A school district in Florida has agreed to return 36 books to its school libraries after they were previously removed due to LGBTQ+ content deemed inappropriate by state officials.
The legal settlement was revealed by the law firm Selendy Gay, which represents Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, authors of the children’s book And Tango Makes Three. The firm also represents several parents from Nassau County, Florida, who challenged the removal of the books.
“These 35 books include important works by renowned authors such as Toni Morrison, Jonathan Safran Foer, Alice Sebold, Jodi Picoult, and Erika Sanchez. These books explore themes like racism in America, the experiences of immigrants and first-generation Americans, as well as the lives of trans-Americans and other underrepresented groups,” Selendy Gay stated.
Attorney Lauren Zimmerman, representing the firm, described the state’s actions as censorship, arguing that the books offered diverse perspectives and should be accessible to students.
“This settlement marks a key moment in the ongoing fight against book censorship in the United States. It restores access to vital literature that was unlawfully pulled from the public school libraries of Nassau County, Florida,” Zimmerman said.
Meanwhile, despite accusations of censorship, Florida was again named the state with the highest level of educational freedom for the third consecutive year. According to the Heritage Foundation’s annual Educational Freedom Report, Florida topped the list, with Louisiana showing the greatest improvement since 2023.
