It was only after Michelle DiBias’ comment that gay characters were “morally damning to students” became public that the Duval County school district supervisor of instructional materials and media services felt the need to resign.
Had Jacksonville Today not become aware of DiBias’ comments, she would have continued to ban and return books she felt were, as she said, “teaching a lifestyle contrary to the design of humanity.”
In a review of Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World, a book about a young girl who develops a crush on another girl, DiBias recommended it be removed from all shelves, according to notes from 2022 obtained by Jacksonville Today.
RELATED STORY: Just in time for ‘Literacy Week,’ Florida teachers are told to hide books or face felony prosecution
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Wednesday, Jacksonville Today reached out to Duval Schools to discuss some of the comments by DiBias, and within hours, the book reviewer announced to coworkers that she’d be resigning.
“I am hoping to stay with DCPS in some capacity. It is a step of faith, so I do not know at all what that capacity is yet,” she wrote.
Duval County is currently reviewing all of its 1.6 million books, leaving only about 10,000 books in circulation.
Starting at the end of January, teachers across Florida have reported having to cover, hide, or remove certain books from their classrooms.
Daily Kos reported on Manatee County on Jan. 23 after principals in Manatee County were told that teachers must secure “unvetted” books in their classroom libraries or face felony prosecution—this just a week before the state’s annual Literacy Week.
One Florida teacher at the time turned to Facebook, writing, "My heart is broken for Florida students today as I am forced to pack up my classroom library.”
Another 18-year veteran teacher tweeted, “Receiving notice today that classroom libraries are to be dismantled is a travesty to education, the future of our children, and our nation.”
The policy relates to Florida Republican fascist Gov. Ron DeSantis’ infamous “Stop W.O.K.E. Act,” which was signed into law in March 2022.
Duval County schools have taken DeSantis’ edict farther than most other districts.
“For a bill that was supposed to bring transparency to the classroom, it’s really just bringing utter chaos,” Duval Superintendent Diana Greene said in February. “I don’t blame our district or have any ill will toward our district; they’re really just trying to protect their teachers and they’re scrambling as quickly as they can to be in compliance.”
Under DiBias’ leadership, 46 titles have been returned to distributors. And unlike many of the other reviewers the district uses, DiBias’ comments have been uniquely contradictory.
In a book about the Stonewall Riots, the uprising at a New York bar that is recognized as the start of the LGBTQ civil rights movement, DiBias said about the book: “[it] does not depict the hard-working, intelligent gay people who have jobs, marriages and are model citizens.” She also wrote: “This book is not appropriate for any group of students. Remove it from all schools.”
Jacksonville Today reports that the book was returned to the distributor and cannot be found in any online searches or at any Duval County schools. In fact, Stonewall Jackson, the racist Confederate general, is the only mention of “Stonewall” found in online catalogs.
The instances of DiBias’ anti-LGBTQ sentiments are ubiquitous and in conflict with the American Library Association (ALA) and its “code of ethics” when selecting materials, Hilda Weisburg told Jacksonville Today.
“Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” And when it comes to the reviews DiBias made about LGBTQ characters, Weisburg added, “It seems to me that pretending someone isn’t there won’t make them cease to exist, but it will cause harm.”
Last December, Pen America wrote that 176 books were banned in Duval County, part of the Essential Voices Classroom Libraries Collection that was bought by the county in 2021.
Pen America writes that the collection “features characters representing a variety of ethnicities, religious affiliations, and gender identities.”
Florida’s attack on education doesn’t end with books. It also includes a ban on teaching about Black American history and all discussions about the LGBTQ community.
On Jan. 12, DeSantis wrote a rejection letter to the state college board nixing a new high school Advanced Placement African American Studies course, which his office claims also violates the “Stop W.O.K.E.” Act.
The letter read in part, “as presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.”
DeSantis has continued to refute the reality that books in his state are being banned by his bills, even calling it a “hoax.”
This despite the video posted online by substitute teacher Brian Covey, a video that has been viewed over 13 million times.