Florida Ranks Second in Surge of Book Bans in U.S. Schools

Florida has become a hot spot in the debate over book bans, with laws that restrict books across the state. Proponents of the restrictions say their aims are to protect students from inappropriate materials and to give parents more control over their children’s education. However, many educators say the rules have brought chaos and fear, with imprecise language and broad requirements leading to confusion. Florida ranks second, behind Texas, as the state with the highest number of book removals, according to a report released on Thursday from the free-speech organization PEN America, which tracked book bans in schools from July 1 to Dec. 31 of 2022.