Jennifer Pippin, a local Moms for Liberty activist who helped organize book protests in Indian River County schools, is responding to changes in how books are challenged in public schools.
During a news conference on Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed his intention to sign HB 1285. The measure includes several reforms in public schools, including regulations for removing books from school libraries.
According to legislative staff, the bill would allow people who do not have pupils at the school to object to one book per month. Staff also stated that the law would require schools to withdraw a book if the school board denied a parent’s right to read portions from it.
“I know that a lot of other counties are scrambling to make sure that they have all their citizens of the community filing challenges before the change of law,” she said. The bill would go into force on July 1.
DeSantis said he expects the legislation will put an end to “frivolous challenges” to books in Florida. He stated that challenges to material should be infrequent and not used by citizen activists or groups.
“Just as it’s wrong for a school district, an activist teacher, a school union to try and impose an agenda on the students,” DeSantis said in a statement. “It’s also inappropriate for citizen activists or parents to issue passive-aggressive fake challenges in order to appear to oppose education in Florida. So this measure addresses that.”
Escambia County’s governor stated his support for the legislation. According to legislative staff, Escambia and Clay counties accounted for more than half of the state’s book difficulties in Fiscal Year 2022.
177 of the 386 book titles were removed from Clay County. Nine individuals were relocated from Escambia County. According to prior WPTV reports, Martin County confiscated dozens of books in March 2023.
Previous WPTV reporting indicates that at least 34 books were removed from Indian River County schools after Pippin organized challenges to the material.
Pippin also stated that the law’s impact is unknown, as several groups have successfully removed materials from the classroom. She stated that there are no additional challenges she intends to pursue with the Indian River County School District.
“Anytime that it limits the people who can do it is always tough,” she went on to say. “Again, it’s time for parents to step up and challenge these books.”
The bill also states that if a school board member denies a parent the right to read a chapter from a document, the school district shall terminate the use of that item throughout the district.