DeSantis Pushes Back Against Book Ban Accusations
At a press conference on March 8, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pushed back against claims that Florida's schools have banned certain books, stating that the accusations are "political theatre." DeSantis argued that the books removed from schools in the state contained pornographic and violent content and were inappropriate for their age group. DeSantis cited examples of such books, including "Gender Queer: A Memoir," "Flamer," and "This Book Is Gay."
DeSantis also contends that Florida has high-quality standards for African American history education and has expanded education requirements in this area. He signed a law in 2022 that requires instruction on slavery, the Civil War, and Jim Crow laws. DeSantis also noted that Florida's students learn about the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots, and a bill signed by the governor has further expanded African American history instruction.
DeSantis argues that Florida is committed to providing students with a quality education free from harmful materials that are not age appropriate. The state's legislation requires school districts to report the number of books removed from schools.
Florida's legislation also prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through 3rd grade and prohibits instruction that is not age-appropriate for students. Parents are allowed to make decisions about what materials their children are exposed to in school.
Governor DeSantis has also signed a bill that requires schools to be transparent in the selection of instructional materials, including library and reading materials. The law is part of the "Year of the Parent" campaign, which aims to preserve the rights of parents to make decisions about what their children are exposed to in school.
DeSantis has argued that education is about the pursuit of truth, not indoctrination. He believes that Florida's students should receive a quality education that is free from inappropriate and harmful materials.