Massive book dumping at Florida’s New College raises controversy

The New College of Florida is facing intense criticism after reports surfaced about hundreds of books being removed from its library collection and discarded. Local activist group, Social Equity Through Education Alliance (SEE), was alerted on a Thursday by a concerned student who had witnessed what they estimated to be thousands of books being dumped into a dumpster behind the college library.

Executive Director of SEE, Zander Moricz, expressed frustration, stating, “We basically tried to communicate to officials that there were educational nonprofits and shelters that were immediately willing to bring trucks and save all of the books … and officials refused.” He emphasized the variety of the discarded materials, noting that many titles included Bibles, works by Black and Latin authors, stories from women, LGBTQ+ narratives, and trans stories. Moricz remarked, “It sends the message that New College of Florida wants to send stories of gender and diversity to the dump, and it was so heartbreaking and also very frustrating.”

A spokesperson for New College responded to the backlash, explaining that the removal of library materials is part of a “longstanding annual procedures for weeding its collection.” This process involves getting rid of items that are outdated, damaged, or no longer needed by the college.

The statement clarified, “The images seen online of a dumpster of library materials is related to the standard weeding process.” It also pointed out that Florida state law prohibits New College from selling, donating, or transferring these materials—many of which were purchased with state funds. The college noted that deselected items are typically handled through a recycling process when feasible.

According to the college’s explanation, some of the discarded books were linked to a Gender Studies program that has since been discontinued. New College stated that these books were primarily donations and not part of any official inventory. When no one retrieved them from the program’s former space, the college left them outside.

New College, a public liberal arts institution located in Sarasota, has recently come under scrutiny as part of Governor Ron DeSantis’ broader initiative against what he has termed “woke” ideologies in education. DeSantis has taken proactive measures to reshape the college’s reputation, including overhauling the Board of Trustees and replacing faculty members he deemed too liberal.

In a statement made in August 2023, DeSantis highlighted the Board of Trustees’ actions aimed at eliminating perceived indoctrination and indicated a refocusing on traditional educational values. Some of the materials discarded by the college were associated with the recently terminated Gender Studies programs that fell under DeSantis’ appointed Trustees.

Florida’s administration has faced mounting criticism for its stance on educational content, particularly legislation that seeks to limit discussions around race and gender issues. The Parental Rights in Education Bill and the Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act reflect these efforts, restricting the teaching of LGBTQ identities and critical race theory in schools.

The American Library Association and advocacy groups such as PEN America have reported a significant increase in attempts to ban books across the state since the introduction of these laws. In the first half of the 2023-2024 school year alone, Florida recorded an astonishing 3,135 attempts to ban materials, according to PEN America.

Local communities, including parents, students, and activists, are responding to these restrictions with their own counter-campaigns aimed at promoting banned books. Many have started initiatives to advocate for the reading and availability of literature that has been targeted for censorship.

Gov. DeSantis later signed a bill in April aiming to limit the number of objections to book materials that can be filed by individuals without children in the affected school districts. Nonetheless, parents of children currently enrolled in the districts can still challenge an unlimited number of materials.

DeSantis’ office defended these changes by asserting they protect schools from disruptions caused by activists attempting to politicize the process of reviewing educational materials.

Despite the controversy, Moricz and several other SEE activists managed to salvage some of the discarded books, noting, “These were readable books…Books that could have been used, and it’s truly unforgivable.” The entire incident has sparked ongoing discussions about educational freedom, censorship, and the treatment of diverse narratives in schools.

Source: ABC News