theory” or broadly limit discussions of systemic racism in K-12. For instance, Tennessee banned material that makes students feel “discomfort” due to their race, which prompted one county to remove a famous graphic novel about the Holocaust (Maus) in early 2022. Similar statutes in Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina and others led teachers to self-censor discussions on slavery or civil rights, fearing punishment if a parent complains.
Florida’s “Stop W.O.K.E. Act”: Officially the Individual Freedom Act of 2022, it prohibits schools (and even corporate employee trainings) from teaching certain concepts related to race and gender, such as the idea that anyone is inherently racist due to their race. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis championed this as preventing “woke indoctrination.” In practice, it has curtailed frank teaching of U.S. history. (A federal judge partially blocked the law in colleges, calling the state’s attempt to censor professors “positively dystopian” washingtonpost.com , but in K-12 it remains largely in effect.) Florida teachers report having to skip or sanitize lessons on civil rights to avoid violating the act.
“Parental Rights in Education” (Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law): Enacted in 2022 and expanded in 2023, this law forbids instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in younger grades (originally K–3, now effectively K–12 after a state board rule) unless “age-appropriate.” While ostensibly about curriculum, it has created a chilling effect far beyond formal lessons. Teachers have removed rainbow safe-space stickers from classrooms and avoided any mention of having a same-sex spouse, lest they be accused of violating the law. In May 2023, a Florida fifth-grade teacher, Jenna Barbee, was investigated by the state Department of Education for showing a Disney animated movie, “Strange World,” which features a gay character theguardian.com . Barbee had parental permission slips to show the PG-rated film (it tied into an Earth science lesson), and the gay subplot was minor. Yet a parent on the local school board (a Moms for Liberty member) reported her for “indoctrination”. Barbee found herself under official inquiry for possibly violating the Parental Rights law theguardian.com . State investigators even pulled her 10- and 11-year-old students out of class for questioning, without parental consent, which Barbee said was traumatizing kids who didn’t even understand what the fuss was about theguardian.com . “Do you know the trauma this is going to cause some of my students?” she said in a TikTok video defending herself, calling the probe absurd and intimidating theguardian.com . Barbee’s case shows how even mild inclusivity can be construed as unlawful, putting teachers at risk of discipline or even felony charges (Florida officials have reminded teachers that distributing “harmful” materials – a term undefined – can be a third-degree felony) washingtonpost.com . Many Florida educators now err on the side of removing anything that could remotely provoke a complaint – a classic chilling effect on speech.
Mandatory Book Vetting and Library Purges: Florida’s House Bill 1467 (2022) imposed strict rules on school libraries and classroom books. It requires every book to be pre-approved by a certified media specialist and easily searchable in a public database. Any book unreviewed or flagged by a parent must be covered or removed until vetted. The implementation of this law in early 2023 led to viral images of empty shelves. In one Jacksonville middle school, teachers were told to pack up or block access to classroom libraries until books could be reviewed for compliance. A substitute teacher, Brian Covey, posted a video on Twitter in January 2023 showing row upon row of barren bookshelves at his school’s library – the result of a hasty removal of all unapproved books washingtonpost.com . Covey captioned it with dismay, comparing it to dystopian novels he read as a student washingtonpost.com . The video garnered millions of views and became a flashpoint.