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Northview Teacher, School Board Chair Call For Review Of Over 100 ‘Obscene’ Books; School Board To Address Book Policy
September 27, 2022
The Language Arts Department chair at Northview High School and the chairman of the Escambia County School Board are calling for the immediate removal of over 115 books from school libraries until they can be reviewed.
Both are clear they are not out to randomly ban books.
Vicki Baggett has taught for over 30 years, with the last two decades at Northview. She’s compiled a growing list of 116 books that she says are inappropriate in schools, mostly due to sexual language and graphic drawings that she believes actually violate Florida’s obscenity laws.
She provided NorthEscambia.com with 14 pages listing the books available in Escambia County middle and high school libraries and cited hundreds of graphic and sexually explicit references. To see the book list, click or tap here.
Editor’s note: The remainder of this story includes content that some readers may find offensive or may not be appropriate for all ages.
Many of the books books on her list contain graphic and descriptive sexual language, include pedophilia and bestiality. One book uses the F-word 116 times. The are numerous books containing underage sex, what she termed “alternate sexualties”, “explicit violent content”, self-mutilation, suicide, rape, racism, and graphic drawings.
“I have asked the superintendent to quarantine or remove from circulation the challenged books until a review consistent with state statute is conducted,” School Board Chairman Kevin Adams said of Baggett’s list.
So far, that has not happened.
“The School Board has the authority to remove books from its libraries; however, it cannot do so simply because it disagrees with the message of a book or it offends the personal morals of an individual,” School Board General Counsel Ellen Odom said in an emailed statement on Monday. “Through the review process, if the School Board determines that a particular book is pornographic or obscene, is not suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material presented, is inappropriate for the grade level and age group for which the material is used, or is factually inaccurate or misleading, it can direct the removal of such book.”
Adams and Baggett both said it’s not a matter of banning books based upon their personal beliefs; rather, it’s a matter of using tax money to purchase obscene material and taking away parental choice. Both said parents have the right to allow their children access to the books through the public library or bookstores.
Several of the books are winners of major literary awards and accolades, but both said the books need to be reviewed to determine if they are age-appropriate for middle or high school readers.
“The biggest thing is we have to ensure children cannot access age inappropriate material without parental approval,” Adams said. “We have to respect parental rights.”
Adams pointed out that every Escambia County school student receives a library card for the West Florida Public Libraries, and some of the books can be accessed at those public libraries. “Would I advocate that? No. But they can,” he said.
“We have a rating system for everything. We have a rating system for movies. We have a rating system for music. Why don’t we have a rating system for books? We can even do that in the library,” Baggett.
The Escambia County School Board has scheduled a special workshop for 8 a.m. on October 10 to discuss a revised school library collection development policy and educational media review policy to ensure consistency with a recently passed state law, HB 1467, which requires school districts to be transparent in the selection of instructional materials, including library and reading materials.
To see the book list, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com will continue to follow this story.
Comments
47 Responses to “Northview Teacher, School Board Chair Call For Review Of Over 100 ‘Obscene’ Books; School Board To Address Book Policy”
Books are Kryptonite for most people who don’t want to read or can’t read. The TV shows, the movies, the video games should be censored. But in today’s world everything is upside down. Good is bad and Bad is good.
You think it’s bad now think again !!! It’s gonna get a lot worse as it goes !!!to prove I’m right ya got think about how it got to where it is now!!!! Like I said worse is on the way !!! A lot of people say a lot of different things thinking they are right!!! Funny thing is ya never know for sure !!! Example look what is happening now!!! Cry fuss fight cuss you aren’t making decisions someone else is always !!! To prove it look at what is happening now!!!!! Enough said!!!!
@DB. I’m sure you realize that many posts on Northescambia would have been considered inappropriate for public consumption just a generation ago. Stories involving drugs, alcohol, rape, abuse, often in more detail than we want to know, are common. My opinion is that Northescambia does a good job of reporting without sensationalizing these topics. However, sadly, these are real events and to hide from them would be foolish if not irresponsible. Shame on us if we candy coat reality and expect our kids to be prepared for the future.
Hey “T”
It’s “you’re” not your.
Just saying.
Np630ss your spot on. Except one thing. Thomas Jefferson was a liberal. These are left wing fanatics.
Liberals tossed GOD out of schools claiming children were “being indoctrinated to an intolerant religion”. Once the dust had settled, they attempted to March in the drag queens, claiming “”exposure to multi-faceted life styles”. Liberals thre out Dr.Suess claiming racial remarks. Liberals then sought to fill school libraries with soft porn, claiming “exposure to natural biological tendencies.”
Really? Sounds more like moral subversion to me.
Those who want their religious morality universally applied haven’t ever been in a situation where they were a minority. Your kids don’t have to read those books for, but they don’t have to be banned for everyone. Book burning is as fascist as Hitler and absurd in todays day and age.
I meant “DON’T cram unnecessary propaganda on children. Sorry.
See Jane run (and not away from rapist, murderers, pediphiles, etc.). See Dick play
(Not with murderers, rapist, pedphiles or them selves). See spot jump…etc., etc., etc.
These are the books we learned from “lN SCHOOL”!
Yes, there were pictures! But not sexual, sexuality, perverted, gross pics in the content! Just everyday, normal words and pics! U might say I was sheltered but, I didn’t even hear about sexual content in children’s stories until in college and the only reason I read that is because the teacher had us read it! AND, it sounded like a normal story to me (it was about Hansel and Gretel) until the teacher started making it sexual! Did I handle it, yes, because I was in college! Do I understand way he did it? Maybe to make a “NEW” point to those of us who never looked at it like that…a different perspective? Maybe. Do I care, NO! Why? Because I was more of an adult and could accept the thought differently than an elementary, jr. high, high school students can or do! Most kids learn things for themselves, eventually!
Teach what they need to know to be able to make a decent living and to be able to socialize with others. Do cram unnecessary propaganda on children.
@Rediculous…Funny u say that but, the “select few” are what got the books there in the first place!
Molino resident, you hit the nail on the head, but these parents wont admit that TV and phones are more of a problem than books because that would take away their free babysitting. Most kids don’t even want to read, but give them a cell phone and they’ll be engrossed for hours.
Concerned mom, the graphic novel you’re referring to shouldn’t be in any library, I agree on that one. But have you seen her issues with the other 119 books? Some are miniscule problems such as cursing, being gay, etc. Your kids curse, kids are gay, kids do bad things, reading it in a book isn’t going to change that, especially when they see it on TV and their phone 24/7. Read the other books, not just the graphic novel posted on Facebook. We can’t and shouldn’t eliminate every single book that may have one line in that goes against our values. That’s childish.
Harmless??? Jumping to conclusions??? Williams story started out… “stories and descriptions from the books are so explicit that our policies won’t let us print them here.”
Cultural Marxisim is what we are facing. Along with a dumbed down populace. We own the school books. Tax payers. Remember always. There are more of us than them. In a sane society this argument would be over. We must be heard. Proactivly protect the kids. The left wants them badly. Just like the comments here. Everything is curated. Editorialized. So what’s wrong with looking at what’s in the libraries that we own?
@librarian your saying no need to take away access from other students? So a book with graphic color illustrations that show a young girl being raped by an old man while being held down by another woman should be in a public school library???? We are not talking about censorship here! These books on her list have no business in a school. Some of these books are basically porn!
Not going to argue with anyone but there is a big difference from censorship and grooming your children. Wake up!
To those who yell Fascism. Ok, why not have Playboy and PlayGirl in the elementary schools. There have always been limits on free speech issues. You cant yell fire in a theater. The Govt is not saying they can read them, just saying we are not going to provide them at public school level.
Kids nowadays see and do far worse than these books will. Social media is nothing but a cesspool but y’all don’t mind your kids being on there 24/7. You can turn your TV’s on at any point in the day or night and hear far worse language and see nothing but sex of every orientation. I don’t think these books are probably even read by the students and if they are they can’t be as bad as what’s right in front of your kids at every waking moment.
What about the Bible? Rape, incest, violence, graphic imagery.
REGARDING:
“Censorship is facism. Think! It’s still legal.”
Let’s check with my buddy, Wiki:
Fascism (get the spelling right if you’re gonna use it to condemn something, dhg) is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation and race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy.
None of that includes censorship although one would expect dictatorships to use it. Let’s check further. We check Oxford Languages for censorship:
the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.
Notice fascists might use it, but they don’t exclusively use it. So they definitely are not one and the same. Has Vicki suppressed or prohibited anything by advising against buying and/or supplying any of the books? Kevin Adams even points out other sources for them.
Agree or disagree, I’m unconvinced she has shown herself a fascist. Publish the list and historically you will push sales and reading of the given books.
David for good books
It should be left up to the parents on what the children read. Banning books gets you nowhere. The students will just get it from somewhere else if they really want to read said book. Society has really gone downhill with all of this nonsense.
Won’t someone please think of the children!
Books depicting sex scenes or using exceedingly vulgar language or containing excessive violence don’t belong in a public school.
If parents are concerned with the books their child is reading in the school library, the parent simply contacts the school to have it added to their account that they cannot check out that book. It’s that simple.
If parents are concerned about these books, just request that be done.
There is no need to take away access from other students whose parents do not want to discourage their children’s freedom to thought. Censorship undermines students learning how to think for themselves. There are many students who want to know about as many viewpoints as possible.
Censorship is facism. Think! It’s still legal.
I doubt that she read 120 books.
Stacy, you’re exactly right. Some of these people want to complain about everything except the things that go on in their own home. Check your kids phones, it’s far worse than these books.
Does Mrs. Baggett still teach Romeo and Juliet? If so, how is that okay? It seems to go against everything she hates in these other books. Juliet was 13, had sex with 16 year old Romeo after being with him for just a few short days, then they commit suicide. Sounds an awful lot like the books she wants banned.
Safebear on September 27th, 2022 9:10 am
“You want to trust your kids with guns but you can’t trust them with books?”
Please give us an example of how “You” (reader) want to trust kids with guns.
I personally don’t think individuals should be able to legally purchase guns until age 21 regardless of the fact that years ago 18 year-olds had guns. An 18-year-old in the military may have access to guns, depending on job position, but does not own the gun.
Have a nice day!
“it cannot do so simply because it disagrees with the message of a book or it offends the personal morals of an individual,”
All while so many other things have been taken away or out of schools because it offends a few! Rules and laws apply in some cases but not others! This has nothing to do with this teacher’s personal beliefs but rather consistently doing the job to protect the children under all circumstances, not some!
First, wow though I’m not surprised how so many turn this political right away. Second, these books are surely harmless compared to what your kids watch on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook or the slew of other apps today which certainly isn’t monitored by parents daily. A mature student that is reading this material will understand the literary sense of it and not take it as a secret indoctrination by Tim.
@TEM
” He is a Liberal Transplant…”
Dr. Timothy A Smith is a registered Republican in Escambia County.
We will win. Keep up the good fight ppl. Parents stay strong against the left. They wont let up.
Thank You . Please get this stuff Along with the Selected Tim Smith out of the Schools . He is a Liberal Transplant and it will only get worse …
You want to trust your kids with guns but you can’t trust them with books? Can we get a written book report from all those who are going to “review” anything. Talk about taking away freedoms….
We are getting exactly what we asked for when we went to an appointed superintendent from Va. I doubt these shenanigans’ would happen with an elected superintendent.
Thanks to all who have the courage to stand against stupidity and waste of other people’s money.
Does anyone really believe the superintendent will willing remove these type of books?
Fascism at our doorsteps
Everyone jumping to conclusions. You don’t even list any of these banned books. Going off one person’s personal beliefs because that is exactly what this is, ONE teacher’s personal beliefs. Hopefully this won’t be a ridiculous war against ‘wokeness’ again and allow kids and parents to have their own discussion on what is appropriate for them and not ban books based on narrow religious beliefs of a select few.
Thank you Mrs.Vicki Baggett for bringing this to everyone’s attention.We were shocked to learn that those books were in the school libraries.Now it’s time to get them out.
Thank you Ms. Baggett! We need more people like you looking out for our children and our rights as parents. God bless you and your efforts to protect students from the political agenda that is seeping into the public government schools.
Who is responsible for purchasing and choosing those books ?
I hope Desantis knows about this. If he doesn’t he WILL find out and it’s gonna b somebody’s hiney. Just say no to WOKE!! MATT GAETS AND MICHELLE SALZMAN GO GETTEM PEEPS!!
I Don’t have faith in our school board and superintendent to make the right decision.
Thank you Mrs. Baggett, for taking a stand for our children and taxpayers. As a parent, I am incredibly thankful for teachers that look out for the best interest of ALL children, and there is no reason a middle school or high school student should need to read a book with that content for any school-related project/research. As a taxpayer, I do NOT want my tax dollars wasted on books that are this graphic/vulgar. This decision should be left up to each parent, who can purchase the material if they want their child to read, not at the taxpayer’s expense. I believe our county has a list of things these funds if utilized correctly, would better serve the community.
How and why are those books in the schools to begin with???? That is unacceptable!
Good, these books belong in a public library or college, not our kid’s schools. A don’t put much merit in these being ‘award’ winning books. In today’s culture Wokism is celebrated and rewarded but doesn’t mean it’s true or something that should be taught to kids and not in the state of Florida. If these books do nothing to elevate the education of our youth it doesn’t belong in the system. More education, less indoctrination.
Finally, Some common sense!