The Indian River County School Board recently sparked national attention by banning the book “Ban This Book.”
Jennifer Pippin, president of the local Moms for Liberty chapter, led the effort to ban the book citing concerns over sexual content. However, “Ban This Book” itself contains no such content.
The children’s novel tells the story of a fictional fourth grader who covertly creates a library of banned books after the school board removes numerous titles from shelves. The tale’s rogue librarian is eventually caught and comes to realize the consequences of her actions.
Pippin objected to the book due to its references to other works that allegedly include sexual themes. Despite these books not being available in Indian River County schools, three out of five board members found these references problematic.
Kevin McDonald, recently appointed to the board by the Governor, argued that students can access these other books elsewhere once they become aware of them. McDonald and two of his colleagues also had additional concerns about “Ban This Book,” viewing its storyline as potentially encouraging rebellion against school board authority.
The decision to remove “Ban This Book” from school libraries was supported by board members Gene Posca and Jacqueline Rosario, resulting in a narrow 3-2 vote in favor of the ban. Earlier, McDonald had advocated following the recommendations of a minority faction within the school advisory panel that opposed the book, contradicting the majority’s stance to retain it.
Critics argue that banning a book merely because it challenges authority is akin to authoritarianism.
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