03/20/2025
Representative Doug Bankson, Florida House District 39's House Bill 1539 aims to ban books in schools, state-wide, that have any sexual content regardless of their literary or artistic value, such as the Pulitzer Prize- and Nobel Prize-winning book, Beloved by Toni Morrison. School districts that retain books could lose funding. Teachers, librarians who share books with students could also be penalized. Critics of the bill say it violates students' First Amendment rights.
American Library Association, PEN America say “blatantly unconstitutional” legislation would violate students’ First Amendment rights.