TALLAHASSEE, FL – The state of Florida is being sued by several major publishers over its law that allows for widespread book bans. Simon & Schuster along with Penguin Random House and others filed suit last Thursday (Aug. 29) in hopes of having the controversial law amended.
The argument at the center of the publishers’ lawsuit is the First Amendment. It is a violation of free speech, the publishers argue, for the state to ban books. Furthermore, the publishers argue that such decisions are made without the input of experts such as teachers and media specialists.
State officials have responded to the lawsuit by calling it a “stunt” on the part of publishers. “There are no books banned in Florida,” Florida Department of Education Spokesperson Sydney Booker told the press.
Governor Ron DeSantis has signed several bills into law, which were meant to give parents more authority on what their children are exposed to at school. One law, in particular, gives moms and dads the right to challenge books they believe too sexually explicit for school libraries and campuses.
Although some parents use the law to protect their children from explicit content, others have used the rule to further their political ideologies. Governor DeSantis called for amendments to the law impacting book bans in a statement released earlier this year.
“Over the past year, parents have used their rights to object to pornographic and sexually explicit material they found in school libraries,” DeSantis shared. “We also know that some people have abused this process in an effort to score cheap political points,” he added. “I am calling on the Legislature to make necessary adjustments so that we can prevent abuses in the objection process and ensure that districts aren’t overwhelmed by frivolous challenges.”
Still, even with amendments to the rules, dozens of books remain challenged and restricted. “We’re not talking about Playboy magazine,” one concerned parent recently told the press. “We’re talking about Anna Karenina and War and Peace.”
Florida leads the charge of banned books with more than 3,000 bans across 11 school districts. Wisconsin comes in second with the most book bans at 481 restricted titles. Iowa and Texas have banned 142 and 141 books, respectively, this year.