Florida district agrees to return books it had banned to library shelves

Facing a federal lawsuit with accusations of unconstitutional censorship, the Nassau County (Florida) school board has agreed to return books it banned back to library shelves as part of an out-of-court settlement.

 

The Tallahassee Democrat reports that 36 books will be returned in the Nassau County School District, according to a settlement agreement. They range from titles like "Beloved" by Toni Morrison and "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini to a children's picture book about a same-sex penguin pair.

 

"The settlement is a watershed moment in the ongoing battle against book censorship in our country," said Lauren Zimmerman, an attorney representing those suing. "Students once again have access to books from well-known and highly-lauded authors representing a broad range of viewpoints and ideas."

 

District officials in Nassau County were sued in July. Authors of the penguin book as well as some students and their parents said they brought the suit forward to "vindicate their First Amendment rights."

 

Written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, that book, "And Tango Makes Three," details the true story of a same-sex penguin pair at a New York City zoo. The children's picture book and 35 other titles were either removed or restricted by school district officials following "informal requests" from a local conservative group, according to the lawsuit.

 

As part of the agreement, the school board stated there was no obscene material in "And Tango Makes Three," and that it was appropriate for all ages and had pedagogical value. It's being returned to libraries with no age restrictions.

 

Some of the challenged books are being placed back with added restrictions. Twelve, like "The Kite Runner" and "Beloved," must be checked out by those who are at least 18 years old or have a parent's permission.

 

Under the settlement terms, those 12 books will also go through a formal district review process. 

 

The head of the conservative group that contested the books said in an email that he was "very disappointed" by the decision.

 

Jack Knocke, the executive director of Nassau County's chapter of Citizens Defending Freedom, said "many" of the books "clearly violate Florida Laws that protect children in schools."