DeSantis Responds to Claims of Book Bans in Florida
On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced allegations regarding the banning of Anne Frank’s renowned diary, which some claimed was on the state’s recommended reading list. In response, DeSantis pushed back against a California Democratic lawmaker who argued that “Anne Frank’s Diary” had, in fact, been banned in Florida.
“It’s not the first time the left has accused Florida of banning books,” DeSantis stated on social media. He insisted that the diary is still recommended, dismissing the claim as another untruth. This situation escalated when California Senator Scott Wiener shared an article alleging that Florida had removed the book from school libraries.
In his post, Wiener remarked, “By banning Anne Frank’s diary, Florida tells us everything you need to know about the movement.” However, the claim was flagged by fact-checkers on social media, noting that the book remains in the eighth-grade curriculum set by the Florida Department of Education.
Wiener’s office clarified that his statement referred to a specific incident in Hillsborough County, where the school district had removed the diary along with over 600 other books due to a crackdown from the state’s education department. This action was prompted by local parents who deemed some books inappropriate, leading to an extensive review of school library collections.
The Hillsborough County School District reportedly faced legal threats to remove certain titles, including “Anne Frank’s Diary.” Officials indicated that none of the books had been officially reviewed by the district but were solely flagged by parents. Interestingly, parents were given the option to exclude their children from reading specific materials without affecting the entire class.
Meanwhile, DeSantis’ “Parental Rights in Education” law, often critiqued as a “gay law,” prohibits K-12 teachers from discussing topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms. As controversies around these educational policies unfold, responses from DeSantis’ office and the Hillsborough County School District have not yet been made.
