22 of 23 Challenged Books Are Removed in Hernando County
Julia Thomas of Moms for Liberty had a smile on her face after the five-hour special School Board meeting May 7.
The Hernando County board had just adjourned after sweeping 22 of 23 books from the shelves of the libraries in Hernando County public schools.
Most of the book removal votes by the School Board were unanimous.
The only book kept on the shelves was “Spinning,” the autobiography of a female figure skater. The vote for that book was 3-2 to keep, with board members Mark Johnson and Shannon Rodriguez dissenting.
The district bought the book in 2019, Superintendent John Stratton said, and it had been checked out three times, the last time being in 2023.
Moms for Liberty satisfied
“We got 22 out of 23 books removed today and it was a major win,” Thomas said. She had filed all of the challenges.
Moms for Liberty member Monty Floyd said there would be as many as 100 more challenges coming.
He said that some books are, in effect, sprouting feet and “walking” from school libraries into teachers’ classrooms, where they are being discovered.
“The books find their way into certain classrooms,” Floyd said. “And they’re in the classrooms, and that’s how it’s grooming the kids.”