Latest news with #OfficeofParentalRights
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More books pulled from Hillsborough classrooms after state pressure
A fresh round of books — more than 600, by one estimate — have been taken out of circulation from Hillsborough County classrooms after a letter from state officials ramped up pressure on school district officials. In a letter last week, Attorney General James Uthmeier asked the Hillsborough County School Board for the 'immediate removal' of materials he called 'patently pornographic.' His letter echoed one from Florida Board of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz on May 9. Diaz asked district Superintendent Van Ayres to tell the state board next month in Miami 'why you continue to allow pornographic materials in your school libraries.' Uthmeier's letter pointed out excerpts from the books 'Call Me By Your Name' by Andre Aciman, previously available in three high school libraries, and 'Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)' by Lev A. C. Rosen, available in two high school libraries. He also pointed to excerpts from 'What Girls Are Made Of' by Elana K Arnold; 'Beautiful' by Amy Reed, available in middle schools; 'Breathless' by Jennifer Niven; and 'Choke' by Chuck Palahniuk, available in some high schools. 'It's shocking that the district is making these materials available to its students,' Uthmeier's letter said. He said the state's newly created Office of Parental Rights plans to give parents more say in what books could remain. In a letter to Diaz, Ayres said all titles mentioned in the letters, plus five others, had been removed from the county's schools. He also said all titles on the state's 2022-23 and 2023-24 lists have been taken out of circulation and will be reviewed, even though no objections to them have risen through the district, to 'err on the side of caution.' In a letter responding to Uthmeier, school district attorney Jim Porter said that since 2022, Hillsborough County has removed 389,073 books from its collection of more than 2 million books, and will continue to 'actively review' its collections. The district will also consider changing policies to 'strengthen the selection process and weeding of library materials,' Porter wrote. Stephana Ferrell, co-director of the Florida Freedom to Read advocacy group, estimates around 622 titles were pulled out of circulation as a result of the state's recent directive. She called it 'a horrible state overreach.' Until now, Hillsborough County has had a process in place to review objections to materials originating at the school level. Ferrell called the state's position hypocritical. In response to a lawsuit filed by book publishers about a 2023 law that regulates library materials, the state has argued that the law itself doesn't ban books, but individuals at the district do based on their interpretation. Ferrell said that implies the acknowledgment of districts' abilities to make those decisions. Diaz' letter acknowledged that, but chided Van Ayres for not removing those books sooner. Ferrell pointed out that while no objections over the titles mentioned in the state's letters arose in Hillsborough, complaints over 'Breathless' came up in Polk and Flagler counties, where committees decided the book was appropriate for high school students. 'It is very scary, the amount of power that they are using to to just completely negate the voice of the people — the people that have actually taken the time to thoughtfully review, re-read the books, review them, debate them, discuss them, and come to a decision about where they believe the books to be appropriate, if they've decided to leave the books within their community,' she said.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida AG launches Office of Parental Rights, lending legal firepower to defend parents' 'God-given right'
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the creation of an Office of Parental Rights in the Sunshine State that will lend legal muscle to help parents fight for the rights they've been granted by God. Uthmeier pointed out during remarks on Tuesday that "it is not the role of the government to raise kids," but that the role is parents' "God-given right." He said that "parents have the God-given rights to raise their kids the way they deem appropriate." The attorney general said that there will be a "team of litigators focused on fighting" battles that parents alert them about — he noted that there will be a portal where parents can reach out. Federal Judge Orders Local Law Enforcement To Stop Enforcing New Immigration Law When someone asked about the potential costs, Uthmeier noted that the efforts will also involve working with nonprofits and outside groups. He indicated that he is not seeking to rack up costs, but noted, "when it comes to fightin' the right fights, I'll spend every dollar we have." Read On The Fox News App A press release about the effort indicates that Uthmeier's Office of Parental rights can help with a range of cases including, "Denial of access to school records," "Lack of consent for biometric or personal data collection," "Unauthorized healthcare, counseling, or mental health services," "Interference with educational choices," "Failure to notify parents or suspected criminal offenses," "Coercion or encouragement to withhold information," "Objectionable instructional or library materials," "Violations of parental notification for health services," "Restrictions on parental participation in school governance," as well as "Unauthorized data sharing or surveys." Sunshine State Dem Announces Switch To No Affiliation: 'Democratic Party In Florida Is Dead' Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon have both cheered on the effort. "Great initiative that will ensure that Florida's protections for the rights of parents are upheld," the governor said in a post on X. McMahon noted in a tweet, "Parents have the right to know what's going on in their child's education and to make the decisions. It's great to see a state showing how enforcing parents' rights is a priority without the federal government micromanaging them." Desantis Excoriates Fl House Leadership Amid Republican Civil War, Accusing Them Of 'Revolt Against' Voters Uthmeier thanked McMahon for her support. "It's great to have an administration in DC that respects state sovereignty and, most importantly, the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children," he noted in a tweet when responding to her article source: Florida AG launches Office of Parental Rights, lending legal firepower to defend parents' 'God-given right'
Fox News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Florida AG launches Office of Parental Rights, lending legal firepower to defend parents' 'God-given right'
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the creation of an Office of Parental Rights in the Sunshine State that will lend legal muscle to help parents fight for the rights they've been granted by God. Uthmeier pointed out during remarks on Tuesday that "it is not the role of the government to raise kids," but that the role is parents' "God-given right." He said that "parents have the God-given rights to raise their kids the way they deem appropriate." The attorney general said that there will be a "team of litigators focused on fighting" battles that parents alert them about — he noted that there will be a portal where parents can reach out. When someone asked about the potential costs, Uthmeier noted that the efforts will also involve working with nonprofits and outside groups. He indicated that he is not seeking to rack up costs, but noted, "when it comes to fightin' the right fights, I'll spend every dollar we have." A press release about the effort indicates that Uthmeier's Office of Parental rights can help with a range of cases including, "Denial of access to school records," "Lack of consent for biometric or personal data collection," "Unauthorized healthcare, counseling, or mental health services," "Interference with educational choices," "Failure to notify parents or suspected criminal offenses," "Coercion or encouragement to withhold information," "Objectionable instructional or library materials," "Violations of parental notification for health services," "Restrictions on parental participation in school governance," as well as "Unauthorized data sharing or surveys." Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon have both cheered on the effort. "Great initiative that will ensure that Florida's protections for the rights of parents are upheld," the governor said in a post on X. McMahon noted in a tweet, "Parents have the right to know what's going on in their child's education and to make the decisions. It's great to see a state showing how enforcing parents' rights is a priority without the federal government micromanaging them." Uthmeier thanked McMahon for her support. "It's great to have an administration in DC that respects state sovereignty and, most importantly, the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children," he noted in a tweet when responding to her comments.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida attorney general to enforce parent rights in schools, government
The big story: Saying government does not know best when it comes to child rearing, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Tuesday unveiled his new Office of Parental Rights. Touting it as a first in the nation initiative, the AG said he aims to assist families who seek justice from school districts or local governments that 'seek to 'treat,' indoctrinate or collect data from students without parental involvement.' He made the announcement surrounded by activists from several groups that have advocated for a greater authority for parents in children's education, health care and other aspects of life. Asked about the potential cost of launching taxpayer-funded lawsuits against government entities, Uthmeier responded, 'There is no cost to protecting the rights of parents and families.' Read more from Florida Politics. Turnarounds: Pasco County's Cox Elementary faces the specter of a state-mandated takeover if its student test scores don't improve. The school community is working hard to make sure Cox stays local. Teacher pay: Florida teachers are leaving their jobs as the state's average salary drops to the lowest in the nation, WEAR reports. Taxes: The Florida House launched a special committee to investigate the possibility of eliminating most property taxes, a key source of public education funding, News Service of Florida reports. State colleges: Hillsborough Community College is in line to lose 'community' from its name, as the state continues to rebrand its colleges. Start times: Florida lawmakers moved to undo their mandate that middle and high schools have later start times after hearing concerns from local district officials. The bill now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Relief: A Pasco County man stands to get a $1.2 million settlement from the Pasco County school district nearly 20 years after being severely injured in a school bus accident. Migrant education: Hillsborough County schools are celebrating one of its largest classes of migrant students who are graduating. Mental health services: School officials in Sarasota and Manatee counties say student mental health needs outpace the funding available to help, Suncoast Searchlight reports. Early education: Florida's prekindergarten program is one of the nation's largest, yet it remains inaccessible to some families, TC Palm reports. Diversity, equity and inclusion: Four Florida public universities are holding graduation ceremonies to honor LGBTQ+ graduates, but rebranding them to comply with the state's anti-DEI laws, Campus Reform reports. Cellphones: Florida schools and the Legislature continue to debate the use of cellphones in the classroom, Fresh Take Florida reports. Some parents have strong reservations about banning the devices. • A Lake County middle school administrator was reassigned amid an investigation into claims she inappropriate grabbed a student while trying to confiscate his phone, WOFL reports. Advanced courses: Duval County school district officials say proposed funding reductions should not threaten the district's advanced and career programs, WJAX reports. From the police blotter ... Police have found weapons inside Broward County's Miramar High School on two consecutive days, the Sun-Sentinel reports. • The Escambia County Sheriff's Office is investigating a student accused of bringing a gun to school, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. From the court docket ... Cambridge Christian School will take its decade-old lawsuit over being denied the right to pray on the public announcement system at a state championship football game to the U.S. Supreme Court, News Service of Florida reports. Today in Tallahassee ... The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. with HB 443 on charter schools up for final passage, and several education-related measures available on special order. The House convenes at 1 p.m. with five education-related bills available on special order including SB 140 on charter schools and SB 1470 on school safety. Don't miss a story. Here's a link to yesterday's roundup. Before you go ... The rage these days is the great moose migration in Sweden. The live stream is a Swedish source that's supposed to run through at least May 4. Here's a story about it.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida AG introduces ‘Office of Parental Rights' to take on school districts that violate laws
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced his office will start taking on cases involving parental rights violations on behalf of parents during a news conference in Jacksonville on Tuesday. Uthmeier argued that, despite the state having some of the strongest parental rights laws in the nation, taking a school district to court over alleged violations can be a daunting and expensive task for everyday parents. 'The state needs to be here to help. So, we're creating this new office, we're gonna have a team of litigators focused on fighting the fights that parents bring to us. We still see far too many examples, especially in other states, but also in Florida where parents' rights are being infringed,' Uthmeier said. The Office of Parental Rights will be tasked with battling school districts in the courts over alleged violations of the state's various parental rights laws - laws that have at times faced staunch criticism for limiting how issues like race and sexuality can be presented in the classroom. Read: Bill mandating parental consent for STD treatments faces pushback from some Florida Republicans Uthmeier explained complaints could include inappropriate library books on school shelves, unauthorized medical treatments, failure to inform parents about criminal charges facing school staff, and more. Stephana Ferrell with the Florida Freedom to Read Project argued Uthmeier's plan could increase lawsuits against districts and cost taxpayers on both ends of the debate. 'They're threatening our underfunded districts with further litigation and at a cost to taxpayers who have decided that they want to properly fund our public schools,' Ferrell said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] She also argued the Florida Department of Education already has tools at its disposal to ensure districts comply with parental rights laws. 'And so this looks like the next step to bully books off the shelves against the will of the communities that have decided to maintain access to books,' Ferrell said. But Uthmeier argued as Florida's chief legal officer, he has a responsibility to ensure state laws are followed. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] When we asked about the potential cost to taxpayers that state-led lawsuits targeting school districts could carry, he argued there's no cost to 'fighting for the rights of parents and families'. 'We're certainly not looking to run up costs, but when it comes to fighting the right fights, I'll spend every dollar we have,' Uthmeier said. Uthmeier also indicated his office plans to work with nonprofits and independent groups to help offset potential litigation costs. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
