Florida School District to Re-shelve Banned LGBTQ+ Books After Lawsuit Settlement

A northeast Florida school district will restore three dozen LGBTQ+ themed books to its libraries following a lawsuit settlement with students and parents. The plaintiffs contended that the district unlawfully restricted access to these books. The agreement ends one of many disputes over book bans in the state.

A school district in northeast Florida has agreed to return three dozen LGBTQ+ themed books to its libraries as part of a settlement reached on Thursday. The lawsuit, filed by students and parents, argued that the district unlawfully limited access to these titles.

The settlement requires the Nassau County School Board to specifically restore books like "And Tango Makes Three," a children's book about two male penguins raising a chick together. The book's authors, Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, were among the plaintiffs in the case against the district located about 35 miles northeast of Jacksonville.

This suit is one of several challenges to book bans following legislation signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, which makes it easier to challenge educational materials labeled as pornographic or obscene. Six major publishers and several authors have also filed a federal lawsuit, arguing the law violates First Amendment rights.

Renowned authors including Toni Morrison, Khaled Hosseini, and Jodi Picoult had their works removed from libraries but will now see them reinstated. Under the settlement, the district conceded that "And Tango Makes Three" is not obscene and suitable for all students.

Attorney Lauren Zimmerman celebrated the decision, stating it will broaden students' access to diverse and acclaimed literary works. Brett Steger, representing the school district, did not respond to requests for comment.

(With inputs from agencies.)