New College throws out LGBTQ+ literature
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New College of Florida threw out hundreds of library books, including some about LGBTQ+ topics and gender studies, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports.
Why it matters: The college is the epicenter of Florida's conservative overhaul of higher education — and this episode is the latest in a yearslong push to distance the institution from its progressive reputation.
Zoom in: The discarded titles include "Nine and Counting: The Women of the Senate" and "When I Knew," an anthology about when LGBTQ+ people became aware of their sexuality, per the Herald-Tribune.
- Some of the books came from New College's shuttered Gender and Diversity Center. Local activists salvaged a handful of books, but some titles showed visible water damage from Tropical Storm Debby.
The other side: New College spokesperson Nathan March told the Herald-Tribune that the college had removed the books as part of a routine "weeding" process and that students had a chance to claim them.
Reality check: The "weeding" process, however, occurred before most students returned to campus.
- Several students said they weren't told the books were available to claim.
Friction point: March also suggested New College wasn't allowed to donate the books.
- However, the Herald-Tribune found that state statutes do, in fact, allow universities to transfer books to other government entities or nonprofits.
What they're saying: "This is not merely an administrative oversight," says Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. "It is an intentional act of censorship that strikes at the heart of our democratic values."