Kyle Lukoff’s Call Me Max and Jazz Jennings’s I Am Jazz, which both feature transgender main characters, were removed from school libraries in Palm Beach County, Florida, without review. NCAC has written to the district urging them to immediately return the books to library shelves.
The removal was purportedly in compliance with Florida House Bill 1557 which was recently signed into law. H.B. 1557 states that “[c]lassroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
However, the law applies only to classroom instruction and says nothing about school library materials. Therefore, there is no statutory authority for removing the two books from district libraries.
Community members or employees are permitted to challenge a book if they have a concern about its appropriateness for students. But all challenges must be processed according to board policies to ensure that all stakeholders feel heard and that all participants believe that the process is fair, open, and comprehensive. NCAC is therefore calling on the district to immediately return Call Me Max and I Am Jazz to library shelves.
Read our letter to the district below. Click here for a full screen view: