Overview

• The Escambia County school district in Florida has pulled over 1,600 books, including five dictionaries and eight encyclopedias, from its library shelves for review under a new state law that targets content that 'depicts or describes sexual conduct'.
• The books, which also include 'The Guinness Book of World Records' and 'Ripley’s Believe it or Not', are being reviewed for compliance with HB 1069, a bill approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis that also requires schools to teach that 'reproductive roles are binary, stable and unchangeable' and limits education regarding sexual health.
• The district has denied that the books have been banned, stating they have been pulled for further review to ensure compliance with the new legislation.
• PEN America and the Florida Freedom to Read Project have criticized the move, arguing that it is a 'massive overextension of the language of the law' and that the books should be returned immediately.
• PEN America, along with publisher Penguin Random House, authors and parents, has filed a lawsuit against the district over its removals, which a judge has ruled can move forward under the First Amendment.