Florida AG demands books removed from Hillsborough Co. schools
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is demanding Hillsborough County Schools remove books that he said contain 'overtly sexual content' from libraries and classrooms.
Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Díaz recently wrote a similar letter to Hillsborough County Schools' Superintendent Van Ayres, claiming the district had 'pornographic' material available to students.
Díaz cited the books 'Call Me by Your Name' and 'Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts)' and said the superintendent would be expected at a State Board of Education meeting next month to explain why the books are available.
Florida Department of Education claims 'pornographic' books remain in Hillsborough County high school libraries
In his letter, Uthmeier references the earlier letter from Díaz, saying that while those two books are now labeled 'under review,' there are other materials that violate state statutes.
The other books mentioned by Uthmeier include 'What Girls Are Made Of,' by Elana K. Arnold; 'Beautiful,' by Amy Reed; 'Breathless,' by Jennifer Niven; and 'Choke,' by Chuck Palahniuk.
'You must act to protect your students from these gratuitously pornographic materials,' Uthmeier wrote. 'Any delay in remedying this situation only exacerbates the current failure to ensure that students are safe.'
He goes on to say that the county's obligations to the constitution, Florida state statutes and Hillsborough County's own district policies 'demand' that they remove the books.
'I will monitor your actions to determine whether formal legal action by my office is warranted,' Uthmeier wrote.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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