Tighter book challenge restrictions, but likely to do little to help one local community

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Florida lawmakers have a new plan to crack down on frivolous book challenges that led to the removal of more than a thousand books from school library shelves last year alone, but the new language may not do much to help out a local county that has become a hot spot for book challenges filed by one man.

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State lawmakers have abandoned an initial proposal that would have continued to allow residents of a district without students in the school system to file unlimited book challenges.

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That plan would have only restricted non-parents from filing challenges after they had five challenges rejected in a single calendar year.

Districts would then have been able to charge them $100 for every subsequent challenge, but that fee would have to be paid back if the challenger prevailed.

Now, an amendment adopted in the Florida Senate would restrict non-parents to one book challenge a month, no questions asked.

RELATED: New Florida bill proposed would charge people who challenge library books or learning materials

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) explained she hopes the restriction will cut down on frivolous challenges that have earned Florida the undesirable distinction as the book ban capital of the country.

“People went overboard and started objecting to the classics, you know, like Shakespeare and whatever, which I think is ridiculous. So, you know, like everything, we needed to reign that in and it’s just the devil is in the details and the language and how to do that,” said Passidomo.

But for Clay County, which has borne the brunt of the book challenge craze, the proposal won’t likely make an impact… At least not for a year or two.

Bruce Friedman with No Left Turn in Education has filed hundreds of book challenges over the past two years - About half of which have been successful.

RELATED: DeSantis endorses bill allowing districts to charge a fee for some book challenges

While Friedman wasn’t available for interview Wednesday, he did tell Action News Jax he has a son enrolled in a Clay County high school.

That means he’d still be free to continue challenging books as he sees fit under the Senate language.

When we spoke with him last August, he argued he’s just exercising his right under state law.

“I’ve only been victorious, if you want to call it that, when I’ve been able to prove that the book violates law. So, you don’t like that, take that up with your legislature. I’m just the guy shining the light on it,” said Friedman in the August interview.

Stephana Ferrell with the Florida Freedom to Read Project points out there’s currently nothing on the table this year that would further specify what is or is not allowable content.

RELATED: New report identifies Duval County as hot spot for school book challenges, district pushes back

She argues until that happens districts like Clay can expect to continue fielding hundreds of book challenges each year.

“We are going to continue to see certain people express their viewpoints and assume that their viewpoints should limit all. And that’s not freedom. That’s not liberty. And unfortunately, the law allows for all of it,” said Ferrell.

Clay County Public Schools says it’s monitoring the legislation and will adjust its practices and protocols to ensure compliance with the law, if it’s ultimately passed.

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“Our mission is to continue to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to provide a public education experience that is motivating, challenging, and rewarding for all children in Clay County,” said a district spokesperson.

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