Gov. Ron DeSantis Defends Florida’s Book Removal Policies

Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed criticisms on Wednesday, pushing back against claims by news outlets that Florida is banning large numbers of books from school libraries and classrooms. DeSantis called such reports a “hoax” and presented evidence to support his stance.

Highlighting the Content of Removed Books

During a news conference in Tampa, DeSantis displayed pages from books flagged for removal, including titles such as “Flamer,” “Let’s Talk About It,” and “Gender Queer.” These books contained sexual imagery and discussions on sexuality that DeSantis deemed inappropriate for children in Florida schools.

“I think if we had the entire state of Florida somehow either sitting in here watching that, I don’t think there’ll be very many people who honest-to-goodness believe that what was up there is appropriate for our schools,” DeSantis said.

According to DeSantis, of the 175 books removed across the state, 87% were identified as “pornographic, violent, or inappropriate for their grade level.”

Addressing Minority Figures and False Narratives

DeSantis also commented on the removal of books about minority figures like Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron, stating these actions were politically motivated by specific districts and not aligned with state guidelines.

“That’s a false narrative that they’re trying to do,” DeSantis said.

Rejection of AP African American Studies Course

DeSantis reiterated his opposition to an Advanced Placement African American Studies course, citing its focus on critical race theory (CRT) and Marxism. He refuted accusations that Florida was restricting the teaching of Black history.

“What they would say then, is because this ideologically driven course was not something that met our standards, that somehow Florida prohibited teaching anything about Black history,” DeSantis said. “And that is not only not true, [but] Florida law does the opposite. We require that all the aspects from the colonies all the way to the present.”

Key Issues With the AP Course

  • Intersectionality and Activism: DeSantis’s administration stated that intersectionality is foundational to CRT and categorizes people based on race, wealth, gender, and sexual orientation.
  • Black Queer Studies: A course quote from Roderick Ferguson advocated for rejecting traditional societal norms.
  • Movement for Black Lives: The state document connected the organization to a critique of social media corporations and systemic oppression.
  • Black Feminist Literary Thought: Recommended readings included Bell Hooks’s critiques of “white supremacist capitalist patriarchy.”
  • The Reparations Movement: The course presented resources advocating for reparations without offering balanced perspectives.
  • Black Study and Black Struggle: The course emphasized activism as the key driver of social transformation over higher education.

Support From Local Officials

DeSantis was joined by supporters such as State Education Secretary Manny Diaz and Hillsborough School Board member Stacy Hahn. Hahn shared her efforts to keep certain books off school shelves, citing their inappropriate content.

“It is very difficult to be in the minority on a school board,” Hahn said. “As much as I fight, I have one vote. So that’s a lot of the times that is why you see Hillsborough County on lists where these books can be found.”

Defending Longstanding Florida Laws

DeSantis defended a state law that imposes penalties, including a third-degree felony, on teachers who provide books containing pornography or sexual material to students. He emphasized that this law has been in place for years.

“When they’re citing that law acting like somehow that’s chilling … it’s been the law for a long time,” DeSantis said. “I don’t think it’s ever been appropriate in the history of Florida for adults to be providing pornography to minors.”

Florida Districts Under Scrutiny

School districts such as Manatee County and Duval County have faced national attention for removing books from libraries and classrooms. These districts are working with media specialists to ensure their collections comply with Florida’s education laws.