There was another bitterly contentious Flagler County School Board workshop this afternoon. Board members for an hour brawled over fellow-member Jill Woolbright’s demanded ban of a particular book from school libraries, the stunning criminal complaint she filed against her own superintendent and board attorney, and processes followed and not followed.
There was a contentious school board meeting starting from early evening, with more than 100 people kept from entering the main chamber, which was at capacity, and where the removal of the same book from library shelves–George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue, a coming of age memoir of the Black and gay author–galvanized three hours of public comments opposing and supporting the ban: the board didn’t start its regular business until 9:40 this evening.
Between the two meetings, there was a loud demonstration organized by Jack Petocz, a student at Flagler Palm Coast High School, in front of the Government Services Building in defense of Johnson’s book and three other titles removed from libraries as a result of Woolbright’s sheriff’s complaint. The demonstration was loud because a somewhat smaller counter-demonstration opposite attempted to drown out the speeches, ironically with obscenities, white power signs, taunts, insults, and an aviary of bird-flipping: that band included masked and camouflaged men in militia gear. But for subtle and tactical policing by a substantial presence of Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies, the opposing demonstrations could have gotten out of hand.
Earlier in the day Petocz had circulated an image of his front stoop piled high with Amazon boxes filled with the books in contention–piles sent him by donors countering the potential ba. The books were stacked on a table at the demonstration–Angie Thomas’s The Hate You Give, All Boys Aren’t Blue, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.
“These books are important,” Courtney VandeBunte, a former local teacher now running for a school board seat, told the protesters. “They tell us about the world. They give voices to marginalized groups who have been silenced for centuries. Keep doing the hard work and engaging in activism but don’t forget to protect each other. There are going to be bullies today. They are going to attempt to intimidate you or they have already tried. But we aren’t going to stoop to their level, we aren’t going to let them stop us from exercising our rights to intellectual freedom.”
The dual demonstrations were reminiscent of a similar dynamic in February 2020, when rainbow-draped LGBTQ advocates chanted and waved flags on one side and a significantly smaller but loudspeaker-aided group on the other lobbed homophobic and transphobic taunts.
As Cameron Driggers, an FPC senior, described this evening’s dynamic to board members later, he noted the irony of students’ voices not being heard in the chamber, and getting drowned out outside of it: “Just outside I was called the F slur, a gay boy, and a pedophile, simply for standing up for my community. So I am quite amused at the notion that any of the opponents of the book at hand are really invested in protecting minor children given they were more than happy to call minors slurs.”
Alexi Davis, another student, relied as several adult speakers did on a reading of a section of Florida law deeming any obscene material illegal in the hands of minor. “The law all these deputies are sworn to uphold,” Davis said, referring to the large contingent of Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to keep the peace at the evening demonstrations and the meeting. “It’s not open to interpretation. There’s no ambiguity and no wiggle room.”
She was perhaps unwittingly echoing the same argument that Woolbright and fellow-Board member Janet McDonald had made at the workshop earlier, when both board members considered the intervention of a district committee now reviewing the books extraneous, though the statement about “no ambiguity and no wiggle room” is, of course, not accurate: even the U.S. Supreme Court, when it last addressed the matter of appropriateness of library holdings in schools, in a 1982 decision, split 5-4 (against book bans), with every one of the nine justices filing a separate opinion.
“It’s not a matter of views, it’s a matter of the law,” Woolbright had said, calling the book in question “prurient,” “obscene,” and lacking any serious literary, artistic, scientific or political value.
“Crimes don’t go to a committee to determine if something’s a crime,” Woolbright said in defense of filing the criminal complaint. “Crimes go to legal, and that would be on school board attorney or that would be the sheriff’s office. Those were my only two choices. Those were my only two choices. And so in my opinion, I’m not an attorney. It qualifies as obscenity. And if it qualifies for obscenity it is prohibited.”
“It’s going to take a little bit more than just some of us sitting around a table,” Woolbright said. “There’s attorneys that can figure this out or there’s law enforcement that can figure this out.”
Board member Cheryl Massaro excoriated Woolbright for filing a criminal complaint against the superintendent and attorney (“who does that?” a bewildered Massaro asked rhetorically). “This is basically taken out of our hands,” she said. “It is a criminal case at this point. So we are going to have to sit back and let the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and their investigative team do their due diligence and their job, and, and then will react to their, their findings, because that’s where it’s at now, and there’s really nothing much more we can do.”
Sheriff Rick Staly, clearly displeased with being put in the position of arbitrating the issue, was blunt in an interview on Monday: “We don’t decide what the community standard is,” he said, referring to the legal distinction, established by the Supreme Court, that different communities have different “obscenity” standards. “This is a school board issue. If they have concerns, they need to give direction to their superintendent, and her, to her employees.” He added: “They need to do their job and not try to drag in the Sheriff’s Office.”
Nevertheless, since Woolbright filed the criminal complaint, the matter is “under review” by the Sheriff’s Office, with a potential criminal investigation, but not an actual investigation yet: like any police agency faced with an inquiry into an alleged crime, the agency is weighing whether a crime has taken place before taking the inquiry further.
Contacted again this evening and provided the comments Woolbright and Massaro made about it being the sheriff’s purview, Staly was just as blunt: “Neither comments are correct,” he said. “Anyone can file an allegation of criminal conduct. That doesn’t mean a crime occurred. The complaint and allegation is still being reviewed to determine if the allegation meets the threshold for a criminal investigation under Florida law. In the meantime the school board can do their own due diligence concerning policy issues or concerns they may have.” (Massaro again repeated the inaccuracy about the matter being out of the district’s hands, and that just because the complaint was filed, “it has to be investigated.” It does not.)
For all the demonstrations, all the sound, all the fury, Woolbright’s criminal complaint or hers and McDonald’s larger aims regarding library and instructional materials weren’t on the board agenda this evening–or even this afternoon. So there was nothing to decide, nothing to vote on in that regard–and nothing was. What was on the workshop agenda was a discussion of procedures relating to books or instructional materials that may be challenged.
The discussion item, led by Lashakia Moore, the director of curriculum, had been scheduled weeks ago and was not related to the Woolbright matter. Very quickly board members tried to sway Moore in that direction. Very quickly Moore made it clear that she wouldn’t take part in the board’s internecine dispute (not least because she will have objectively to read the books in contention and evaluate them), and finally all but excused herself, if with the chairman’s nod, as the board members began to act a bit like some of those taunting the students downstairs would not much later.
The district’s evaluation is, in fact, ongoing under Moore’s leadership, and will not be completed for two weeks. The internal committee includes Moore, media and reading specialists.
The book ban wasn’t the only subject on speakers’ minds at the evening meeting. Many also spoke in opposition of the board’s decision, not yet ratified, to drop the word “equity” from its long-term goals, and several of the district’s service employees pointed out the inequity of the recent $15-an-hour wage granted bus drivers and paraprofessionals, while others received only a 66-cent an hour raise.
But by far the dominant issue was the Johnson book ban, or bans. There were those who called it pornography, child porn, obscenity, indoctrination, filth and the occasional comparison with Hustler, the hardcore glossy Larry Flynt founded in 1974 (including by a priest, whose familiarity with Hustler he did not seek to hide). And there were those who called it liberating, relatable, acclaimed, revealing, essential and so on.
Often there was no opposition to the book per se, to its publication, its availability in bookstores or the public library–but in school libraries. One of the speakers who opposed its presence in school complimented the quality of its writing. And in many instances, even those voicing opposition to the book stopped short of saying it should not be in the high school libraries. They wanted it out of middle school libraries, which may be a moot point: the book was in the two high schools’ libraries, but may not have been in either of the middle school libraries (it was previously reported to have been at Buddy Taylor).
In contrast with the ugliness of the harassment and insults lashed at the demonstrators outside, there was no lack of eloquence for the duration of the long public-comment segment. Those three hours proved more civically absorbing than–as previous meetings have been, than the workshop had been–abrasive. It was closer to a debate than a duel, each side making its points, often colorfully but never brutally, a few of veiled threats aside. Only the rarest audience speakers broke rules. At 8:45, a speaker insisted on defying Board Chairman Trevor Tucker’s admonition against reading a passage that started with something vaguely explicit. Tucker ordered the speaker’s mic cut off. The man continued. He was escorted out by a deputy, and for a moment the audience’s agitation almost led Tucker to call for a recess. McDonald said violators should be escorted out, but the board should continue, since it was nearly at the end of public comments. It did.
Abbey Cook, a teacher in the district, began her statement by citing a passage in the Bible–Ezekiel, 23:20: “There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.” She was stopped, enabling her to make the point: though rife in what, out of context, could be deemed “obscene,” no Bibles are being thrown out of libraries (or homes). “I believe this to be one of the favorite books of that same school board member,” she said, referring to Woolbright, who frequently appeals to her faith and the Bible as guiding lights.
The board members had the last word–as they usually do at the end of board meetings–each with sharp words of their own: Colleen Conklin apologized to the school community for the recent “drama” and showed a video message from George W. Johnson, the author, and Massaro retreated from her previous endorsement of the district abandoning the word “equity.”
Woolbright started by blaming the controversy on FlaglerLive, saying she called for the removal of one title, not four (as we reported), even thought this very evening she again acknowledged telling the superintendent to “check” into the other three, which were all pulled from circulation. Superintendent Cathy Mittlestadt in her closing comments left no doubts that the directive she got from Woolbright did, in fact, regard all four books. Woolbright went on to say she “grew up in an extremely abusive home,” was abused by her own father, and that Johnson’s book is “a trigger like no trigger has ever been known before.” But she also said she “lost trust” in the superintendent.
The meeting adjourned at 11:43 p.m.
Problem Solving says
Why is problem solving so hard to do? Perhaps the School Board could appease everyone concerning this book along with others and future literary works by still having the books/materials possibly locked up and in order for a student to gain access their parent could pick up the book from the library? I was going to suggest having a permission form provided from a parent or guardian however those arent hard to forge as most know so I think possibly having a parent or guardian show ID and pick up the book allowing their student to read it could be a solution that would somehow work for everyone. Parents who dont approve of their student reading certain material neednt worry their child has access at the school and those parents/guardians that would like their student to have access may do so by picking it up for them. This way parents/guardians are involved and well aware of what their student is reading or not reading. It seems not enough people in the county are good at problem solving or think of resolutions and it is quite sad considering all the adults are suppose to teach and guide children yet most hadnt even considered doing such. Instead issues are blown out of proportion, meetings turn into circus acts and the behavior modeled for the young people in this county is truly pathetic. Wonder why the schools are having issues and every other week the police department is dispatched to the schools, take a good hard look at how the supposed adults behave. What kind of behavior is being modeled for these young people in their environments? Everyone is so worried about books with explicit language for highschool students yet middle school and elementary children are using the same explicit language. All these children have smart phones, tablets, laptops and smart watches and the adults dont bat an eye yet most arent even aware of what their student is looking up, listening, reading or watching on any of the electronics they have access to. Oh and what about the old fashion television, how many commercials about erectile dysfunction, jock itch, yeast infections, birth control, sex, drinking and your young children see all that and none of these parents are fighting the advertisement companies and banning those. Maybe rather than canceling everything the adults need to learn to get their own heads out of electronics and actually spend more time sitting down and having conversations with their students, being present and involved in their lives.
Nancy N. says
There’s two problems with your “solution”. First, it assumes that a parent can come to school during school hours, which is a privileged thing to be able to do. Many parents are at work during those hours with no ability to leave for an errand like a library book. Second, the kids who most need the validation and support of reading this memoir are the kids whose parents wouldn’t approve it – or who don’t want their parents to know they want to read it at all (or for whom it isn’t even safe for their parents to know they want to read it). The kids whose parents would approve it, and jump through the hoops for them to be able to read it, are the kids who need to read it the least.
Jim says
How about the parents, who want to limit what their kids read, come down to the school and give the librarian their list since they are the ones so concerned.
So their beliefs and feelings don’t affect everyone else.
Bill C says
Those thugs dressed in battle gear who stood menacingly outside the front door ironically gave the impression of being high school dropouts; their concern is not education but simply looking to engage in violence for its own sake.
disgusted says
Its a witchunt for Ms. Woolbright. Shame on people commenting about looks.. Ms. Woolbright appears to be trying to uphold the law and protect vulnerable children. We are offering Planned Parenthood generations of debauched indoctrinated children. Good luck finding a Bible at school.
Concerned Citizen says
If she wanted to uphold the law she needed to not circumvent procedures and rules in place for handling these issues. And trying to involve Law Enforcement was laughable at best.
Jp says
Mrs. Woolbright circumvented the other members and filed a complaint to the sheriff because she knew she wouldn’t get her way. Like a lot of conservatives these days she doesn’t think the first amendment applies to anyone but herself, even though she forgot that it allows freedom of religion. It’s selfish and self serving. She needs to be removed from the board.
Joy A Mullins says
Agreed!!!! If Ms Woolbright cannot act like the christian that she claims to be, Maybe she needs to take a different avenue for above holiness!!!
DISGUSTED says
If you believe this is a witch hunt for Woolbright I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’d be willing to sell you. WAKE up! Woolbright is NO VICTIM in this mess! She started it by filing a bullshit police report when all she had to do was follow the policy. As soon as it was reported to the Superintendent and Attorney initiated the policy and the review begin. The books (all four) she brought to them with concerns were taken out of circulation until the review was completed. She didn’t allow the process to work. She is a liar and now wants to cry victim. Give me a break. Her and McDonald she be ashamed of themselves. They are supported by the nutjobs who showed up last night and harassed, cursed and threatened our CHILDREN. What the hell is wrong with you people. And by the way there are 47 bibles throughout our school district libraries.
Joy A Mullins says
Well said!!!!! I am so ashamed of her acts of christianity. This is not how God wants people to act. Ms. Woolbright , you have stirred a hornets nest and I hope you are pleased at the behavior of your “so called supporters”.
To the manipulated right says
Have you even bothered to read the US Constitution? Separation of church and State is there for a reason. It is the very reason the pilgrims immigrated to N. America. Religious freedom. That includes All religions. You want a Bible in your kid’s school? Send your kid to parochial school.
Children are there to learn facts not conspiracy. They’re also there to learn how to learn.
Are you aware that America is a Democracy? Your people tied to destroy it on January 6th.
The problem with the people trying to ban books is that they never read. Have never been readers except for conspiracies online.
USA is not a Theocracy. You want that, move to Iran. We are not an Autocracy, a Monarchy, or a Dictatorship. You want that, move to China or Russia.
For a clan of people who claim to love America you sure destroy the American Flag at every turn. You are a fool if you don’t see how dangerous censorship is. The books these children want to read are not required to be subjected to your narrow-mindedness.
So sick of you all yelling all the time. You’re always so indignant and easily offended. So fragile. Be quiet and listen to your teenagers. You might just learn something.
Jimbo99 says
It’s rather embarrassing for the community that this happened over at the location where people probably were standing in line to pay their Flagler County 2021 taxes. Glad I paid my taxes a day earlier than these people decided to stage their protests. I must’ve had an angel watching over me to beat this foolishness ?
Nancy N. says
I think anyone who needs to pay taxes here already knows what a circus this county is. What is infinitely more embarrassing for this county is that this story has literally been national news thanks to Jill Woolbright. And people wonder why we can’t attract businesses with good jobs to the community?
A.j says
Making noise gets attention. What we believe in we stand for. People of color need to continue to stand and get attention. Dems need to continue to vote.
John Stove says
Interesting and just amazing how the Republicans and their kind will clutch their pearls and swoon over books but they are ok with a former imbecile president who tried to overthrow the government with an insurrection on the capitol. Page after page of factual evidence and witnesses keep mounting on how the Republicans were desperate to not get kicked out of the white house and now that anger has manifested itself in local politics (Joe Mullins) and even school boards.
Here is an idea….how about spend your time and effort on actually governing on things that matter….and oh yeah try not to be traitorous losers and push your racist “my way” thinking on the rest of us.
Katrina says
Wait, let’s not forget that previous President’s exploitation of women and flagrant infidelities. I guess those behaviors aren’t morally reprehensible. Little Joe is one in the same.
Lisa says
The children are our future. So proud of these kids. So disgusted with the adults harassing them.
Robin says
Bravo students for organizing your rally Tuesday night!
John says
Amazing seeing all those people protesting for a book with heavy sexual explicit material to be left in schools for kids under 16. It’s not about book ban, it’s about the sexual explicit material
Please post the controversial parts of the book and let readers decide what they think.
When I was a kid we couldn’t buy CDs with parental guidance. What’s the difference, seems like this protestors just angry at everything, everyday protesting something. Maybe get a life and relax
Concerned Citizen says
It’s about doing things the right way.
You never ever let one person have a taste of to much power. Once that happens they run unchecked with it.
Woolbright tried to use authority she didn’t have. And tried to involve Law Enforcement to accomplish it. She got caught and called out for it. And now needs to answer for it.
Time and time again we keep seeing Flagler officials doing wrong. And there’s never any recourse. We need to expect better and demand change.
Jp says
It’s about the first amendment and conservatives distortion of what it means.
The dude says
No…
It’s about the book banning.
Book burnings come next.
Patty says
Aren’t these are the same protestors, that want to ban women, telling us there is no such thing as gender.
Rebelwithacause says
Throw in gender, gender identity, race, disabilities, et. al. My ancestors and multiple generations have fought tooth and nail for the rights we have finally been able to obtain. I was even involved in one protest in which we (a group of University students and community members) laid across the steps of the state capitol building (not in FL) in opposition to the “Religious Right, aka Jerry Fallwell” who were there to protest the state enacting legislation to prevent discrimination against people in the Gay community. This was in the early 1980’s in a conservative Republican state! So, not all Republicans out there are fools. My grandmother once commented to a friend and I that she envied the freedom we had as women and what we were able to accomplish (having University educations and careers). This coming from a woman who as a young teen had lied to her immigrant parents (who did not speak or read English very well) and told them that the state had changed the law and said that she had to continue her education beyond grade 8 and graduate from high school. It is a great story that illustrates the struggle that women have gone through and continue to go through. This is mirrored by the battles over race, gender identity, disabilities, etc. So I fully applaud all of the speakers, the students, and community members who had the guts to stand up to this insanity coming from the “lunatic fringe”.
Concerned Citizen says
I understand the controversy behind the book. if it doesn’t belong in schools then that’s fine. But remove it according to rules and procedures in place.
People are missing the entire point of all this.
Mrs. Woolbright tried to have the book(s) removed by circumventing rules and procedures in place. Those rules are there for a reason. She went one step to far when she tried to get Law Enforcement involved. For what reason? Intimidation? That’s mostly how I see it.
Obviously her co-workers have an issue with it because they are calling her out. But now when will she answer for it? Time and time again these people we elect to do a job fail to do it. And nothing is ever done. Hell one has even been promoted for it.
Remember all of this at election time. We can and need to do better.
Heather says
I was deeply moved by Jill Woolbright’s closing remarks. Triggers can come in any form at any time and I hope she uses this as an opportunity for additional healing.
The students were by far and away the most poised, thoughtful and compelling speakers of the night. The future is bright and full of young minds who can think critically and independently.
Finally, we must, as a community and a country, grapple with the people who roamed the room freely last night with visible signs of dangerous and violent hate groups. That kind of attempt at intimidation has no place in a public space.
Jack el perro says
If these right wing fools are so concerned about books they consider inappropriate, then why do these same fools stand out on A1A and state rt 100 with “F__K Biden signs and at school board meetings with “Let’s go Branden” along with yelling out filthy language, dressed in combat gear as police and soldiers wantabes often do? Isn’t all of that type of public behavior extremely inappropiate, especially to children? Maybe these fools should they ban themselves. Is that a great idea or what??
David S says
Where were Mullins and Ed Stanko ?????
The dude says
School bus was 25 minutes late this morning… again.
Yet banning books is the School Board’s focus.
WTF?
DO YOUR JOBS YOU IDIOTS!!!
NotWoke says
School libraries should not be political tools.
John says
Between the Flagler County Commissioner Mullin, and the Flagler County School Board they sure are poor examples for the children growing up in this county. They constantly are in the news and it is always issues that sparks the radicals to come out of the woodwork.
Well and then look who the Governor is another one that loves being in the news stirring up trouble on issues he should keep his nose out of. Just thrives on the attention.
R. S. says
I attended most of the public-comments portion of the school board’s session. How amazing the brilliance we have assembled in this county! There were an amazing number of child psychology experts in the room who advocated protection of kids by keeping them stupid. Do they really not know that the age of sexually active youths is about 15 or 16 years of age? As a sound principle of “child management,” answering honestly any questions a child may have is my attempt at being a child psychologist. If a child is able to raise a question, s/he is capable or dealing with an honest answer–no matter what level of seriousness the question may cause to arise. I also know that youngsters will not flock to libraries for prurience; they will look these days most likely to the various forms of communication on the Internet. However, if an honest question arises, it is most useful to have honest answers available also in book format. “Protecting kids” by keeping them stupid and ignorant is probably never a good route to achieve a solid foundation for a moral character. Particularly, the presumably educated priest should have known better that to prefer ignorance to honesty.
JonQPublik says
If you are going to show up to a school board meeting to protest and clearly lack the understanding of English, grammar and punctuation, I suggest that you not make a sign that illustrates your obvious deficiencies. It may be time to go back to school. Support education by increasing your own.
The irony is not lost- your credibility is.
The dude says
Would you rather your kids learn to be gay from some obscure, anonymous, book that they didn’t even know existed until you started wanting to burn it?
Or on the Tik-Tok?
Maybe if the school buses were to actually run on time, the kids would have less time to watch the Tik-Tok and learn how to be gay.
Anna says
By reading the comments it appears most did not attend or watch the meeting.
It was a packed house with most agreeing with Ms. Woolbright.
Michael Cocchiola says
I’m proud to stand with teachers and students against censorship, book banning and being forced onto that slippery slope leading to thought police and book burning.
If people are so driven to protect their children against knowledge, pull them out of public schools and put them into religious-affiliated private schools where they can learn about murder, mayhem, mutilation and ritual human sacrifice, incest, male and female masturbation, and child physical and sexual abuse… all from the Bible.
Sherry says
Thanks so much Nancy N. . . great comments! Right On!
Delighted to read about our students becoming so passionately involved in such vital issues!
Hopefully, that passion will spread to the much bigger issue regarding our massive loss of privacy. Everyone. . . read/re-read Orwell’s 1984. Then really evaluate the listening/watching devices that live with you and spy on you 24/7. “Think” about how what you say could possibly be weaponized against you. Read 1984 and “Think” about why and how you should protect your privacy.
Foresee says
Flagler County School Board
“Where Knowledge
Goes to Die.”
Peaches McGee says
Fahrenheit 451 is my only comment.
Joy A Mullins says
“The child called it” Is that available in our libraries? There are 3 books in the series. Are these also banned?
michael d martin says
this woman obviously has a screw loose or never had one….people have been reading these type of books for years. You think banning it will make it go away???? Your making it more popular!!! and the kids that need to read it most will be further pushed back into a corner/closet to find their feelings and engage in some serious talk with their parents maybe??? GROW the F &&^^%$ UP people