Stephen King has reacted to his books being 'banned' in schools as a result of a law passed by the state of Florida.
On Thursday (August 29), Penguin Random House, five other publishers and Authors Guild filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida for passing a law which allows parents to complain to schools and get certain books banned from their libraries.
A far-right group called Moms for Liberty has been campaigning for schools to ban any books that address gender and sexuality from its libraries.
Following such complaints, in 2022 Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a landmark legislation - HP 1069 - which targets books which include supposed sexually explicit material.
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Not only does the bill require sex education programs to teach 'that sex is determined by reproductive function at birth and is binary and unchangeable and to use only materials approved by the state Department of Education', but it also 'allows anyone in the district to object to any material in the classroom or school library or on the reading list that depicts or describes any sexual conduct, even if it is not pornographic, if it is not for a health course,' ACLU Florida explains.
It adds: "Such material would be removed pending investigation and subject to permanent removal."
The law came into effect in July 2023 and has seen several schools ban certain books - including several of King's novels.
Harper Collins Publishers shared a press release on the lawsuit against the state after 'hundreds of titles' have ended up being 'banned' since bill HB 1069 came into effect.
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It explains: "The list of banned books includes classics such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, as well as contemporary novels by bestselling authors such as Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, and Stephen King.
"If 'a parent or a resident of the county' objects to a book, the book must be removed within five days and remain unavailable until the objection is resolved.
"There is no requirement to review a book within a reasonable time frame—or even to return it if it has been found not to violate the statute. If a book is returned to the library, an objector may request a review by a state-appointed special magistrate at the expense of the school district."
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Novels by King which have reportedly been banned include Carrie, It, The Gunslinger, The Long Walk and The Running Man.
And King took to Twitter on August 31 to react to the news, simply writing: "Florida has banned 23 pf [sic] my books. What the f**k?"
The lawsuit filed by the publishers argues that the removal of books that contain 'anything that can be construed as "sexual conduct"' means there's 'no consideration of the educational value of the work as a whole'.
Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks issued a joint statement: "As publishers dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and the right to read, the rise in book bans across the country continues to demand our collective action.
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"Fighting unconstitutional legislation in Florida and across the country is an urgent priority. We are unwavering in our support for educators, librarians, students, authors, readers—everyone deserves access to books and stories that show different perspectives and viewpoints.
"Students need access to books that reflect a wide range of human experiences to learn and grow. It’s imperative for the education of our young people that teachers and librarians be allowed to use their professional expertise to match our authors’ books to the right reader at the right time in their life."
It argues for 'trained educators to evaluate books holistically to avoid harm to students who will otherwise lose access to a wide range of viewpoints'.
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Florida officials have branded the lawsuit a 'stunt,' BBC reports and Department of Education spokesperson Sydney Booker said: "There are no books banned in Florida. Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools."
UNILAD has contacted Florida's Department of Education and Harper Collins for comment.
Topics: Books, Education, Florida, Stephen King, US News
Poppy Bilderbeck