Opinion | The author's opinion does not necessarily reflect Sarah Palin's view.
The Indian River County School Board in Florida has chosen to remove numerous books from school shelves following passionate objections from concerned citizens who read explicit excerpts from the contested novels.
The decision to pull these books was prompted by a rule signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, granting parents the right to read passages from any material they find objectionable.
Under House Bill 1069, if a school board denies parents this right for content deemed “pornographic” or “harmful to minors,” the school district is obligated to discontinue the use of such materials.
During a recent meeting, over 30 parents and community members successfully campaigned for the removal of these books, even though they were cut off from speaking at the podium.
One viral video showcased Pastor John K. Amanchukwu Sr. as he read from Jay Asher’s “13 Reasons Why,” a passage that included explicit content. A board member interrupted him, and security removed him from the microphone when he continued reading.
Another parent attempting to read from “Living Dead Girl” by Elizabeth Scott, which described a disturbing incident, was also stopped, with board members expressing discomfort.
Jacqueline Rosario, an Indian River County School Board member, noted that she was the sole member who voted to remove these books during the initial decision in 2022.
She accused her fellow board members of ignoring laws concerning explicit content in schools and commended the new law, HB 1069, for empowering parents to challenge such content at board meetings.
It remains unclear how many books were removed, but the board unanimously agreed to remove books from the shelves if it is verified that the explicit content was indeed present in the texts.
Listen to what this parent had to say, after I was kicked out of the Indian River County school board meeting on Monday night.
People need help! 😬🥴 pic.twitter.com/V4FFfP8gMU
— John K. Amanchukwu Sr. (@REVWUTRUTH) August 31, 2023
Some board members expressed frustration with the public’s approach, suggesting that concerned citizens could have reported the content to the superintendent for a more discreet resolution.
The School District of Indian River County released a statement, emphasizing that the board respected First Amendment rights while addressing content concerns.
All Florida school districts are awaiting a list from the Florida Department of Education detailing materials removed or discontinued due to objections in the 2022-2023 school year.
Moms for Liberty, a parental rights group, led the campaign to remove the books, with the local chapter chairwoman, Jennifer Pippin, expressing satisfaction with the decision but disappointment in the board members who challenged it for over two years.
The group intends to continue challenging other books listed on the district’s website.
