TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV\/Florida Capital Bureau) – This month, Florida released its annual \u201cbanned book\u201d list, reigniting the debate surrounding it.<\/p>\n
Florida leads the nation in total school book removals according to Kasey Meehan, the Freedom to Read Director at PEN America. <\/p>\n
This year<\/a>, only 10 of the state\u2019s 67 districts pulled titles. But together, they removed more than 600 books.<\/p>\n The Department of Education released a statement to Gray Media\u2019s Capitol Bureau saying Florida \u201cdoes not ban books.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, they said, pursuant to 1006.28, Florida Statutes, \u201cEach district school board is responsible for the content of all instructional materials and any other materials used in a classroom, made available in a school or classroom library, or included on a reading list\u201d no matter how the district obtains the book.” <\/p>\n In an annual report that is submitted to the DOE, districts must report any objections, removals, or reasons books stayed on shelves.<\/p>\n Experts like Meehan said the books that get flagged are often labeled \u201cpornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit, but that category leaves room for interpretation.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom our research on titles that are being removed, we have not come across any true illicit or pornographic material. The material that overwhelmingly get swept from shelves are books that talk about race and racism, books that have characters of colors, books that discuss sexuality and gender identity or have LGBTQ+ representation. Books that talk about sex and sexual experience. Books that also talk about violence and sexual violence against people,\u201d said Meehan.<\/p>\n