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Federal Judge in Tallahassee Sides with Escambia County School Board over Book Removal
Judge Allen Winsor ruled the Escambia County School Board’s removal of a book depicting same-sex parents did not constitute unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination, affirming library content control.
- A federal judge in Tallahassee ruled this week that the Escambia County School Board did not violate the First Amendment by removing the book 'And Tango Makes Three' from school libraries in 2023.
- The lawsuit filed in 2023 by the book's authors, a student plaintiff, parents, Penguin Random House, and PEN America alleged unlawful viewpoint discrimination based on the book's depiction of same-sex parents.
- Chief Judge Allen Winsor, presiding in Tallahassee, dismissed the First Amendment claims in an 18-page decision, ruling that the authors do not have a constitutional right to require the library to include their perspective or to use the library as a platform for their speech.
- Winsor stated that by buying books for a public library, the government is not establishing a platform for others' speech, and he emphasized that the ruling does not stop students from accessing the book through other means.
- The decision reflects ongoing debates in Florida as multiple school districts have removed or restricted books recently, with Escambia County serving as a key battleground over book access policies.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Loving Penguins Lose as Federal Judge Backs School Board's Ban of 'And Tango Makes Three'
A federal judge this week rejected a challenge to a 2023 decision by the Escambia County School Board to remove the book “And Tango Makes Three” from school libraries, ruling the move did not violate First Amendment rights. “And Tango Makes Three,” which tells the story of two male penguins who raised a penguin chick at New York’s Central Park Zoo, has become a prominent part of a debate in recent years about removing or restricting access to bo…
Federal judge in Tallahassee sides with Escambia County School Board over book removal
The school board removed a children’s book called “And Tango Makes Three” from its school libraries. The book follows two male penguins who adopt and raise Tango, a penguin chick.
Federal Judge Upholds Florida School Board's Removal Of 'And Tango Makes Three'
A federal judge has ruled that the Escambia County School Board’s 2023 decision to remove the book “And Tango Makes Three” from school libraries did not violate the First Amendment. Chief U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor on Tuesday rejected arguments raised by the book’s authors, Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, and a student plaintiff, who […] Federal Judge Upholds Florida School Board’s Removal Of ‘And Tango Makes Three’
Judge: Escambia County did not violate First Amendment by removing same-sex penguin book
Courthouse for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. (Photo by Michael Moline/Florida Phoenix)Escambia County did not violate students’ First Amendment rights in keeping from them a book about two male penguins raising a chick together, a federal judge found this week. In a suit between the authors of the book and the Escambia County School Board, Chief U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor sided with the county. The suit fo…
Federal judge backs removal of penguin children’s book by Florida school board
A federal judge this week rejected a challenge to the removal of the book “And Tango Makes Three” from Escambia school libraries, ruling the move did not violate First Amendment rights.
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