Over the last several weeks, Popular Information has exposed an extraordinary assault on academic freedom in Florida. Here is a selection of our work:

• We reported how a man in Clay County, Florida, Bruce Friedman, has single-handedly removed over 100 books from school libraries — and is seeking to remove thousands more. Friedman called The Girl From The Sea, an award-winning graphic novel about a 15-year-old girl who develops romantic feelings for another girl, a book for "slightly post-pubescent little lesbians." Friedman told Popular Information that if anyone interferes with his efforts to remove books, he will "run over them like a dead body." 

• We reported that an English teacher in Escambia County, Florida, Vicki Baggett, is trying to ban 150 books from school libraries. The books challenged by Baggett included When Wilma Rudolph Played Basketball, a story about a legendary sprinter who overcame racial prejudice to win three Olympic gold medals. Baggett said the purpose of the book was "race-baiting." In a follow-up report, Baggett's current and former students said that Baggett openly promoted racist and homophobic beliefs in class. During a 10th-grade English class, Baggett allegedly said she opposed interracial marriage because she "wanted to preserve cultures."

• We broke the news that Florida schools are using the "Don't Say Gay" law to justify the erasure of LGBTQ people. According to public records obtained by Popular Information, several Florida schools have already removed books with LGBTQ characters from their libraries, citing the law. Previously, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) insisted the scope of the law was limited and only prohibits "sexual instruction" directed at young students. 

• Most recently, we revealed that teachers in Manatee County, Florida, are being told to make their classroom libraries inaccessible to students, or risk felony prosecution. "My heart is broken for Florida students today as I am forced to pack up my classroom library," one Manatee teacher wrote on Facebook. The policy is part of an effort to comply with new laws and regulations championed by DeSantis, which are based on the premise that teachers are using books to "groom" students or indoctrinate them with leftist ideologies.

This reporting has collectively attracted tens of millions of impressions on social media and was featured in the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel, the Washington Post, New York Magazine, and Florida Politics. 

Today, however, I want to hear from you. What's on your mind? What topics should be on Popular Information's radar? You can leave your thoughts in the discussion thread linked below, starting now. I’ll be dropping by later today to respond to as many people as I can. 

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