Pinellas school committee finds novel ‘Invisible Monsters’ pornographic
LARGO — The novel “Invisible Monsters” by author Chuck Palahniuk will no longer be allowed in Pinellas County schools.
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, a committee of parents and educators deemed the novel about a teen model who struggles with her looks and identity after being disfigured by a gunshot to the face to be pornographic according to Florida law.
“That means the book must be removed from all district schools,” said Jennifer Dull, the district chief strategy officer who served as the committee’s non-voting chairperson.
It had been in the library of East Lake High, where it had not been checked out since 2014. A copy at Clearwater High was listed as lost since 2011. The district purchased about 10 additional copies to have enough for the committee and staff to read.
The committee acted on an objection by school board member Stephanie Meyer, who did not attend the hearing, held in the school board’s regular meeting room. She submitted a written statement which Dull read aloud.
In the statement, Meyer said the book included graphic depictions of sex, drug use and illegal activity, stating, “There is no context in which any of this material could be suitable for children.”
The committee agreed. Members said it was explicit and inappropriate for middle and high school students. It could be found in four public libraries if someone wanted it, they noted.
“I really wanted to find the redeeming value,” said committee member Courtney Howard, an East Lake High parent. “I really wanted that to outweigh the extreme drug use, sexual references.”
But in the end, she said, it just kept coming back to content that’s “unnecessary for minors.”
About two dozen members of the public came to watch the discussion, including school board candidates Danielle Marolf, who is challenging incumbent Laura Hine, and Stacy Geier, who is running for the seat being vacated by Carol Cook.
