Stephen King book collection on library bookshelf – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Ned Snowman
Horror novelist Stephen King, who is highly regarded, responded angrily when he learned that Florida had prohibited 23 of his books from being used in school libraries.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida enacted legislation in 2022 prohibiting the use of any form of sexually explicit literature in school textbooks. Organizations such as Moms for Liberty voiced complaints, which influenced the outcome. Republicans like Ron DeSantis have claimed that the legislation keeps kids from reading books that aren’t appropriate for their age. However, opponents see the legislation as an attempt to silence discussion about racial and LGBTQ+ issues in public schools, raising fears that it may censor a wide range of subjects.
Now, six large book companies have sued the state of Florida following the allegedly hundreds of volumes being removed from school libraries. The lawsuit, which claims that Florida’s statute infringes on First Amendment rights to free speech, was filed on Thursday by Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, and Sourcebooks.
King has a history of expressing his social and political views on social media. On Saturday, he responded to news that his books had been banned and that the lawsuit also included him.
“23 of my works are now prohibited in Florida. What the f*** is that?” The writer posted on X, which was formerly Twitter. As of the publication of this article, 12.5 million people had seen his post.
This post, like the majority of King’s writings, has generated controversy. A few people expressed their dissatisfaction of the ban and support for King.
“MAGA: “Reading can be harmful. It’s similar to math, but with letters,” an individual said.
Should this be the Collier County Public Schools prohibition, then it would seem that Updike, Hemingway, Vonnegut, Neil Gaiman, Arthur C. Clarke, and books such as Catch-22 and Brave New World have also been prohibited. Another person responded, “Mr. King, you’re in great company.”
Barbie Harden Hall, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress, wrote, “We’re working on taking back Florida and making sure they keep their bans off our bodies AND our books!”
Some, though, have backed the prohibition of King’s works, with one commenting, “Babe, elementary school kids don’t need to be reading The Shining.” It’s not a personal matter. Parenting is involved.”
Another person questioned, “Did they develop a sense of taste?”
Since the book ban went into effect in July 2023, a number of novels have been removed from school libraries, including Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl, Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. The publishers claim that well-known modern novels by authors like Judy Blume, Margaret Atwood, and Stephen King have also been eliminated.
The “sweeping book removal provisions” of House Bill 1069, which mandated that school districts set up a system for parents to object to anything they judged unsuitable or pornographic, are the target of the historic lawsuit. The Authors Guild and a number of individual writers are also named as plaintiffs in the action.
Dan Novack, vice president and associate general counsel of Penguin Random House, said in a statement that “Florida HB 1069’s complex and overbroad provisions have created chaos and turmoil across the state, resulting in thousands of historic and modern classics, works we are proud to publish, being unlawfully labeled obscene and removed from shelves.”
“In order for students to learn and develop, they must have access to literature that depict a variety of human situations. Allowing teachers and librarians to use their professional skills to match our writers’ works to the right reader at the right moment in their lives is crucial for the education of our youth.”
According to the case, the book removal requirements go against previous Supreme Court decisions that held that works should be evaluated for their literary, artistic, political, and scientific worth while also taking into account any possible obscenity.
But according to the BBC, representatives from Florida have dismissed the complaint as a “stunt” and disputed that the state had outlawed any books.
“In Florida, no books are prohibited. Schools should not teach or use sexually explicit materials or training, according to Sydney Booker, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Education.
A local teacher and PEN America filed a lawsuit earlier this year contesting the Escambia County School Board’s decision to remove some 200 books from school libraries, claiming that the action violated the students’ right to free speech and education. The school board, however, argues that it has the power to select books that are acceptable for pupils based on a Florida legislation that takes effect in 2023.
DeSantis addressed the book-banning proposal in a statement from March 2023: “Our state education standards in Florida are violated by pornographic and improper materials that have been smuggled into our classrooms and libraries to sexualize our youngsters. Since Florida is a state that prioritizes education, it is imperative that students receive a top-notch education free from harmful and age-inappropriate materials and sexualization.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
