TAMPA, Fla. — Florida’s commissioner of education is calling out Hillsborough County for the way the school district has handled book bans.
In a memo sent out to Florida superintendents, Commissioner Dr. Henry Mack reminded districts of their responsibility to clean up content in their libraries. Mack issued his directive weeks after the state released its 2025-26 challenge and removal list of books.
Mack pointed to Hillsborough County, saying the district’s review isn’t good enough after parents brought what they deemed to be several examples of inappropriate books to a recent school board meeting.
In a Department of Education release, Mack said: “A process that depends on a parent discovering explicit material, reading it in a public meeting, and then forcing a district response is not only severely flawed; it is administrative neglect masquerading as either ignorance or ineptitude.
“Whatever it may be, it is unacceptable and must end.”
Mack pointed to a recent Hillsborough School Board meeting that saw multiple books called out for excerpts deemed inappropriate. He said even before that, hundreds of titles had been pulled for review.
“A review that remains incomplete, or that leaves parents to locate the next title, does not meet the duty required of you by statute.”
Hillsborough’s district was one of more than 50 districts had not banned any books from its school libraries, according to statewide education data from the 2024-25 school year.
Spectrum Bay News 9 reached out to Hillsborough County school officials for a response to Mack’s letter but have not heard back.