A Florida school district is facing a federal lawsuit after it decided to remove copies of dictionaries, encyclopedia and other books because the works included descriptions of “sexual conduct”. The Escambia county school district, located in Pensacola, Florida, removed several dictionaries and encyclopedias from school libraries after school officials determined that the books violated Florida law HB 1069. The law, signed by the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, last year, restricts access to materials containing “sexual conduct” in Florida classrooms. During the district’s 2023 summer break, officials removed at least eight encyclopedias and five dictionaries. Pen America, publisher Penguin Random House and several authors have filed a federal lawsuit against the school district, alleging that the ban violates free speech.

Source: The Guardian January 11, 2024 21:18 UTC