JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School Board voted Tuesday to permanently remove a challenged book about sexual abuse from high school shelves.
“Identical” by Ellen Hopkins was the first library book challenged under Florida Statute 1006.28.
According to Hopkins’ website, “Identical” discusses identical twins whose father is sexually abusing one of them. The book’s publisher, Simon and Schuster, recommends it for grades 9 and up.
The debate over the book became a little tense during public comment as people voiced their opinions representing different sides of the issue.
Most speakers were opposed to reinstating the book, but there was a handful of people who argued that not reinstating the book would be considered book banning.
“Sixteen months ago, a CDF member was escorted out of this building by five DCPS police officers. His crime? Reading from a book in Duval public schools,” Kathleen Murray with Citizen’s Defending Freedom said. “Two weeks ago, a committee of quote randomly selected volunteers voted unanimously to both restore the book to the shelves and add to the offices of guidance counselors.”
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“While I hope the board recommends the book ‘Identical’ to be reinstated to our school library. I also know that there is no need for there to be a review committee in the first place. All parents already have the right to opt out of any book,” Mandy Rubin said.
The District Material Review Committee recommended restoring the book to high school libraries and adding it to high school guidance offices.
The committee considered several options in addition to its recommendation, including restoring the book behind a circulation desk, permanently removing it from Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) libraries and materials, or restoring it in the collection of DCPS libraries and materials.
News4JAX reached out to the book’s publisher for a statement on the board’s decision. We are waiting to hear back.
