Local Florida school officials are instructing teachers to hide classroom libraries out of fear that the books may contain "pornographic" material inappropriate for their students, warning that the existence of such content could be a crime in the state.
School officials told the Washington Post that they’re advising teachers to take extreme measures after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R.) signed into law House Bill 1467, which mandates that classroom books be "age-appropriate" and free from "harmful materials" such as porn. Teachers have been clearing their entire book collections or wrapping them in paper to hide books.
Teachers complain that they don’t have enough information on what books would violate the law, and one asked for a list of "specific" books that would violate the new law against pornography.
"The bill does not name specific books to ban, nor a system in which to vet the books," a third-grade teacher told the Independent. "It does, however, come with a fear-mongering threat of a class three felony, which could cause a teacher to lose not only their teaching certificate, but their right to vote as well."
It is unclear why identifying inappropriate books for young children is presenting such a challenge. Nine out of 10 of the American Library Association’s top banned books for 2021 were challenged for containing "sexually explicit" content. Book titles that have been the most contested in recent years in "library, school, and university materials" include Gender Queer, which "features depictions of masturbation, period blood, and confusing sexual experiences," according to the New York Times, and This Book is Gay, which details "the ins and outs of gay sex"
DeSantis says the law is about transparency for parents, who should know what materials are being shown to their children.
"In Florida, our parents have every right to be involved in their child’s education," DeSantis said. "We are not going to let politicians deny parents the right to know what is being taught in our schools. I’m proud to sign this legislation that ensures curriculum transparency."
This is not just a problem in Florida—the Washington Free Beacon in July reported on a Maine father who was issued a "criminal trespass notice" from his child’s school after he took it upon himself to identify pornographic books in its library.
Though teachers claim they are at risk of felony charges if an inappropriate book is found in their classroom, there is no mention of criminal charges in House Bill 1467.