Florida
Federal judge rules book ban lawsuit against Florida school can move forward
U.S. District Judge Kent Wetherell ruled Wednesday that a lawsuit against a Florida school over its pulling of books from its shelves has standing to move forward, a win for those who have been raising the alarm about book bans in schools.
PEN America, a free speech organization, Penguin Random House and authors and parents affected by the ban first sued the Escambia County School Board in May after the school removed hundreds of books from its shelves for investigation.
The plaintiffs say the removals violated the First Amendment because the books were removed “based on ideological objections to their contents or disagreement with their messages or themes,” as well as the Equal Protection Clause “because the books being singled out for possible removal are disproportionately books by non-white and/or LGBTQ authors, or which address topics related to race or LGBTQ identity.”
The school argues all the books were not banned but just pulled for review to make sure they aligned with Florida state law.
Wetherell said PEN America had standing for the lawsuit to move forward under the First Amendment, setting up the next stage of the legal fight.
“Today, we urged the court to vindicate the Constitutional rights of students, parents, authors and publishers. We are heartened that Judge Wetherell agreed and that our case can proceed. These books need to be returned to the shelves where they belong, and every day that students are refused access is a day they’re not getting the high-quality education they deserve,” said Katie Blankenship, director of PEN America in Florida.
“This case cuts to the heart of who we are as a country, and for the sake of our children and the future of our democracy, it’s critical that we adhere to the language of the First Amendment and the precedents of our federal courts,” she added.
PEN America said since its lawsuit was filed, more than 1,600 books at the school district have been under investigation for potential bans.
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FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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