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Florida鈥檚 top education officials on Wednesday approved new training protocols for school librarians to consider 鈥渂ias,鈥� 鈥渋ndoctrination,鈥� and 鈥減ornography鈥� when vetting books and other materials in schools.

The training, in part, instructs media specialists to 鈥渆rr on the side of caution鈥� when deciding whether a book is appropriate for school libraries.

This point speaks to a larger trend in limiting ideas students are exposed to in Florida public schools.

However, some conservative activists argued the rules do not go far enough in limiting content available in public school libraries and classrooms.

The state Board of Education approved the rules to implement a law passed during the 2022 legislative session, HB 1467, which critics believed would bring a wave of book bans in Florida classrooms.

One point in particular stirred dissent, even those who supported the new rule overall: language defining materials deemed 鈥渉armful to minors,鈥� including depictions of nudity, sexual conduct, or sexual excitement.

The statute allows consideration for literary merit or other purposes, saying that to be 鈥渉armful to minors鈥� the material must be 鈥渨ithout serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.鈥� Conservative audience members argued that would allow books they find disagreeable or unduly graphic into classrooms.

鈥淭he language 鈥� has been used as a loophole not just here in Florida but all across the United States as a way to give permission for the harmful content to be in,鈥� said Robert Goodman, the executive director of the Polk County Chapter of County Citizens Defending Freedom.

Many of the public commenters on hand Wednesday had connections to the group, a conservative organization that has played a major role in book challenges across the state.

The law requires new online training for 鈥渕edia specialists鈥� who oversee school libraries, which the board approved during a meeting at the Nassau County School Board Office in Northeast Florida.

The training merges new and preexisting state rules involving instructional materials and library books, while offering 鈥渃onsiderations鈥� that media specialists should take into account when selecting books.

In addition to the age, grade level, and maturity of students, considerations should include 鈥渢he accurate portrayal of the state鈥檚 broad racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity, without bias or indoctrination,鈥� according to officials who devised the protocols.

HB 1467, along with other laws like the Parental Rights in Education Act (known to critics as 鈥淒on鈥檛 Say Gay鈥�) and Department of Education rules that ban works like The New York Times鈥� 鈥淭he 1619 Project鈥� have some educators and free speech groups concerned about a

Free-speech advocacy groups like PEN America have been tracking book challenges across the United States, ranking Florida No. 2 with the second highest number of book challenges and bans.

Here is a sampling of some of the most challenged book titles in Florida last school year, according to a Phoenix analysis of PEN America鈥檚 data:

鈥淎ll Boys Aren鈥檛 Blue鈥� by George M. Johnson, a series of essays reflecting the life of the author, who is Black and nonbinary. The book has been challenged in seven Florida school districts.鈥淏eloved鈥� and 鈥淭he Bluest Eye鈥� by Toni Morrison, who died in 2019, have been challenged in seven  Florida counties. Morrison earned the Pulitzer Prize for 鈥淏eloved鈥� in 1988.鈥淣ineteen Minutes鈥� by Jodi Picoult, which centers the events of a school shooting, was challenged or banned in seven counties.鈥淭he Hate U Give鈥� by Angie Thomas, which depicts police violence against Black characters and focuses on race relations, has been challenged or banned in eight school districts.鈥淭hirteen Reasons Why鈥� by Jay Asher, which depicts the story of a high-school student鈥檚 suicide and was adapted into a Netflix TV show, has been banned or challenged in eight school districts.

鈥楲iterary value鈥�

April Morgan, a teacher aid at the private Christian school Calvary Chapel Academy, questioned inclusion of 鈥渓iterary value鈥� as a consideration.

鈥淭he argument for some is that we cannot remove the questionable books because they contain literary value. I鈥檇 like to challenge that valuation of books, because not all literature is beneficial for students. The keyword is 鈥榖eneficial,’鈥� Morgan said.

鈥淓ducational value is not equal to literary value. Literature containing descriptive details of rape, abuse, trauma, et cetera does not bring value to 12- to 18-year-olds,鈥� she continued.

The wave of criticism may have swayed members of the state board, but because the 鈥渓iterary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors鈥� language comes from statute, there was little the board could do.

鈥淪o, if this board agreed with the sentiment from many speakers today that that there is, for lack of a better word, a 鈥榣oophole鈥� or that there could be better language 鈥� we don鈥檛 have the authority to do that,鈥� board Chair Tom Grady said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e telling me that this is straight from the statute, and any changes would have to be addressed by the [Florida] Legislature.鈥�

Board member Grazie Christie asked whether the board could ask the Legislature whether that language could be 鈥渢ightened up鈥� to keep 鈥減ornographic materials out of our children鈥檚 library.鈥�

Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. agreed that the language 鈥渃ertainly can be tweaked by the Legislature.鈥�

With 2023 committee meetings underway leading to the 2023 legislative session starting in March, it鈥檚 possible the issue could be addressed then.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: [email protected]. Follow Florida Phoenix on and .

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