During a meeting Friday, UF Board of Trustees chairman Mori Hosseini led the charge in sharply criticizing the professors and rallying around university President Kent Fuchs, though Hosseini appeared to misunderstand the scope of professors’ academic freedom.
First Amendment
Committee Reviewing Books 2 Board Members Want Banned Completes Its Work as District Sounds Out Librarians
The findings of a committee judging the appropriateness of four books for school libraries are expected imminently, as new book challenges have been filed and the Flagler district’s eight librarians were interviewed by district staff about their practices.
American Library Association Condemns Broad Censorship of Books on Race and LGBTQ in Schools and Libraries
Some individuals and officials say the voices of the marginalized have no place on library shelves. Including in Flagler, they have launched campaigns demanding the censorship of books and resources that mirror the lives of those who are gay, queer, or transgender, or that tell the stories of persons who are Black, Indigenous or persons of color.
‘Let’s Go Brandon’ and the Linguistic Jiujitsu of American Politics
The enthusiastic adoption of the phrase by President Joe Biden’s detractors suggests that “Let’s go Brandon” is best described as a minced oath. These are euphemisms used in place of a taboo or blasphemous expression. Such oaths have a long history in English. Some Biden supporters are turning the phrase into one of support for him. And as a variant, some of the president’s supporters have begun to employ, “Thank you Brandon.”
Conversion Therapy Is Lethal Bunk, But Fewer Than Half the States Ban It
Many LGBTQ youth live in states, Florida among them, that have no ban in place protecting them from conversion therapy – a practice that the scientific community has long since shunned, and that nearly doubles the incidence of suicide among gay, lesbian and bisexual people victimized by the fraud.
Closing Inquiry, Sheriff Rebuffs Charge of ‘Crime’ in Book Controversy; Woolbright Wants ‘All Young Adult Books Checked’
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office found no grounds for a criminal inquiry into School Board member Jill Woolbright’s charge that making “All Boys Aren’t Blue” available to students was a “crime.” The sheriff was sharply critical of having been brought into a position of making judgments he said are the responsibility of the board and its processes. The inquiry also dismissed claims that Woolbright faced any immediate threat, as had been claimed.
Congressional Committee Launches Probe into University of Florida Policy That Gagged Professors
In a letter to University of Florida President Kent Fuchs on Thursday, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties said the panel has opened a probe into UF’s conflict-of-interest policy used to silence professors, saying it “undermines the academic and free speech values that are essential” to higher education.
Why All Boys Aren’t Blue Belongs in High School Libraries: A Response to Brian McMillan
Palm Coast Observer Editor Brian McMillan would restrict the book at the center of a controversy from high school libraries, even though he doesn’t find it pornographic. His argument and his prescription are untenable, because they rest on an analogy that has no application to George Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue.” A school district committee is currently reviewing the book’s status.
Help Make Flagler County Known for Progress, Tolerance and Growth Instead of Ignorance and Hate
Offering the perspective of a parent, Palm Coast resident Courtney Hildreth calls on the Flagler School Board to re-focus on academic and intellectual freedom, ensuring access to age-appropriate literature, filling classroom vacancies, and preserving principles of equity and acceptance.
Potential Book Ban in Schools Galvanizes 2 Sides in Day of Highs and Lows as Sheriff Recoils at Criminal Complaint
the Flagler County School Board today contended with the fallout of a criminal complaint and call for a book ban filed by Board member Jill Woolbright, and did so for 10 hours, from a lengthy and at times ugly workshop to a student-led demonstration marred by harassment and insults by detractors to an evening meeting that stretched past 11 p.m.
