HI. I'M NADIA COMBS, CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH ADULTS IN OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAM. I'M HENRY SHAKE WASHINGTON, THE BOARD VICE-CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA. AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF MORE THAN 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT NEARLY 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC, IN WHAT WE DO. YOU ARE WELCOME TO E-MAIL OR MEET WITH ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV, ON SPECTRUM CABLE CHANNEL 635, AND FRONTIER CABLE CHANNEL 32.
MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE. WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. WE'LL INCLUDE TIME FOR AUDIENCE COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS. OUR AGENDA AND ANY SUPPORTING MATERIAL CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. OUR VISION IS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE, AND THAT MEANS ALL STUDENTS EVERY DAY. TODOS LOS ESTUDIANTES, TODOS LOS DIAS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. Nadia Combs: THE SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING OF MARCH 28, 2023, IS CALLED TO ORDER.
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BEFORE THE MOMENT OF SILENCE, OUR HEART GOES OUT TO COVENANT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY IN THE LOSS OF THREE STUDENTS AND THREE STAFFERS IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE] THANK YOU.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] YOU MAY BE SEATED. Nadia Combs: I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ.
ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT BESIDES MEMBER HAHN, WHO SHOULD BE ARRIVING SHORTLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE'RE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE THAT ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING.
TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AGENDA STATEMENTS AND/OR QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU ARE ASKED TO GET BACK INTO THE QUEUE.
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AS WE BEGIN THIS MORNING'S MEETING, LET ME QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSE CAPTIONING ON LIVE WEBCASTS, ON CABLE TV, ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT ALSO CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVES.
Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. TODAY, WE WILL BE HAVING OUR BOARD PUBLIC COMMENTS. OUR MEETING WILL END AT 12:30. AT 12:30, WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE MEETING SCHEDULED. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S TIME CERTAIN. SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE ALMOST 60 SPEAKERS WHICH WILL BE ABOUT A MINUTE AND 30 SECONDS PER SPEAKER. MR. PORTER. Jim Porter: BOARD MEMBERS, AS WE BEGIN TODAY AND ALSO FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, THIS IS NOT A REGULAR BOARD MEETING. THIS IS WHAT IS CONSIDERED A SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING. IT IS TO HEAR AN APPEAL. YOU'RE HERE FOR A VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSE TODAY AND ONE PURPOSE ONLY, AND THAT'S TO HEAR AN APPEAL ABOUT WHETHER A SPECIFIC BOOK IS APPROPRIATE FOR A SPECIFIC SCHOOL. SO FOR PUBLIC COMMENT PURPOSES, THIS IS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT WHATEVER YOU LIKE, WHICH IS NORMALLY THE CASE AT A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
THIS IS ONLY TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR BOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL. THE RECORD IS VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS CASE IN THE ANTICIPATION OF POTENTIAL LITIGATION. SO I AM GOING TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN THIS THAN I NORMALLY WOULD BE. BUT WE'RE GOING TO ASK THE PUBLIC AS YOU SPEAK AND THE BOARD WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. YOUR VOICE IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT ONLY ON THIS ONE ISSUE. SO TO THE EXTENT THAT CONVERSATION VEERS OFF INTO SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ABOUT THIS BOOK AND ABOUT THIS LEGAL APPEAL, WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO STOP AND CUT OFF YOUR MICROPHONE. OUR JOB TODAY IS TO MAKE SURE THE RECORD IS CLEAR SO THAT YOU ARE HEARD AND THE BOARD IS ABLE TO BASE ITS DECISION ON THE LAW AND THE STATUTES AND THE POLICY OF THIS BOARD. TO THAT EXTENT, AGAIN, WE'LL ASK THE PUBLIC FOR YOUR COOPERATION TO SPEAK, BE RESPECTFUL, BUT SPEAK TO THE ISSUE THAT'S BEFORE THE BOARD TODAY.
AT THAT POINT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WE'LL GO INTO MORE SPECIFICS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WE'LL KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE. HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD, COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A BOARD MEMBER OR A STAFF MEMBER BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE LIMITED TO SPECIFIC BOOK IDENTIFIED ON THE AGENDA. THE BOARD HAS SET ASIDE ONE HOUR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THE SINGLE ITEM ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA. THE BOARD EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER HALF AN HOUR. ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.
OUR CIVILITY POLICY IS IN PLACE. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. THIS MORNING, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE A MINUTE AND A HALF. REMINDER THAT TIME STARTS WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN AND RED LIGHT AND CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS. YES, PLEASE. THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME UP. Stacy Hahn: I'M SORRY. I WAS LATE. COULD YOU REPEAT JUST THE FIRST PART?
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT WE ONLY NOW HAVE THREE MINUTES. IS THAT CORRECT? Nadia Combs: NO, WE HAD AN HOUR SCHEDULED TIME CERTAIN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE EXTENDED 30 MINUTES. SO WE WILL HAVE AN HOUR AND A HALF OF -- FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. Stacy Hahn: WHAT'S THE TIME FOR BOARD COMMENTS? Nadia Combs: BOARD COMMENTS WILL BE -- POR Jim Porter: THE SAME AS ALWAYS. FIVE MINUTES. WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. Jim Porter: JUST FOR THE RECORD, MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE. WE INTENDED THIS BOARD MEETING WAS SCHEDULED FOR AN HOUR OF PUBLIC COMMENT. IT'S BEEN EXTENDED TO HOUR AND A HALF. THE TIME WILL BE DIVIDED UP LIKE THAT. THE BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS WILL STAY AT FIVE MINUTES APIECE. Nadia Combs: MY SCRIPT WAS INCORRECT. IT'S FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU. PLEASE, FIRST SPEAKER. ONLINE SIGN-UP SAYS TWO MINUTES IF THERE'S MORE THAN 30 PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHAT YOUR ONLINE SIGN-UP SAYS. Jim Porter: HOLD ON, EVERYONE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LONG DAY HERE. WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE CIVIL. THIS IS A SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING. PUBLIC COMMENT GENERALLY IS ALLOWED FOR ANY TOPIC THAT THE BOARD WANTS. THIS IS ONE SPECIFIC ITEM. SO THE DECISION WAS REACHED THAT IT'S GOING TO BE AN HOUR AND A HALF INSTEAD OF AN HOUR AND THE TIME WILL BE DIVIDED UP APPROPRIATELY.
Stacy Hahn: I DO WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD I WAS FOR THREE MINUTES. Jim Porter: WE WANT TO KEEP ORDER. WE WANT TO HEAR EVERYONE. WE NEED TO KEEP CONTROL IN THIS. Nadia Combs: EXCUSE ME, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S CIVILITY. WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT. I HAVE ALWAYS MADE SURE PEOPLE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. THAT'S WHY WE EXTENDED IT. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE UNCIVIL, THEN YOU NEED TO PLEASE LEAVE. TERRY KEMPLE. I LEAD COMMUNITY ISSUES COUNCIL AND PROTECT OUR CHILDREN PROJECT. YOU'RE GOING TO BE HEARING FROM PEOPLE FROM HILLSBOROUGH GRASSROOTS GROUP TODAY WITH RESPECT TO THE BOOK, "THIS BOOK IS GAY." WE ARE HERE TO REMIND YOU OF GOVERNOR DESANTIS' RECENT ACCUSATION THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS UNLAWFUL PORNOGRAPHIC BOOKS IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES. 847.012 SUBSECTION 3, A PERSON MAY NOT KNOWINGLY SELL, RENT OR LOAN FOR CONSIDERATION TO A MINOR ANY PICTURE, PHOTOGRAPH, DRAWING WHICH DEPICTS NUDITY OR SEXUAL CONDUCT, SEXUAL EXCITEMENT, SEXUAL BATTERY OR ANY BOOK, PAMPHLET, MAGAZINE, PRINTED MATTER HOWEVER REPRODUCED THAT CONTAINS ANY EXPLICIT AND DETAILED NARRATIVE ACCOUNTS OF SEXUAL EXCITEMENT OR SEXUAL CONDUCT AND THAT IS HARMFUL TO MINORS.
SUBSECTION 5 GOES ON TO STATE, AN ADULT MAY NOT KNOWINGLY DISTRIBUTE TO A MINOR ON SCHOOL PROPERTY OR POST ON SCHOOL PROPERTY ANY MATERIAL DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION 3. PLEASE KEEP THE LAW IN MIND AS THE PEOPLE READ FROM "THIS BOOK IS GAY" WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY LIBRARIES. I'M SURPRISED YOUR ATTORNEY HASN'T WARNED YOU ABOUT THE RISK YOU RUN BY CONTINUALLY VOTING FOR MATERIALS THAT VIOLATE THE LAW. WE'RE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE FOR THE COPIES OF THE BOOK THAT WERE GIVEN TO THE REVIEWERS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GLAD YOU HAD ENOUGH TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS TERRY ROCK. I'M GOING TO BE READING FROM PAGES 202 TO 203, INCLUDING A DIAGRAM ON HOW TO HAVE ANAL SEX. BUMMING. IT IS A UNIVERSAL TRUTH THAT MANY MEN LIKE STICKING THEIR WILLIES INSIDE THINGS. I SUSPECT IT MUST BE BIOLOGICAL.
WANT TO KNOW THE SECRET? STRAIGHT PEOPLE HAVE ANAL SEX ALL THE TIME, TOO. ANOTHER ONE, STRAIGHT MEN LIKE STUFF UP THEIR BUMS JUST AS MUCH AS GAY ONES. WHY? AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THE PROSTATE GLAND, LOCATED JUST UP IN YOUR BUM, FEELS AMAZING WHEN MASSAGED. LOTS OF MEN, GAY OR STRAIGHT, LIKE TO HAVE THIS FEELING, AND ANAL SEX ISN'T A GAY THING. STILL, UNLIKE VAGINAL SEX, A LITTLE MORE THOUGHT HAS TO GO INTO ANAL SEX, AND HERE'S WHY. PRE-CARE. AS PLEASANT AS BUMMING CAN BE, WE MUST HOLD IN MIND THAT THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THE BACK PASSAGE IS TO DO POOS. POO IS NOT SEXY. THEREFORE, THOSE OF YOU PLANNING TO HAVE ANAL SEX -- WELL, YOU GET THE REST. PLEASE PULL THIS BOOK FROM OUR LIBRARIES. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. I'M GLAD TO SEE THE FIRST TWO SPEAKERS HAVE HAD LOTS OF TIME AND EXTRA TIME AT THE END.
THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS FRED ROCK. I'M READING SECTION FROM "THIS BOOK IS GAY." PAGE 209. FINGERS. FAR MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THE PENIS IN MANY WAYS. A HAND CAN DO THE JOB OF FIVE PENISES. WOMEN REFER TO HAVING SEX. THIS IS USUALLY WHAT THEY MEAN. LESBIAN CAN STIMULATE AND BRING PARTNER TO ORGASM WITH FINGERS. SOMETIMES BOTH PARTNERS CAN DO IT SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE CLITORIS LIKES TO BE LICKED AND KISSED. FEELING ADVENTURES THAT THEY CAN PERFORM AT THE SAME TIME. OBSCENITY IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS IS AGAINST THE LAW. KNOWINGLY DISTRIBUTING A BOOK WITH PORNOGRAPHIC, SLASH, OBSCENITY TO CHILDREN ON SCHOOL PROPERTY IS AGAINST THE LAW. BOARD MEMBERS, YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO PLEASE BE RESPONSIVE TO THIS REQUEST AND REMOVE IT FROM OUR STUDENTS' LIBRARY. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. IF WE COULD HAVE THE NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS PLEASE LINE UP. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS KELLY CARLING. I AM THE MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN IN THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I EXHORT YOU TO REMOVE THIS BOOK, "THIS BOOK IS GAY" BY JUNO DAWSON. TAMPA IS THE NUMBER ONE RANKED CITY IN THE COUNTRY FOR SEX TRAFFICKING AND THE AVERAGE AGE FOR A CHILD TO BE FIRST SEX TRAFFICKED WITH AGES 12 TO 14, WHICH IS THE AGE OF THESE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AT PIERCE WHICH CONTAINS THE BOOK. I THINK IT'S UNCONSCIONABLE THAT YOU AS A BOARD WOULD CONDONE THIS BOOK AND ALLOW IT TO BE IN THE LIBRARIES WHEN IT HAS STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING AND USING A SEX HOOKUP APP. THESE ARE THE TEENAGERS JUST SINCE MARCH 1st WHO DISAPPEARED IN OUR COUNTY. THESE ARE CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN LURED AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES. FROM PAGE 156, UPLOAD A TINY PIC OF YOURSELF TO THE APP. NUMBER TWO, THE APP WORKS OUT THE LOCATION.
THREE, THE APP TELLS YOU WHO THE NEAREST HOMOSEXUALS ARE. NUMBER FOUR, YOU CHAT WITH THEM. FIVE, BECAUSE THEY ARE NEAR, IT IS EASY TO MEET UP WITH THEM. TIPS, PAGE 187, INCLUDE A PICTURE OF YOURSELF. IF YOU THINK THE KEY SELLING POINT IS YOUR CHEST, GREAT BODY, I WOULD NEVER EAT THE HEAD. DON'T GIVE YOUR AGE, HEIGHT AND WEIGHT, PEOPLE WOULD ASSUME YOU ARE OLD, FAT. MEET IN A PUBLIC PLACE FOR A DRINK FIRST. THIS IS HORRIBLE. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS HEATHER. I'M GOING TO READ A SMALL -- ACTUALLY, THERE'S A SECTION ON PAGE 199 THAT DEPICTS A 16-YEAR-OLD THAT HAS AN AFFAIR WITH AN OLDER MARRIED MAN. AND I JUST THINK THAT IF THIS WAS A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL THAT WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH AN OLDER MARRIED MAN, THAT EVERYONE WOULD BE SO COMPLETELY OUTRAGED. AND THAT IS BEING TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS.
LIKE, OUR WORLD IS SO EVIL RIGHT NOW. WE DO NOT NEED TO HAVE YOU ALL PROPAGATING THIS KIND OF THING FROM OUR SCHOOL. YOU ARE IN AUTHORITY OVER OUR CHILDREN. WE HAVE GIVEN YOU THE GIFT OF TEACHING OUR CHILDREN. AND THIS BOOK HAS TO GO. I'M A GRANDMOTHER AND I DON'T WANT MY GRANDCHILD READING THIS BOOK. IF HE HAS AN ISSUE LATER AND WHEN HE'S OLDER, IF HE IS GAY, I WILL SUPPORT HIM AND LOVE HIM AND CHERISH HIM. HOWEVER, I THINK THIS IS VERY INAPPROPRIATE. IT'S WILDLY INAPPROPRIATE. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MOLLY BLANTON. A PREVIOUS SPEAKER SPOKE ON FLORIDA STATUTE 847 AND SOME OF THAT I WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON THAT. 847.001 SPEAKS TO THE EXPLICIT DETAILED VERBAL DESCRIPTIONS OR NARRATIVE ACCOUNTS OF SEXUAL EXCITEMENT OR SEXUAL CONDUCT AND THAT IS HARMFUL TO MINORS.