DeSantis backtracks, supports limiting book bans plan

In a notable shift, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis voiced his support on Thursday for a legislative proposal aimed at limiting the extensive book bans in schools—a situation he has been criticised for exacerbating through his policies. During a press conference, DeSantis attempted to deflect criticism, labelling allegations that he has fostered an environment conducive to book bans in Florida as “a fraud” and “a big hoax.”

The governor accused “activists” from both political spectrums of manipulating the book banning process, suggesting they have lodged book challenges merely to fabricate a media spectacle. He further instructed the Department of Education to “take appropriate action to deal with some of the bad actors who are intentionally depriving students of rightful education by politicizing this process.”

In an effort to clarify his stance, DeSantis released a video on Rumble, flagged for “explicit content not suitable for children,” highlighting what he deems “non-age-appropriate books” that have been “rightly” banned, while also defending “classic” literature, such as The Diary of Anne Frank—a book ironically affected by the bans in at least one Florida school.

Read: Florida school district pulls 700 books, impacting Jewish works

This move by DeSantis seems to be an attempt to delineate between what he considers justified and unjustified book bans, even as it implicitly acknowledges the controversy his policies have stirred. He characterised the sweeping book bans as “theater” and “performative,” aiming to shift blame away from himself and his administration.

The controversy stems directly from DeSantis’s signing of House Bill 1069 in May 2023, alongside other restrictive legislations such as the Parental Rights in Education Bill and the ‘Stop WOKE Act.’ These laws have led to increased censorship, allowing virtually anyone to challenge the presence of books in school libraries on the grounds of inappropriateness, particularly those addressing race, sex, and gender.

DeSantis, lauded by groups like Moms for Liberty for spearheading school book bans, seems to be reconsidering the broad scope of these challenges. “If you’re somebody who doesn’t have a kid in school and you’re going to object to 100 books, no I don’t think that’s appropriate,” DeSantis remarked, suggesting legislative changes to restrict the number of challenges and limit them to parents of students.

Read: Dictionaries among books removed from Florida school district

The Florida House is currently considering HB 7025, which proposes a $100 fine for unsuccessful book challenges—a measure DeSantis has expressed his support for. This pivot occurs in the wake of a lawsuit by PEN America, which saw a federal court ruling against the Escambia County School Board for violating the First Amendment through the removal of over 1,500 books, including dictionaries, under House Bill 1069—a claim DeSantis denies, stating “no district in Florida has removed any dictionaries or thesauruses,” despite evidence to the contrary.