Florida Schools Bring Back Banned Titles After Lawsuits from Major Publishers
By Saron Hatsey
Florida is among one of many states facing backlash for banning books in K-12 schools. From mass book dumpings to coming after some of the most successful authors of our lifetimes, the state has yet to hold back on its censorship attempts. This time, however, publishers and authors alike have decided to step up.
Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and numerous other large publishers and organizations in the country, filed a lawsuit against Florida's HB 1096, which banned books regarding “sexual conduct.” Joining the publishers, plaintiffs of the lawsuit include renowned authors like John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, Looking For Alaska) and Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give, On The Come Up).
The publishers initially sued Escambia County in November 2023 after they removed a considerable amount of titles from their publishing group. Since HB 1096 was enacted, however, the authors and publishers alike have expanded their challenge to get rid of the bill.
“Book bans censor authors’ voices, negating and silencing their lived experience and stories. These bans have a chilling effect on what authors write about, and they damage authors’ reputations. Yet, these same books have edified young people for decades, expanding worlds and fostering self-esteem and empathy for others. We all lose out when authors’ truths are censored.” The Authors Guild, one of the plaintiffs, states.
Authors have also voiced their opinions on Florida’s intense crackdown on “inappropriate literature. “.. I just don’t think looking for Alaska is pornography, and I think reading it in that way is a little weird.” John Greene said in a TikTok (It’s also important to note that the school district he was referring to was the Orange County School District-the one that he used to go to). Stephen King also illustrated his frustrations in a simple tweet, stating “Florida has banned 23 of my books. What the f***?”
<<Embed john green tiktok here https://www.tiktok.com/@literallyjohngreen/video/7141804014793968942 >>
Despite many of the authors being Y.A novelists, HB 1096 threatens books of all genres. Some of the titles include The Diary of Anne Frank, The Color Purple, A Tale of 2 Cities, and Brave New World, all well renowned, well respected classics.
The Escambia School board, which was the first district to get sued, has advocated against the lawsuit, paying a law firm over 100 thousand dollars to keep A Tango Makes Three off their shelves. Nearly 1600 novels are banned in this county (including Merriam Webster's Dictionary), making it the leading school district in book bans.
The lawsuit against HB 1096 is ongoing and has had successes. Recently the Nassau School district has had to return over 30 titles back to school shelves. Previously banned for containing LQBTQ+ content, which likely was considered to fall under the genre of “sexual content”, Titles returning to shelves include The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) and And Tango Makes Three (Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell). These authors are also plaintiffs of the lawsuit.
This story is ongoing and developments may have occurred
