Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference Thursday that the critics of a new state law that gives parents an opportunity to object to inappropriate or "pornographic" materials in books calling it a "book ban" are perpetrating a "hoax."
"They have tried to create, in Florida, a narrative; it's basically a book ban hoax," DeSantis said.
"They are trying to say that because we have parental rights, and because we have curriculum transparency, if you have a book that has hard core pornography in a library that 10-year-olds can access, because a parent objects to that, that does not satisfy Florida standards. That should not be in the library with those young kids, and I think 99% of parents agree with that."
The new law allows for parents to object to certain materials and requires school districts to accept proof that the material does not meet standards, and if found inappropriate, to be removed.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, television station WPDE ABC 15 reported Feb. 16 that the Broward County School District in southern Florida removed a teenage sex education graphic novel called "Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human," from library shelves for its graphic sexual depictions.
Publishing company Penguin Random House lists the book as "covering relationships, friendships, gender, sexuality, anatomy, body image, safe sex, sexting, jealousy, rejection, sex education, and more, 'Let's Talk About It' is the go-to handbook for every teen, and the first in graphic novel form."
Critics say the book celebrates and embraces diversity rather than indoctrinating children.
"I think the most important thing that people need to know is they need to understand what's going on, especially for young children," Florida state Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Delray Beach, told local Florida outlet WPEC. "There isn't an attempt to indoctrinate them. ... It's actually celebrating diversity and embracing diversity."
Activists circulated a fake list of "banned books" under the Florida law last summer, including classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird," and "1984."
The Associated Press reported in August 2022, however, that the list including those classics was indeed fiction, and that most of the titles included are recommended to school districts by the state's Department of Education.
"The State of Florida has not banned 'To Kill a Mockingbird,'" DeSantis' press secretary, Bryan Griffin, responded in a Twitter post at the time. "In fact, Florida recommends the book in 8th grade."
During his press conference, DeSantis said that the photos of empty book shelves in schools that also circulated online at the time were manufactured, and had nothing to do with the law.