A community member has challenged a book that is in a Duval County Public High School library. Here are the next steps:
- The seven voting members of the MRC (Material Review Committee) have to read the book in its entirety.
- The MRC meeting has to be publicly noticed
- The MRC meets and discusses the book and decides on a recommendation to the school board
- There will be time for public comment at the MRC meeting
- The school board can ignore the committee’s recommendation but must vote on whether or not to ban the book from the school libraries
Blake Harper said at the school board meeting that the challenges are based on F.s. 847 but part of F.s. 847 has been declared unconstitutional. Here is an article about what the judge said about part of 847:
“It is readily apparent to the Court that the statute fails strict scrutiny,” the Court determined. “The state’s prohibition of material that ‘describes sexual conduct’ is overbroad and unconstitutional.”
“This is a sweeping victory for the right to read, and for every student’s freedom to think, learn, and explore ideas,” declared Dan Novack, VP and associate general counsel, PRH, in a statement made on behalf of the plaintiff group. “We are especially heartened that the Court rejected the State’s dangerous claim that the First Amendment does not apply in school libraries.” Novack continued: “The Court also struck down the State’s vague ‘I know it when I see it’ standard, reinforcing the essential role of librarians and educators in selecting books for students’ independent reading.”
That was excerpts from this link:
Towards the end of my YouTube video is a woman representing Citizens Defending Freedom (a Christian Nationalist organization) saying she has 65 books she wants banned:
