ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Johns County School District has removed 23 books from its libraries and is reviewing more books.
The review comes after parents and community members objected to the books.
St. Johns County Schools has grouped criteria for book reviews into categories based on additional guidelines from the state department of education.
- No reference to gender identity or sexual orientation (K-3rd Grade).
- No racial slurs, no kissing beyond a "friendly peck."
- Middle School:
- No crude profanity (slang for genitalia).
- No descriptive sexual activity.
- High School:
- No pervasive use of crude profanity or racial slurs.
- No explicit graphic description of sexual activity.
"An example could be an elementary book that is about gender identity and sexual orientation, that's the law it can't be there," St. Johns County School District Superintendent, Tim Forson, said. "Doesn't matter the nature of the way the story is developed or anything else that has to be removed."
Creekside High School English teacher, Lloyd Savage, is frustrated with the process. He said books with mature material have merit in libraries and classrooms.
Including, Madame Bovary, a book he said was banned in France for pornography.
"A layman just reading this would not pick up on that but studying the context you can really see that this is an issue of infidelity."
Madame Bovary is allowed in St. Johns County and Savage has used the book in his classroom before.
"This reason I'm talking about this particular one is this at the time was so bad I'm wondering if these people making these rules or pushing this agenda are aware of how much worse what the kids can get through their phones is and so what we have to offer in school is mild." Savage said.
Savage says Madame Bovary, represents the book struggle in Florida public schools.
He said just because the book has mature material, doesn't mean it lacks merit and should be removed.
"In isolation almost anything can look extreme but together in a story it makes sense, and it's part of the human condition we need to learn about."
Savage said he hasn't taught or seen most if any of the books removed from St. Johns County schools.
But, he said teachers have been cautious and have started removing books from their classroom libraries.
Teachers could face a third-degree felony if they don't comply with state law.
"You take a whole group of people that are trying to help kids out and you threaten them with a felony, jail time, $5,000 dollar fine, that's striking." Savage said.
Savage said morale is down among teachers he knows and wonders if state leaders are actually reading books in question or just judging them by their covers.
"For all the books that I've ever taught we've never had graphic sexuality graphic violence graphic profanity. Non-teachers making decisions or non-literature people making decisions for the classroom doesn't make a whole lot of sense." Savage said.