St. Johns County removes 23 books from library shelves after review

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County School District said Tuesday it will remove 23 books from library shelves and dozens more are under review.

The district made the announcement during a school board meeting and released a list of the books in question.

The decision came after the district said St. Johns County Superintendent Tim Forson reviewed several of the library titles that parents and other community members objected to.

MORE: Book by ‘Queer Eye’ star among 56 that parents want removed from St. Johns County schools

The move comes as books all across the state have become targets for removal at the request of conservative activists and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Districts across the state — including Duval County Public Schools — are performing a mass review of all classroom libraries and media centers after the Florida Department of Education handed down directives intended to comply with state law. The law says that all books, specifically in elementary school libraries, must be looked over by a certified media specialist who has undergone state training on the new policy.

Parents, however, have been surprised to find their schools’ bookshelves empty during the review process.

Free speech organizations, literacy advocates and educators have blasted the policy, calling the concern over “pornography” a false flag attack to satiate Gov. DeSantis’ supporters and a veiled attempt to purge progressive ideas from Florida’s schools.

Below is a list of the books that will be removed starting from St. Johns County media centers on Tuesday, as well as other books that are pending, meaning they are still available but under review, or quarantined, meaning they have been removed from libraries to be reviewed: