The New College of Florida Board of Trustees on Thursday moved forward with a plan to request $2 million in funding from the state Legislature to set up a “Freedom Institute” aimed at combating “cancel culture” in higher education. The bulk of the $2 million request would go toward hiring “scholars to work and teach” on the New College campus.
First Amendment
Biden Administration Barred from Interfering with Social Media Even If It’s Misinformation or Lies
A federal judge has prohibited Biden administration officials from communicating with social media platforms “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”
Florida Law Banning Kids at Drag Shows Blocked and Termed Unconstitutionally Vague
Operators of Orlando restaurant Hamburger Mary’s, which has run “family friendly” drag shows for 15 years, filed a legal challenge shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law restricting children from attending “adult live performances.”
Florida Will Publish Annual Index of Books Banned or Challenged in Schools
The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved a new rule that will lead to Florida officials publishing an annual list of library books and instructional materials that have drawn public objections, in a move that the board’s chairman said will “provide transparency for our families.”
A Federal Lawsuit Is Filed Against Florida School District, Calling Book Bans Unconstitutional
The lawsuit is against the Escambia County School District and its local school board. Plaintiffs include PEN America, powerhouse publisher Penguin Random House, several authors, and parents of children. A remedy: Return books to school library shelves, particularly books considered “targeted,” according to the lawsuit.
FPC Removes 2 Books Under Challenge Without Review, Abruptly Cancelling 2 Committee Meetings
Flagler County’s three book-banners are getting their way the easier way: the books they’re challenging are now getting removed without committee review, even though such a process is set out in district policy. Twice in the last three weeks, Flagler Palm Coast High School abruptly cancelled scheduled challenge-review committee meetings at the last minute, “weeding” the books instead.
On Flagler’s Ban List: Elana K. Arnold’s What Girls Are Made Of, a Review and a Recommendation
“What Girls Are Made Of,” Elana K. Arnold’s deconstruction of a 16-year-old girl’s being and nothingness, is one of 22 titles three Flagler County residents want banned from high school libraries. A Flagler Palm Coast High School committee takes up the challenge on Thursday.
Bill Banning Books During Challenges and Banning Preferred Pronouns Ready for DeSantis Signature
The bill restricts the way teachers and students can use their preferred pronouns in schools, expands last year’s “don’t say gay” prohibitions to eighth grade, and makes banning books and instructional materials easier, with simpler forms and a requirement that challenged materials to be removed from schools within five days of the objection, until the challenge is resolved.
How ‘Decorum’ Masks Discrimination
Republicans from Tennessee to Tallahassee to Tacoma struggle manfully to stop those rule-breakers who would keep disrupting white men’s God-ordained exercise of unchecked power. You know the kind: gays; transgender types; students; immigrants; women; Blacks. They’re getting uppity. They’re breaking the rules.
World Press Freedom Day Events Webcast from the UN on May 2
On May 2 and 3, the international community marks the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations General Assembly. It will serve as an occasion to take stock of the global gains for press freedom secured by UNESCO and its partners in the past decades, as well as underline the new risks faced in the digital age.
My Date With Jerry Springer
In November 1998 I was traveling the country on a year-long assignment and at that point working on a piece on American discourse. I’d chosen Illinois as a prism: the various grounds of the Lincoln Douglas debates at one end and the Chicago-based Jerry Springer Show at the other. Springer agreed to let me hang out with him half a day, interview him and attend his show, thankfully not as a guest.
‘Don’t Say Gay’ Extended to 12th Grade in New Board of Education Rule, With Vague Exceptions
Teachers shall not “intentionally provide” instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in fourth through 12th grades. Teachers could face suspension or revocation of their educator certificates for violations of the rule.
Dominion’s Defamation Case Against Fox Is Not Easy to Prove
The statements against Dominion have already been proved false. The question now is whether the statements harmed Dominion’s reputation enough to rise to the level of defamation. But it is far easier to throw around as an accusation than it is to actually prove fault.
No Overt Prayers: Palm Coast Council Will Stick With Moment of Silence at Meetings to Avoid Theatrics
Rejecting exhortations from nearly two dozen people, there will be no overt, vocal prayer at Palm Coast City Council meetings, though room for prayer in all forms and for all creeds will continue, as it always has, for individuals who choose to pray, whether overtly before meetings or quietly during meetings or during the moment of silence.
I Served on Flagler’s School District Book Review Committee, Only to Be Silenced
One of 14 members appointed by the Flagler school administration to a district-level committee to review the challenge to Amy Reed’s “The Nowhere Girls” describes the experience of being part of a 14-0 decision to retain the book, only to be overruled by the superintendent, who banned the book.
Flagler School Board Keeps Sold on School Library Shelves in Unprecedented 3-2 Vote
The Flagler County School Board this evening voted 3-2 to keep “Sold,” the novel in verse by Patricia McCormick, on the shelves of Flagler County school’s high school libraries. The novel is written from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl trafficked to a prostitution house in India.
Challenged in Flagler Schools: Ellen Hopkins’s Tilt, a Review and a Recommendation
In “Tilt,” Ellen Hopkins gives us the powerful coming of age story of three very engaging, very different American teenagers. The novel is on the list of books three Flagler County residents are seeking to ban. A Flagler Palm Coast High School committee discusses the challenge on Thursday.
DeSantis Is Destroying Florida Universities’ Hard-Earned Respect in the Name of White Nationalism
Florida’s public universities have been gaining national prominence and respect, with U.F. and FSU ranked Nos. 5 and 19 among public universities. DeSantis’s assault on academic freedom in the name of a white-nationalist, America-first curriculum is demolishing that hard-earned respect and making an embarrassment of the state.
Starting Palm Coast Council Meetings with ‘Invocation’ Would Be Unnecessarily Divisive
At a time when communities are divided enough by party, ideology, color and sometimes geography, the Palm Coast City Council’s proposal to start its meetings with a prayer, or invocation would add yet more divisiveness, when the council should be celebrating residents’ shared humanity and basic decency.
In Riveting Discussion on Prayers at Meetings, Palm Coast Council Defers to ‘Neutral’ Caution
The Palm Coast council discussed a proposed prayer policy today in what turned into an unusually absorbing and equally civil hourlong seminar on the First Amendment, the limits of expressions of belief in government settings, and the unintended and potentially offensive consequences of an open-invocation policy.
Ignoring Constitutional Cautions, Florida Lawmakers Seek to Make It Easier to Sue News Organizations
Ignoring arguments that the bill is unconstitutional, a House panel on Tuesday approved a controversial proposal that would make it easier for people to sue news organizations for defamation. The measure seeks to limit the “actual malice” standard that for decades has protected journalists writing about powerful government officials.
Would-Be Book-Banner Appeals Nowhere Girls Decision Even Before 14-0 Vote to Keep It
A 14-member district committee voted unanimously this evening to recommend keeping Amy Reed’s “The Nowhere Girls,” a book deconstructing high school rape culture, on the shelves at Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School. The woman challenging the book filed an appeal to the school board even before the superintendent has weighed on.
Citing ‘Reason Above Prejudice,’ Superintendent Upholds Recommendation to Keep Sold on School Shelves
Citing “principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice,” Flagler School Superintendent Cathy Mittlestadt upheld the recommendation of a district appeals committee to keep Patricia McCormick’s “Sold,” on human trafficking, on library shelves at high and middle schools.
Challenged in Flagler Schools: Amy Reed’s The Nowhere Girls, a Review and Recommendation
Amy Reed’s “The Nowhere Girls,” a 2017 novel on high school rape culture and three girls’ attempt to counter it, is a #MeToo manifesto for young adults. It’s up for banning from Flagler schools. This review is a guide.
Drag Show Curbs Likely Violate First Amendment
Republican lawmakers in numerous states, including Florida, seek to restrict or eliminate events like drag shows and drag story hours. These efforts have been accompanied by inflammatory rhetoric not grounded in fact about the need to protect children from “grooming” and sexually explicit performances.
District Appeals Committee Votes Unanimously to Keep Sold on High School and Middle School Shelves
An 11-member district-wide appeals committee this evening voted to uphold two school-based committees’ decisions to keep “Sold,” the fictional story of a 13-year-old girl trafficked into sexual slavery, on the library shelves at high and middle schools.
Challenged in Flagler Schools: McCormick’s Sold, a Review and a Recommendation
Patricia McCormick’s “Sold,” about the experiences of a 13-year-old girl sold into sexual slavery, is among the 22 books that a trio of “moms for liberty” have sought to ban from high school library shelves. A school committee voted to keep the book. The banners appealed the decision to a district committee, which meets on March 6. The following review is presented as a guide.
Florida Legislature Is Set to Push Sweeping Changes to Legal System, Favoring Business and Government at Individuals’ Expense
Paul Renner, the Palm Coast Republican and House Speaker, is enthusiastically leading a House that has lurched further to the right than under any administration in generations as the Legislature seeks to revamp the state’s litigation system, favoring businesses at the expense of individual consumers.
Florida Bill Would Require Bloggers to ‘Register’ With State and Turn Over Financial Accounts
The bill, which has no chance of becoming law, would require bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis and other elected state officials to register with the government and provide monthly financial income reports. The National Review today called the bill’s GOP author a “moron.”
Teaching Heroic Musician Graham Jackson’s Story in Florida Could Now Be Illegal
Florida’s “anti-woke” legislation and the state’s recent rejection of the AP African American studies curriculum are well-known examples of a disturbing trend that attempts to criminalize exploring the stories of Black people such as Graham Jackson.
Against Policy, Flagler’s Book-Challenge Appeal Panels Dim Faculty and District Vote to Minority Status
A Flagler County school district-level committee will meet for the first time on Monday to take up the appeal of a decision not to ban the novel “Sold” from school library shelves. The make-up of the committee is not in line with school board policy, giving parents and community members a lopsided presence at the expense of district staff and faculty.
Challenged in Flagler Schools: Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club, a Review and a Recommendation
Malinda Lo’s “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” is among the 22 books that a trio of “moms for liberty” have sought to ban from high school library shelves. A joint committee of Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas high school faculty members and parent representatives meets on March 7 to decide whether to retain it or ban the book. The following review is presented as a guide.
School Board’s Chong Demands ‘Safe Space’ Sign Be Removed Seconds After Decrying Violence at Matanzas
Flagler County School Board member Christy Chong had just decried a Matanzas High School student’s attack on a teacher aide there when, not a minute later, she demanded that a “safe space” poster associated with LGBTQ groups and anti-bullying be removed from a Matanzas classroom.
Why Is DeSantis Protecting Our Kids from ‘Literature’?
Books are filthy. Yet liberals want your children to read them. Why? So your children will become drag queens, tree huggers, NPR listeners, Lizzo fans, soccer watchers, trans activists, vaccine takers, election denier deniers, AP class takers, and America haters.
How Much ‘Religious Accommodation’ Are Employers Responsible For?
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon address the extent to which employers must accommodate employees, if at all, when they want to pray, not work on Sundays, observe the Sabbath or invoke litanies of other sectarian requirements.
The Black Flamingo Thwarts Book Ban as Matanzas and FPC Vote 10-0 to Keep It on Shelves
A joint review committee from Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast high schools voted unanimously Thursday to keep Dean Atta’s “The Black Flaming” on the two schools’ library shelves. It is the second time in a little over two weeks that the committees rejected a challenge by one of the three individuals targeting 22 books for bans so far this year.
Judge Tosses Challenge to Law Restricting Gender and Sex Orientation Discussions in Class
U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor dismissed a revised lawsuit filed by students, parents and teachers, ruling that the plaintiffs had not “alleged sufficient facts” to show they had legal standing to challenge the law.
The Bible’s Song of Songs Is Full of Sex, Challenging Assumptions
Graphic descriptions of both male and female bodies pervade the work and are certainly titillating, even bordering on pornographic. Sensual metaphors such as “grazing among the lilies” and “drinking … from the juice of my pomegranates” suggest sexual practices that are anything but vanilla.
70 People Turn Up, Hoping for Appointment to District’s Book-Banning Committees
Some 70 people turned up Monday evening for a session designed to train people interested in serving on the Flagler County school district’s nascent committees that will review attempts by residents to ban books from school library shelves.
Dear Gov. DeSantis: Suppressing Black People Doesn’t Play Well Outside Fox Echo Box
Governor, we all know that you’ve stopped even pretending you’re not racist. But pitching hissy fits about gay people, drag queens, and black history ain’t a good look if you want to appeal to anyone outside the Fox swamp. RuPaul has one of the most popular shows in the nation.
‘The Truth About Alice’ Survives Book-Banning Attempt in 12-0 Vote by FPC and Matanzas Committees
A book review committee jointly made up of Flagler Palm Coast High and Matanzas High School representatives on Tuesday voted unanimously to keep “The Truth About Alice” in circulation at both schools’ libraries. The book was challenged on claims that it contained “pornography.” It is the fourth book to survive a challenge, out of 22 challenges, with 10 already removed and others awaiting review.
DeSantis Aims to Scrap Higher Ed Diversity Programs and End Tenure as We Know It
DeSantis seeks to remove ‘ideology’ from college campuses, prohibit state funds from going towards critical race theory programs and diversity initiatives, have university presidents be more involved in faculty hiring, and end professors’ tenure was we know it.
Adopting ‘Moment of Silence,’ Palm Coast Considering Opening Meetings With Religious Prayer
The Palm Coast City Council, last hold-out among local governments in the slouch back to devotional rites at the beginning of public meetings, on Tuesday agreed to begin meetings with a “moment of silence,” and to consider adding a non-denominational prayer as well.
Outrage Grows Over DeSantis Suppression of Black Studies AP Course
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rejection of an Advanced Placement pilot course on African American studies elicited a resounding response from a crowd of at least a hundred people gathered in the state Capitol Wednesday.
DeSantis’s War on Academic Freedom Is Systematically Subordinating Education to Ideology
DeSantis’s edicts include stifling testimony from professors in federal court cases, creating new “evaluations” for tenured professors, surveying students and faculty on campuses to measure political leanings, investigating expenses related to Critical Race Theory, and rejecting an Advanced Placement course on African-American studies that has reached national criticism.
Leaders Pledge to Fight DeSantis Administration Suppression of African-American Studies Course
Saying that an African-American studies course “lacks educational value,” Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is defending its rejection of the curriculum, while Black religious leaders and elected officials are pledging to “fight like hell” against the decision.
Florida Is Accused of Violating Federal Court Order and Restricting Race Education Anyway
Plaintiffs challenging a state law restricting how race-related concepts can be taught in higher education accused Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration Wednesday of violating a federal judge’s order that blocked parts of the law from being enforced.
Moms for Liberty Want ‘Don’t Say LGBTQ’ Law Expanded to Cover K-8
The Florida chapter of Moms for Liberty, the conservative nonprofit that advocates for parental rights in schools, would like state lawmakers to expand the state law that restricts classroom instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation for children from kindergarten through the third grade.
Florida Supreme Court Asked to Interpret DeSantis’ 2021 Law Restricting Demonstrations
A federal appeals court wants guidance about how Florida cops would enforce a restrictive demonstration law, asking the state’s highest court, which has the last word on interpreting state law, to render an opinion. The federal appeals court would still get to decide whether the law violates the U.S. Constitution.
Flagler Jail Eliminates All Hard-Copy Mail to Inmates as Scanning and Tablets Replace Paper
All hard-copy mail delivery to the Flagler County jail’s 225-some inmates has been replaced by scans of mail. It is part of a sweeping change in the handling of inmate mail across the state at least 14 other states as prisons and jails cut down on incoming materials. The switch has drawn sharp criticism from prisoner advocates and strong support by those implementing it, as in Flagler.