tampa Bay Times reports that some districts, like Pasco County, are choosing to honor due process and convene review committees. Their model shows that following the law and protecting student access can go hand in hand.

Fear and Intimidation Drive Removals

The trend began after the Florida State Board of Education threatened legal action against Hillsborough County in May, saying its library collections contained “harmful” materials. According to The Guardian, the district responded by removing more than six hundred books, including The Diary of Anne Frank. The move cost an estimated $350,000, despite the fact that none of the books had been challenged by parents.

Since then, at least nine counties—including Columbia, Escambia, Orange, and Osceola—have removed hundreds of books in advance of formal complaints. Escambia alone has pulled four hundred titles without review, among them I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five.

“This is an ideological campaign to erase LGBTQ+ lives and any honest discussion of sex, stripping libraries of resources and stories,” William Johnson, director of PEN America Florida, told The Guardian.

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Pasco County Chooses Transparency

Pasco County has provided a different model. When a parent emailed in August demanding the removal of four books—including A Is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara—the district did not immediately pull them. Instead, spokesperson Toni Zetzsche told the Tampa Bay Times that Pasco convened committees of teachers and parents to review each title “as if a formal challenge had been submitted.”

The reviews are expected to conclude by the end of the semester, with decisions made according to state law and district policy. By committing to transparency, Pasco has shown that community review and professional judgment remain essential safeguards to students' access to books.

Students and Parents Speak Out

Parents across Florida say their voices are being erased by outside groups and political pressure. “I do not want or need a special interest group or a ‘concerned citizen’ opting out for me,” said Hillsborough parent Rachel Doyle, quoted in The Guardian. “Once Florida becomes a place where this is the norm entirely, other states will follow.”

Students are also joining the fight. At an August press conference organized by the Florida Freedom to Read Project, student Ishikta Kumari said: “Florida’s leaders talk about preparing us for success. But success doesn’t come from being shielded from knowledge. It comes from being trusted to engage with it. Without that freedom, our education is incomplete.”

Best-selling author Kristen Arnett, who leads the Florida chapter of Authors Against Book Bans, has also spoken out. Alongside students and parents, she has emphasized that these decisions are not about “protecting children,” but about silencing diverse voices.

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Legal Challenges Test State Power

In August, US District Judge Carlos Mendoza struck down major provisions of HB 1069, ruling them vague, overbroad, and unconstitutional. Despite the ruling, PEN America reports that the State Board of Education continues to pressure schools, sometimes acting as if new restrictions are already in place.

“These aren’t dangerous books; they are stories that teach empathy, truth, history, and the richness of our communities,” said Anne Watts of Families for Strong Public Schools. “Florida’s students deserve the freedom to read, to think, and to see themselves in books.”

What You Can Do

• Contact Your Legislators. Urge Florida’s Joint Administrative Procedures Committee to hold accountability hearings on unlawful book removals.
  
  
• Support Advocates. Follow and contribute to PEN America Florida, the Florida Freedom to Read Project, and Authors Against Book Bans.
  
  
• Speak up Locally. Attend school board meetings, write to your district leaders, and show support for librarians and educators.
  
  
• Spread the Word. Share stories on social media. Awareness makes it harder for censorship to happen quietly.

At EveryLibrary, we believe every student deserves the freedom to read, to think, and to see themselves reflected in their libraries. Book bans and fear-driven policies undermine that freedom. Together, we can push back against censorship and ensure that communities—not politics—guide what belongs on our shelves.

Join us in defending the freedom to read and help keep books in the classroom where they belong.

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries. 

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