Escambia County School Board voted 4-0 this week to remove another 258 books from schools.
Books such as “Harriet the Spy” by Louise Fitzhugh, “The Greatest: Muhammad Ali” by Walter Dean Myers, and “The Devil’s Arithmetic” by Jane Yolen were among the books in question.
Most of the 258 titles were not challenged by Escambia County residents, but were challenged in Clay County. The school board voted to remove the books without discussion after hearing nearly a dozen public comments. Most of the public speakers asked the board not to make a blanket removal.
“Why are we removing so many books without consideration?” said Jenna Henderson. “Many of the books on the list were put there by one man in Clay County. Trust your media specialist, trust your schools and your parents. Slow down and make decisions book by book.”
READ MORE: Education Chief to districts: Remove sexually explicit books before parents complain
LeeAnn Eubanks is a history teacher and Holocaust education specialist said she was “horrified” to see “The Devil’s Arithmetic” on the list. She called it “one of the best books used in education of the Holocaust” and said ECPS has 203 copies in the district.
“It's a recommended part of Florida and state Holocaust curriculum documentation and lessons, and Holocaust education is mandated by the Florida Legislature,” she said, holding the book up.
In her research, Eubanks said she discovered the common reason for removing the book was because of the word “devil” in the title, which is a reference to an Old Testament phrase about evil plans, she explained.
“Rather than being arbitrarily moved, we need a way of handling these book challenges that involves our Escambia County community and reflects our students’ needs, not a one-size-fits-all approach that injuries our community,” she said.
READ MORE: Escambia school board removes hundreds of books without review, book challenge policies to change
A few comments from parents who approved of removing the books said the board should follow state laws. One parent who supported the removals, John Moore, said more parents could be looking outside of ECPS for education if they don’t trust the district.
“The district is losing enrollment faster than it can triage the loss,” he said. “Parents who do not trust you to provide adequate protection for their children will continue to find alternative methods of educating them.”
Tuesday’s vote to remove the book follows an Oct. 19 order from a federal appeals court which says Escambia County School Board members can be questioned under oath why they voted to remove certain book from the district’s school libraries. The ongoing lawsuit has cost the district $1 million, which was a point of contention for some of the speakers.
“As a taxpayer I have a hard time with the $1 million price tag to defend banning books in Escambia County,” said Linda Fussell, who has been a vocal advocate against the book removals. “This list of books needs to be kept on the shelves of school libraries. What books will be left for reading when the book banners are done? The school board must create a policy that keeps books on the library shelves that are not challenged in Escambia County. Escambia county doesn’t need to have the same books in the libraries as Clay County.”
