Nassau County Reaches Settlement in Federal Lawsuit
A central Florida school district has agreed to restore 36 previously challenged and removed books to its campus libraries as part of a settlement in a federal lawsuit. The lawsuit contested the local implementation of state policies aimed at shielding students from obscene content.
Significant legal development
The settlement, reached between Nassau County school officials and a group of parents, students, and authors of the removed children’s book “And Tango Makes Three,” represents a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal battles over Florida’s K-12 book restrictions. These restrictions have been criticized by opponents as “book bans.” Under the new agreement, books such as “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “The Clan of the Cave Bear” by Jean Auel will be returned to school libraries after their removal last year.
Law firm celebrates victory
The law firm Selendy Gay PLLC, which represents the group challenging the book removals, hailed the settlement as a major victory. “This settlement — a watershed moment in the ongoing battle against book censorship in the United States — significantly restores access to important works that were unlawfully removed from the shelves of Nassau County, Florida’s public school libraries,” stated Lauren Zimmerman, a lawyer with Selendy Gay.
Nassau County’s response
Nassau County school officials did not immediately comment on the settlement. The district previously claimed the removal of “And Tango Makes Three” was due to “lack of circulation” and cited impermissible sexual content for other works. However, the lawsuit argued that the school board did not publicly vet these titles, leading to the agreement to form a review committee to evaluate the books.
Acknowledgment of non-obscene content
As part of the settlement, Nassau school officials acknowledged that “And Tango Makes Three” — a children’s book about a penguin family with two dads at New York’s Central Park Zoo — contains no “obscene” material and is suitable for students of all ages. This book and its authors are also plaintiffs in a separate ongoing lawsuit against Escambia County for similar reasons.
These federal lawsuits focus on how local school boards enact policies crafted by Republican lawmakers and Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration, particularly regarding parental objections to potentially inappropriate books. Recent state legislation has facilitated school book challenges and expanded rules requiring officials to remove contested titles within five days if deemed pornographic, harmful to minors, or depicting sexual activity. Opponents argue this equates to censorship, especially for LGBTQ+-themed works.
Additional provisions
The Nassau settlement also mandates that local schools will make “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky available to high school students. Additionally, a dozen other books will be reinstated for students aged 18 and older or with parental consent, including “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer and “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini.
This agreement marks a significant development in the fight against book censorship, ensuring that important literary works remain accessible to students in Nassau County.