Judd Legum1. This man moved from New York to Florida a few months ago
Now he wants to ban 3600 BOOKS from the school libraries
And he's already made significant progress
Follow along if interested
🧵
2. This year, at least 102 books have been removed from the shelves of school libraries in Clay County Florida
Many of these books were pulled at the request of 1 man: Bruce Friedman
A conservative activist and longtime resident of New York, Friedman moved to Clay County in May
3. One of the books pulled from the shelves is The Girl From The Sea, an award-winning graphic novel.
The book is about a 15-year-old girl who develops romantic feelings for another girl.
The two girls hold hands and, at one point, share a kiss.
No sex. No nudity. No swearing
4. In an interview with Popular Information, Friedman described The Girl From The Sea as a book for "slightly post-pubescent little lesbians."
Friedman says he objects to the book being available because students are "not in school to learn how to be better lesbians."
5. The Girl From The Sea has been removed from Clay County school libraries because of a new policy, implemented in July, that requires books to be pulled as soon as a challenge has been properly filed.
Friedman has exploited this policy by flooding the district with challenges.
6. Popular Information has obtained dozens of Friedman's challenge forms through public information requests.
The forms are identical.
The reason for the request is to "PROTECT CHILDREN," the objectionable material is "INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT."
7. Friedman told Popular Information that, since June 30, he has "investigated between 5 and 10 thousand" books available in Clay County school libraries on "a very cursory level."
8. In an interview, Friedman acknowledged that he filed challenges over the summer WITHOUT READING THE CHALLENGED BOOKS.
Friedman said he has already filed more than 350 challenges.
9. Eventually, Clay County began to reject Freidman's challenges as incomplete because they do not include any real explanation of the objection.
But Friedman is undeterred and, in the hopes of getting more challenges accepted, said he has started reading the books first.
10. Friedman says he is just getting started.
During a November 28 meeting of the Florida Department of Education Library Media Working Group, Friedman said he had compiled "a list of over 3,600 titles that I believe have concerning content."
11. Friedman demanded that the Department of Education "clean up this mess." If not, Friedman threatened to "perform 3,600 challenges and overwhelm your awful, awful procedures and policies."
12. Friedman acknowledged he is not aware of any children who were exposed to objectionable content at a school library and had it negatively impact their lives.
"I don't have to know them," Friedman said. "It's all of them."
MORE: https://popular.info/p/how-to-ban-3600-books-from-school
How to ban 3600 books from school libraries
This year, at least 102 books have been removed from the shelves of school libraries in Clay County, Florida. Many of these books were pulled at the request of one man: Bruce Friedman. A conservative activist and longtime resident of New York, Friedman moved to Clay County this May.
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AnthonyUplandpoetWatkins@juddlegum
I like everything else I’m was gonna sign up until I saw the thing about more punctuation. What the hell does that mean? Is that some kind of elitist jab? No thanks.
I like everything else I’m was gonna sign up until I saw the thing about more punctuation. What the hell does that mean? Is that some kind of elitist jab? No thanks.
DwntwnT@AnthonyUplandpoetWatkins @juddlegum
??? I've been signed up for his newsletter for quite a while now. I dont recall anything weird about it. 🤔
??? I've been signed up for his newsletter for quite a while now. I dont recall anything weird about it. 🤔
Just going by the offensive description
@AnthonyUplandpoetWatkins offensive description of what please? Apologies, I'm back & forth between 4 sites at the moment ✌
@juddlegum
This post got me into a dog pile and then when I complained about it, I got threatened by mastodon so I guess you got a know where to pick your fights here.
This post got me into a dog pile and then when I complained about it, I got threatened by mastodon so I guess you got a know where to pick your fights here.
14. The actual standard for library books is established by a new Florida law, HB 1467
It states that library books must be free of pornography, suited to student needs, and appropriate for the age group
15. Friedman said he did not believe The Girl From The Sea is pornographic. But, according to Friedman, it should be removed from the school library because it is "in very poor taste" and "sets a terrible example for our children, straight or gay."
16. According to Friedman, the book promotes "promiscuity" and "pre-marital sex" when "we are supposed to be promoting abstinence."
Friedman cited the "Parental Rights Act," also known as the "Don't Say Gay" law, to justify these objections.
17. The Parental Rights Act, however, prohibits classroom instruction of elementary students about sexuality and gender. It does not apply to library books.
18. Despite this confusion about the legal standard, Friedman and others have already been able to PERMANENTLY remove dozens of books from Clay County school libraries.
Here's how it works.
How to ban 3600 books from school libraries
This year, at least 102 books have been removed from the shelves of school libraries in Clay County, Florida. Many of these books were pulled at the request of one man: Bruce Friedman. A conservative activist and longtime resident of New York, Friedman moved to Clay County this May.
19. Starting this year, groups like No Left Turn in Education began challenging library material en masse. School officials are fearful.
Since March, the county librarians have not been able to purchase any new material -- or even order new copies of books already on shelves
20. Under Clay County's July 2022 policy, any challenge should be reviewed by a District Curriculum Council, a rotating panel of school officials. But when challenges from Friedman and others started flooding in, the leadership of Clay County schools handled things differently
21. According to Julie Miller, the chair of the Clay County Education Association Media Committee, were pressured to determine if the books were eligible to be "weeded" or "deselected."
22. The librarians were also reminded that, under Florida law, they could potentially be held personally liable for making "pornographic" material available to minors.
23. This process resulted in Clay County librarians agreeing to weed or deselect 52 books from school libraries. These included acclaimed titles like Toni Morrison's Beloved, Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, and Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner.
How to ban 3600 books from school libraries
This year, at least 102 books have been removed from the shelves of school libraries in Clay County, Florida. Many of these books were pulled at the request of one man: Bruce Friedman. A conservative activist and longtime resident of New York, Friedman moved to Clay County this May.
24. Clay County schools have published a list of filed challenges, including those that librarians agreed to weed/deselect.
25. In response, Miller and some of her colleagues in Clay County libraries have resolved not to weed out or deselect any additional challenged books in Clay County because they believe the system is being abused.
Kim Spence-Jones #FBPE@juddlegum What a depressing thread!
26. That means Friedman's accepted challenges are now subject to review. So far Friedman has lost four of the five books that have been reviewed.
Friedman has vowed to appeal all rejections to the district superintendent and, if necessary, to the Clay County School Board.
27. has reason to believe that his appeals may be successful. Friedman says that we "got rid of two people" on the board who opposed his efforts. He was "extremely supportive of two newly elected board members that I think sufficiently leaned towards protecting children."
28. The goal, according to Friedman, is to use Clay County library to "set a good example for what a clean library looks like" for Florida and the country. If anyone gets in his way, Friedman vowed to "run over them like a dead body."
How to ban 3600 books from school libraries
This year, at least 102 books have been removed from the shelves of school libraries in Clay County, Florida. Many of these books were pulled at the request of one man: Bruce Friedman. A conservative activist and longtime resident of New York, Friedman moved to Clay County this May.
29. Thanks for making it this far!
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NorthernWolfie@juddlegum
My primary question is how is he getting this list of books? How does he know that these books are in the library, or is he just submitting objection forms hoping he gets lucky?
Seems like he's just shotgunning bullshit.
My primary question is how is he getting this list of books? How does he know that these books are in the library, or is he just submitting objection forms hoping he gets lucky?
Seems like he's just shotgunning bullshit.
Liz Ellis She/Her🌳@juddlegum This whole thread is one big argument for:
1. getting a hobby
2. making complaints processes evidence-based and robust
1. getting a hobby
2. making complaints processes evidence-based and robust
BrewingContemplations@LizEllisPhD @juddlegum yes, this. Wow, this thread was disgusting. One person 🤬
justmesayingmything@juddlegum As a native Floridian with school age children this infuriates me!! This school year has by far been the absolute worst, the few teachers that remain have one foot out the door and who could blame them. Does this guy even have a kid in school?
Beeks@juddlegum imaging living in Florida and not leaving 8 foot alligators in his house every day.
daniel@juddlegum It seems like the majority of these authors are POC, queer, women, or a combination of those. Like, almost entirely.
Deji@Deji it seems like it's specifically targeting authors with certain identities -- basically like pretty blatant discrimination that's barely concealed under claims about what is "appropriate."
@juddlegum disappointing to see a lengthy banned book list, but appreciate your sharing it. We've read a number - but additional books for me and my daughter to read.
Fenix🔥 Resistance Starts NOW
Meryem Fuat@juddlegum How does Friedman support himself and his family? Who’s paying for all this activism?
@Meryem_Fuat
This was my first thought, lol
This was my first thought, lol
MrLaCave 
@juddlegum Friedman is one of the rare cases where #CancelCulture is really appropriate...
Pamela Barroway – Biz Editor@juddlegum Just awful. I had lapsed my Friend of the Library membership during the pandemic and just renewed it earlier this year. I'm going over to their website right now to donate, and when I return the current book I'm reading I'm going to make a point of thanking the librarians.
@pineywoozle ‘s #3WordNote@juddlegum This isn't a bug of the new law, it's a feature. The plan was to make it easier for one crackpot to do this kind of crap.
Mi Lia@juddlegum such people make me sick.
DamnKimberlee@juddlegum popular information is one of the best sources reliable information on the Internet.
Tawfiq Karimi@juddlegum we are so doomed. This is only the beginning. They won’t stop until everyone of us think the same way they do.
🦫💧🐸 🌻🌹@juddlegum i think Mr Freidman is in very poor taste. What a sad a disgraceful man. 🌈
Confiscated Pillow Phone@juddlegum Wait until he finds out about the ending to "Of Mice and Men."
Jesus H Christ🔹
Benj Soule🫂💙HumanityFirst🌅How about lets raise our children better instead of banning books. That's what parents are for. #Education #censorship
@retrohondajunki let’s raise them to be critical thinkers!
pam_1965@juddlegum
I've been a subscriber. And just have to say after reading the full article, of course Tucker Carlson was involved in getting this guy started.
I've been a subscriber. And just have to say after reading the full article, of course Tucker Carlson was involved in getting this guy started.
Frank Cote@juddlegum it'sa great newsletter. Thanks
Eric@juddlegum Its creepy I seem to agree with you to much.
We Can Be Gyros@juddlegum does Bruce Friedman have children attending public schools?
@WecanbeGyros @juddlegum that’s what I WANT TO KNOW!
Plague Doctor@juddlegum Imagine having a life so empty, so devoid of purpose, that this is how you spend your precious days on the planet. Sad little man. Now they need to change the laws to stop these frivolous challenges.