Explicit and objectionable material gets into America’s public schools in a variety of ways these days. Some teachers push those ideologies, outside organizations like the abortion industry giant Planned Parenthood could donate them. Library “experts” often choose to offend community standards with them.
Now the chief of education for the state of Florida is instructing schools to be more diligent in tracking them down and shutting them out.
“A process that depends on a parent discovering explicit material, reading it in a public meeting, and then forcing a district response is not only severely flawed; it is administrative neglect masquerading as either ignorance or ineptitude. Whatever it may be, it is unacceptable and must end,” said a letter of state education Commissioner Henry Mack to school districts.
“Districts must follow Florida law and State Board of Education rules by providing only materials that are age- and developmentally appropriate.”
He said what’s been happening is that “parents continue to find a shocking amount of material that fails that test. Again, that is unacceptable. Superintendents, library media specialists, and other personnel involved in the selection and maintenance of instructional and library materials must follow the laws and rules associated with this process.”
He noted training for educators is specific: “No library material shall be used, distributed, or made available to students if it contains content that meets the requirements found in the ‘harmful to minors’ statute. It further directs districts to, ‘err on the side of caution’ with material that is potentially harmful to minors…”
“As recently as this month, parents again appeared before Hillsborough County’s school board citing additional works – Kingdom of the Feared, Kingdom of the Wicked, Kingdom of the Cursed, and 1Q84 – and identifying passages they contend include sexually explicit content and even a sexual situation involving an adult and a child,” he wrote.
“Parents should not be required to place this material on the public record for district leadership to examine what is already in circulation.”
He then cited several passages alarmed parents challenged for their graphic sexual content.
The presence of such references, he said, means “the district is not in compliance with Florida law or State Board of Education rule.”
“Protecting the innocence of Florida’s children is among the most serious responsibilities entrusted to public school leadership. Parents want to trust districts to protect and educate their children, but it’s not easy to trust them when the parents have to act as the quality-control mechanism for which materials are available to their children in a school library. To be perfectly clear: when the Department receives credible allegations that a district has failed to comply with its statutory responsibilities, I will use the authority provided by law to the fullest extent.”
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT and INAPPROPRIATE content has NO PLACE in Florida schools.
Florida school districts will be held ACCOUNTABLE for failing to protect our children from this type of content.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. pic.twitter.com/nCP8Lhw0cZ
— Florida Department of Education (@EducationFL) September 23, 2026
A report from Live Action said, “Sexually explicit books find their way into K-12 schools through multiple avenues, including the [American Library Association’s] recommended book lists sent to libraries across the country. In addition, programs and groups attempt to promote gender ideology, abortion, and more through lists like AFY’s ‘Hope in a Box,’ which claims to equip ‘K-12 educators with LGBTQ-inclusive curricula, training and mentorship’ through a ‘curated book list, curriculum guides, and toolkits’ sent to schools across the country, including Florida.”
The same fight also has been developing in Texas, Utah and other states.
In fact, Live Action said it has confirmed books being promoted by various organizations for children include “graphic or gratuitous violence; explicit sexual nudity; graphic depictions of sexual activities, shockingly profane, sexual, or obscene content to denigrate or ridicule revered religious figures, symbols, or texts; and reference or links to BDSM, sex toys, kinks and fetishes, animal cruelty, cannibalism, body horror/gore and violence; explicit descriptions or depictions of aberrant sexual activities including sexual assault, battery, bestiality, or sadomasochistic abuse. ”
