NASSAU COUNTY, Fla — Thirty-four books, including 'The Bluest Eye' and 'The Hate You Give', were removed from Nassau County school shelves after the district found they violated Florida law.
The removal comes after members of the nonprofit Citizens Defending Freedom (CDF), brought the books before the Nassau County School Board.
Of the books removed, a majority of them were because they depicted or described sexual conduct as defined in Florida Statute 847.012, CDF said.
Some of those removed titles include 'The Bluest Eye' by Toni Morrison, 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky and 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini to name a few.
READ MORE: What is 'The Bluest Eye' about and why teachers say it's better to teach it in class than ban it
"Our team here on the ground worked hard to identify these books containing material that, according to Florida statute, is not suitable for minors,” said County Executive Director for Nassau County Citizens Defending Freedom Jack Knocke.
Nassau County Public Schools said the books that were removed either violated Florida Statute 1006.28 or they were removed "due to lack of circulation."
Only three titles were weeded due to lack of circulation, including 'And Tango Makes Three' by Justin Richardson which follows the relationship between two male penguins, Roy and Silo, at the Central Park Zoo.
'Ghost Boys Rhodes' by Jewell Parker was also removed due to "lack of circulation." The book follows the life of a 12-year-old Black boy who is shot and killed by a white police officer and returns as a ghost. Emmett Till, a Black 14-year-old who was lynched by a white mob, is also a character in the book.
NCSO restricted access to 'All American Boys' by Jason Reynolds for kindergarten students to eighth graders, due to the book being "inappropriate for grade level and age group." The book follows two Black teenagers as they handle police brutality and racism in their community.
“School districts that are breaking the law should be held accountable. In this case, we are very pleased with the cooperation and professionalism of the Nassau County School Board, who respectfully worked with us every step of the way to help protect our county’s children," Knocke said.
According to the nonprofit's website, its mission is "to equip and empower American citizens to stand for and preserve freedom for themselves and future generations. To resolve breaches of liberty through local awareness, local light, and local action. To educate the American citizen on the value of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its influence on America’s founding."
First Coast News reached out to Nassau County Public Schools for comment on the book removal and received the following:
“Florida Statute 1006.28 prohibits schools from having books containing content which depicts or describes sexual conduct. The books removed/discontinued either contained content in violation of this part of the statute or were weeded due to lack of circulation.”
A full list of the removed books is listed below.