Hillsborough schools superintendent faces criticism over broad library book removals
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The leader of Hillsborough County's school district is set to face state regulators on Wednesday, but he's also facing tough questions at home, including from the school board.
Why it matters: Superintendent Van Ayres, with the district under state scrutiny over library books some argue are age-inappropriate, recently opted to remove 600 titles from circulation, per the Tampa Bay Times.
- The titles comprise all books that have been placed on a removal list by any Florida county in the last two years, the Times reports.
Catch up quick: Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. in May sent the Hillsborough district a letter accusing it of offering "pornographic and inappropriate" books in its libraries.
- The district faced similar accusations from Attorney General James Uthmeier, who in a letter demanded the materials be removed and threatened legal action.
Zoom in: The books identified by Diaz were "Call Me by Your Name" and "Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts)," both of which are celebrated novels about LGBTQ+ characters.
- The books have also been criticized by conservative groups and some parents for sexual content they argue is inappropriate for minors.
The big picture: Book bans have sparked culture-war controversy nationwide, especially as critics note that stories about people of color and LGBTQ+ characters are frequent targets.
Friction point: School board members at a meeting this week said they were blindsided by Ayres' removal of such a large number of library books, per the Times.
- "You did not engage with parents. You did not engage with our PTA. You did not engage with the union," Member Nadia Combs said. "You did not engage with your supervisors or your lead librarians, and I was not informed at all."
- Members were also critical of the cost of reviewing the removed books, which Ayres estimated at $345,000.
The other side: "I needed to ensure that we don't have inappropriate materials in libraries, and that's my ultimate responsibility," Ayres told the board.
What's next: Ayres will be in Miami on Wednesday morning to appear before the State Board of Education.