DeSantis approves boost to parental input on school library books; critics fear bans
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The DeSantis administration has been working to increase parental control over their children’s education on the premise of “parental rights” spanning school choice options, COVID vaccine requirements, mask mandates, and more.
On Friday, DeSantis signed legislation (HB 1467) to allow parents greater opportunity to review, and potentially object to, school library books
Critics fear the result will be a wave of book challenges in school libraries, potentially pulling books off of shelves regarding LGBTQ people and racism in the United States pending review of these materials and perhaps permanently.
Still, DeSantis praised the effort.
“What this is going to do is it’s going to require transparency with respect to materials that are being taught in classrooms and what’s available in school libraries,” he said
“We have the ability to choose what is appropriate for different age groups,” he said.
“Adults have access to whatever they want to have access to but, when you’re talking about some of these kids, particularly young kids, you know, to have some of these really graphic stuff in there is not in the best interest in the parents or the students. So, parents are going to have the ability to have their voice heard.”
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