673 Books Removed from Florida Classrooms Following New State Laws

Orange County School Board Member Criticizes Move as 'Overt Censorship'

673 books have been removed from classrooms in Orange County, Florida, in response to new state laws banning 'sexual conduct' from public schools.
The removed books range from well-known classics to popular contemporary novels, including 'East of Eden,' 'Paradise Lost,' 'Beloved,' 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,' 'The Color Purple,' 'Catch-22,' and 'Brave New World.'
Teachers have been instructed to remove any of the listed books from their classroom shelves, and the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) staff will review the list of rejected books once again.
The new laws, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, require media specialists to review books in libraries and classrooms, and to exclude books that include sexually lewd material or pornography.
Orange County School Board member and former OCPS elementary school teacher Karen Castor Dentel criticized the move as 'overt censorship' and said it was creating a 'culture of fear' among media specialists and teachers.