Florida Censorship

6 things about

The Danger of Florida's Censorship Initiatives in Public Schools

Puts First Amendment Rights Under Attack

Reduces Educational Equity for All Students

Bans Books

Discriminates against LGBTQ+ Students

Dictates What Teachers Can Say and Teach

Discriminates Against Female Students

In May of 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida signed the “Let Kids Be Kids” bill package to “protect Florida’s children from permanent mutilating surgical procedures, gender identity politics in schools, and attending sexually explicit adult performances” (State of Florida Governor's Office, 2023, section 1). This is another overstep by the Governor as he attempts to elevate himself in the eyes of the Republican electorate. This legislation reaches into the classroom to censor what teachers can say, what books can be read, and what kids can be taught once again. Like his “Stop W.O.K.E Act” and the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, this package of bills is targeting specific segments of the population, most notably young women and the LGBTQ+ population, with restrictions on "gender identity politics" discussions or materials in schools. It expands many possibilities for school choice charter schools while banning charter schools for students from LGBTQ+ families. Girls would be prohibited from discussing menstruation in school before 6th grade, even though many girls are as young as 8 or 9 when they begin to menstruate (Abuelmaatti, 2023). The education commissioner was quoted as saying, "educators in Florida are expected to teach our standards and not interject their own opinions or worldview into the classroom. The Department will remain focused on teaching students core subjects, rather than woke gender ideology or inappropriate topics” (State of Florida Governor's Office, 2023, section 2). In March of 2024 and July of 2024 parts of both the "Don't Say Gay Act" and the Stop W.O.K.E Act were struck down by the Federal Court. This attempt will not be the last, as DeSantis has hinted that he wants to pursue these issues to the U.S. Supreme Court. What DeSantis is trying to do in Florida and what other states are proposing to do, amounts to nothing more than silencing the voices of young people as they try to navigate through the already complicated jungle of our U.S. education system. Whether it be private schools or public schools, the move to eliminate discussions on topics that affect the lives of children and place gag orders on teachers and school personnel are going to have a chilling effect on free speech, freedom of thought, freedom of expression within the states that choose to legislate the cultural beliefs of White Christians into law, at the exclusion of other races and religions. Look no further than the recent uproar in Oklahoma over the Bible being required in public schools for evidence that these issues will not go away questions

• https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/26/federal-courts-florida-stop-woke-law-00171451
• https://www.littler.com/publication-press/publication/escaping-upside-down-halting-floridas-stop-woke-act
• https://pen.org/book-bans/
• https://pen.org/book-bans/book-ban-resources/how-to-fight-book-bans-a-tip-sheet-for-students/
• https://nwlc.org/resource/fighting-book-bans/
• https://www.aclu.org/campaigns-initiatives/defend-your-right-to-learn-join-in-the-fight-against-classroom-censorship
• https://ncac.org/resource/the-first-amendment-in-schools-censorship
• https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-bible-schools-trump-amend-99bec8ed6b67acd2d836913783c4fe7b
• https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/what-floridas-dont-say-gay-settlement-changes-and-what-restrictions-remain

Resources for More Information

Abuelmaatti, S. (2023, April 10). The problem with florida house bill 1069 - women’s media center. Women's Media Center (WMC). https://womensmediacenter.com/fbomb/the-problem-with-florida-house-bill-1069Meckler, L. (2022, January 20). The Washington post. https://www.washingtonpost.com. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/01/30/public-education-crisis-enrollment-violence/PEN America. (2023, June 27). Pen America legal filing argues that Florida’s stop woke act is unconstitutional [Press release]. https://pen.org/press-release/pen-america-legal-filing-argues-that-floridas-stop-woke-act-is-unconstitutional/State of Florida Governor's Office. (2021). Stop woke handout [PDF]. https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Stop-Woke-Handout.pdfState of Florida Governor's Office. (2023, May 17). Governor Ron DeSantis signs sweeping legislation to protect the innocence of Florida’s children. https://www.flgov.com/2023/05/17/governor-ron-desantis-signs-sweeping-legislation-to-protect-the-innocence-of-floridas-children/

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