Florida city removes books from its school libraries without following its policies

In April 2022, the School District of Osceola County in Florida removed five books from its libraries, pending a review, after several community members complained about the books at a school board meeting. That September, a committee formed by the district voted to retain the books in at least some school libraries, but they remained off shelves for months after. FIRE first wrote Osceola County in December 2022, explaining that the district’s process for reviewing the books violated district policy and likely the First Amendment, as some of the objections were based on the book’s ideas or viewpoints. The district’s promised response to FIRE’s letter never came, and FIRE later learned the district had permanently removed the books from all of its libraries. On May 22, 2023, FIRE sent another letter to Osceola County, asking the district to provide an explanation for its failure to adhere to its own policies and constitutional obligations.