03/28/2023 - Special Called Meeting

001HI. 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

002SCHOOLS 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

003NOW 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

004GO 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

005BE 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

006TO 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

007CUT 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

008WE 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

009ON 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

010INTENDED 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:

011I 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

012KNOWINGLY 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

013WERE 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

014TO 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

015ORGASM 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

016THE 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

017187, 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

018YOU 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. THE

019HARMFUL TO MINORS REQUIREMENT IN SUBSECTION 847.0017 MEANS ANY REPRODUCTION, IMITATION, CHARACTERIZATION, DESCRIPTION, EXHIBITION, PRESENTATION, OR REPRESENTATION OF WHATEVER KIND OR FORM DEPICTING NUDITY, SEXUAL CONDUCT, OR SEXUAL EXCITEMENT WHEN IT PREDOMINANTLY APPEALS TO SHAMEFUL OR MORBID INTEREST IS OFFENSIVE TO STANDARDS IN THE ADULT COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE WITH RESPECT TO WHAT IS SUITABLE MATERIAL OR CONDUCT FOR MINORS, TAKEN AS A WHOLE IS WITHOUT SERIOUS LITERARY, ARTISTIC, POLITICAL, OR SCIENTIFIC VALUE. THE TERM OBSCENE IS ALSO DEFINED IN SUBSECTION 847, AVAILABILITY TO ADULTS IS NOT THE ISSUE. PROVIDING THIS BOOK, THESE MATERIALS TO CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 11 YEARS OLD, ANY MINOR CHILDREN IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES IS INAPPROPRIATE AND ILLEGAL IN MY OPINION. I ASK YOU TO PLEASE TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION. REMOVE THIS BOOK AND SIMILAR MATERIALS FROM OUR SCHOOLS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT

020SPEAKER, PLEASE. IF I COULD HAVE THE NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS PLEASE LINE UP. BOB CLARK, SURVIVOR. THE ISSUE BEFORE US TODAY IS WHETHER A CHILD'S SOUL IS ALLOWED THE TIME TO MATURE BEFORE EMBARKING ON AN UNFORGETTABLE LIFE DIRECTION. THIS BOOK BEFORE YOUNG MINDS MAKE SEX AN ACT OF ANIMAL INSTINCT, DEVOID OF COMPASSION AND SACRIFICIAL LOVE. THIS BOOK GROOMS INNOCENCE TO SURRENDER TO THE ADVANCES OF CRAVEN WOLVES. THE AGENDA ATTEMPTS TO SILENCE THE CRIES OF LAMBS. WHAT BEWITCHED YOU TO THINK THAT WE WOULD STAND ASIDE TO ALLOW OUR CHILDREN, OR ANY CHILD, TO BE INSTRUCTED IN THE WAYS OF A SEXUALLY CONSUMED LIFESTYLE THAT LEADS THEM TO BECOME WANTON, LECH RUSS, AND NARCISSISTIC, WHOSE HEARTS BECOME A LONELY HUNTER? A YOUNG INNOCENT SOUL GROOMED TO ACCEPT SEX EXPLOITATION, RAPE IS THE NORMAL METHOD OF SATISFACTION. THIS IS

021THE MURDER OF A CHILD'S SOUL. YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. ANTONIO ANISSI. PAGE 201 STATES ORAL SEX IS POPPING ANOTHER DUDE'S PEEN IN YOUR MOUTH OR INDEED POPPING HIS IN YOURS. MEN LIKE THEIR BLOW JOBS SERVED IN DIFFERENT WAYS. MORE ABOUT SUCKING. ANY REASONABLE PERSON THIS BOOK DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FLORIDA LAW. I KNOW IT. YOU ALL KNOW IT. EVERYONE HERE KNOWS IT. THIS IS NOT POLITICAL HOMOPHOBIC OR BOOK BANNING. THIS IS PURELY ABOUT REMOVING AN OBSCENE, ILLEGAL, PORNOGRAPHIC BOOK FROM A MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY. THE FACT THAT SOME OF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO PUT EMOTIONS ASIDE AND RULE OBJECTIVELY ON ISSUES LIKE THIS MAKES US ALL THINK YOU ARE NOT FIT TO SERVE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE GOVERNOR AND HIS STAFF HAVE MADE IT PERFECTLY

022CLEAR THAT BOOKS LIKE THIS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE GIVEN TO MINORS IN SCHOOLS. THIS CONTINUOUS SUPPORT OF SOME OF YOU MAKES IT CLEAR THAT YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO REMOVE FROM YOUR POSITION. PLEASE DON'T PLAY THE VICTIM IF YOU ARE. YOU ARE BLATANTLY IGNORE THE LAW AND THE OATH YOU SWORE TO UPHOLD WHEN YOU WERE ELECTED. IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN, THE SCHOOL BOARD WORKS FOR US. DO THE RIGHT THING AND FOLLOW THE LAW THAT FIVE OF YOU THINK YOU ARE ABOVE. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS TIM DRIVER. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BLACK REPUBLICAN CLUB. I WILL BE READING FROM "THIS BOOK IS GAY" BY JUNO DAWSON ON PAGE 206. THAT SAID, MOST OF THE TIME THIS CAN BE FIGURED OUT

023AS YOU GO ALONG. AS MENTIONED ABOVE, THERE'S NO RULE THAT SAYS YOU HAVE TO HAVE ANAL SEX EVERY TIME YOU HAVE SEX. FAR FROM IT. LUBE. UNLIKE THE VAGINA, THE ANUS DOES NOT LUBRICATE ITSELF. YOU NEED LUBE IF YOU ATTEMPT ANAL. TWO REASONS, ONE, ANAL SEX HURTS. THE ANUS DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO STRETCH THE SAME WAY A VAGINA DOES, WHICH MEANS IT IS A TIGHT HOLE WHICH FEELS NICE FOR THE TOP BUT ALSO MEANS CAN BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE BOTTOM. WITH THE RIGHT WATER-BASED LUBE, HOWEVER, IT CAN BE HUGELY ENJOYABLE. GOOD KIND OF PAIN LIKE A DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE. TWO, LUBE MAKES IT LESS LIKELY FOR YOUR CONDOM TO SPLIT. THE ANUS IS A PRETTY FRAGILE MEMBRANE WHICH MEANS IT'S EASIER TO GET STIs THROUGH ANAL SEX THAN VAGINAL. THIS LANGUAGE CAN

024BE CONSIDERED OBSCENE AND VIOLATES FLORIDA STATUTE 847.001, HARMFUL TO MINORS AND FLORIDA STATUTE 847.012. "THIS BOOK IS GAY" IS NOT FOR MINORS AND SHOULD NOT BE RETURNED TO THE LIBRARY BOOKSHELVES. BY RETURNING IT TO THE BOOKSHELVES AS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, YOU WILL BE KNOWINGLY VIOLATING FLORIDA STATUTE 1,006.40. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS LIBBY COPE. I'M THE MEDIA SPECIALIST AT LETO HIGH SCHOOL. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADHERENCE TO THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SET FORTH IN CHALLENGING LIBRARY MEDIA MATERIALS IN OUR DISTRICT. I READ "THIS BOOK IS GAY" IN ITS ENTIRETY WHICH AS WE KNOW IS ONE OF THE PROCEDURES FOR CHALLENGING MATERIALS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HOPE THAT ALL VOTING MEMBERS TODAY HAVE READ THE BOOK FROM COVER TO COVER. ALL MEDIA SPECIALISTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SELECT BOOKS

025-- I'M SORRY, ALL MEDIA SPECIALISTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT SELECT BOOKS ARE EITHER CERTIFIED OR HOLD A MASTERS IN LIBRARY INFORMATION SCIENCE. WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT MANY FACTORS DURING OUR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS AT OUR SCHOOL AND PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS. THE COMMITTEE NOTES STATE THAT PAST STUDENTS REQUESTED MORE LGBTQ+ BOOKS. A MEDIA SPECIALIST DOES NOT MERELY PURCHASE RECOMMENDED BOOKS, THEY DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE. THIS MEANS THE MEDIA SPECIALIST LOOK FOR BOOKS THAT WERE APPROPRIATE FOR HER STUDENTS AND HAD POSITIVE REVIEWS. SHE DECIDED TO ADD THIS BOOK TO HER COLLECTION. THE BOOK WAS CHALLENGED SO THE COMMITTEE READ THE BOOK. AFTER READING THE BOOK SHE AND HER COMMITTEE FOUND THIS BOOK TO BE GOOD FOR THEIR STUDENTS. IN FACT, IT WAS A UNANIMOUS DECISION AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.

026SHE KNOWS WHAT'S BEST FOR HER POPULATION. SHE KNOWS AND SO DO I. I SAY THAT BECAUSE HER KIDS BECOME MY KIDS. THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS AT LETO HIGH SCHOOL COME TO US FROM PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. I CAN TELL YOU WITHOUT A DOUBT, "THIS BOOK IS GAY" IS NEEDED FOR THE STUDENTS AT PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. THE PEOPLE IN THE TRENCHES AT PIERCE, THE PEOPLE DOING THE WORK, THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT PARTICULAR POPULATION MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO KEEP THIS BOOK. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. BAILEY TURNQUIST. FRESHMAN AT LETO HIGH SCHOOL. I AM HERE TO PREVENT THE REMOVING OF BOOKS BECOMING A TREND. I FIND IT COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY TO REQUEST ANY BOOK TO BE REMOVED. I MAY NOT AGREE WITH THE CONTENT BUT OTHERS MIGHT AND HOW IS IT

027MY DECISION TO CHOOSE WHAT IS TO BE READ AND NOT? HOW IS IT MY DECISION TO CHOOSE CHA ANOTHER CHILD'S CONSUME. VILLAGE HELPS TO RAISE THE CHILD BUT IT IS THE PARENT OR PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO SET THE PERIMETERS OF HOW THE CHILD IS TO BE RAISED. IT IS NOT UP TO WHAT ONE DOES WITH ANOTHER'S CHILD. MY MOTHER DECIDES WHAT SHE WANTS ME TO CONSUME OR NOT CONSUME IN THE MEDIA. THAT IS THE JOB OF A PARENT IS GUIDE AND PARENT ME. HOWEVER, HER JOB IS NOT TO MAKE DECISION FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN'S CONCERNS BRIEFING AND IDEOLOGIES. CURRENTLY, I AM ALLOWED CERTAIN SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS NOT INCLUDING INSTAGRAM. ALL OF MY FRIENDS IN BASICALLY MY GENERATION HAVE THIS APP. DOES MY MOM REMOVE IT FROM EVERY OTHER CHILD'S HOME? ANYTHING FOUND ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

028IS MUCH WORSE THAN WHATEVER IS IN A SINGULAR BOOK. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THOSE IN FAVOR OF REMOVING THE BOOK IF THEIR CHILDREN HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA. IF SO, DO THEY MONITOR THE APPS. MY MOM DOES. ALMOST EVERY NIGHT LIKE CLOCK WORK, MY MOTHER CHECKS MY TEXT MESSAGES AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS. IT MAY SEEM EXTREME OR A VIOLATION OF PRIVACY BUT IT IS THEIR OPINION. IT IS EASIER TO NOT ALLOW ONE CHILD TO READ A SINGULAR BOOK THAN TRACK THE DIGITAL FOOTPRINT OF SUCH CHILD. KEEP YOUR ATTENTION FOCUSED ENTIRELY ON WHAT IS TRULY YOUR OWN CONCERN AND BE CLEAR WHAT BELONGS TO OTHERS IS THEIR BUSINESS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MICHAEL SCHRINO. MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE AND SHAMEFUL THAT WE HAVE TO GATHER TO DEBATE THIS

029ISSUE WHETHER OR NOT PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL IS ALLOWED IN SCHOOLS AND THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE DEFENDING IT IN THE NAME OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC EDUCATION. THE EXCERPT FROM "THIS BOOK IS GAY" SAYS THE FOLLOWING. AS WITH HAND JOBS AND BREAKFAST EGGS, ALL MEN LIKE BLOW JOBS SERVED IN DIFFERENT WAYS. BLOW JOB IS MASSIVELY MISLEADING. YOU ARE MORE SUCKING. IT IS ABOUT SLIDING YOUR MOUTH UP AND DOWN THE SHAFT OF HIS COCK. THIS IS ONLY ONE OF THE EXCERPTS IN THE BOOK THAT PLACES EXTREMELY OBSCENE LANGUAGE. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, PLEASE DON'T FALL THE NONSENSE THAT REMOVING THE BOOK FROM SCHOOLS WOULD BE FASCISM OR ATTACK ON LGBTQ PEOPLE. THIS IS ABOUT CHILDREN REGARDLESS OF SEX, GENDER, RACE OR ETHNIC BACKGROUND. I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU TAKE WHATEVER ACTION POSSIBLE TO REMOVE FROM THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES AS SOON

030AS POSSIBLE AND I DO NOT SUGGEST THAT YOU CONTINUE TO BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. DO I HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECT MY CHILDREN FROM BEING EXPOSED TO SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT THAT I SEEM AGE APPROPRIATE? BECAUSE AS SOON AS SOMEONE PUTS THIS LIBRARY BOOK IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY, NO LONGER AM I IN CONTROL OF WHAT MY CHILD ARE READING. THEY DON'T HAVE MY GUIDANCE. PARENTS ARE HARDLY EVEN ALLOWED IN SCHOOLS ANYMORE. SO YOU ARE ONLY PRETENDING THAT PARENTS HAVE A SAY IN THIS. PARENTS AREN'T EVEN ALLOWED TO COME INTO THE SCHOOLS FOR THE MOST PART. AND PARENTS WOULD NEVER DREAM THAT THESE BOOKS WOULD FILL OUR SCHOOL LIBRARY SHELVES. NOW, LISTEN, EVERYONE STILL HAS A RIGHT TO

031GIVE THEIR CHILD WHATEVER BOOK THEY WANT TO, SO I'M SUGGESTING YOU REMOVE THIS BOOK FROM SCHOOLS AND EVERYONE'S RIGHTS ARE PRESERVED. THESE BOOKS ARE NOT BEING BANNED. THAT WORD HAS BECOME A WEAPON TO MARGINALIZE THE VOICES OF PARENTS. NAZI BOOK BANNING AND THE LIKE HAS ESSENTIALLY BEEN USED TO ELIMINATE BOOKS FROM CIRCULATION. WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE REACH OF OUR CHILDREN. IT HAS NEVER BEEN CONTROVERSIAL TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM CERTAIN THINGS. WE WILL FIGHT FOR CHILDREN IN THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY AGAINST THIS SEXUALIZATION. WE'LL FIND A WAY TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING THESE BOOKS IN OUR LIBRARIES. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. LAURA KISSIC. I HAVE SEVERAL THOUGHTS TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT THIS BOOK. NUMBER ONE,

032IN THE PIERCE COMMITTEE MINUTES IT STATES PICTURES ARE IN CARTOON FORM, AS IF THIS IS TO MAKE IT OKAY. CARTOONS ARE A DRAWING AND AS SUCH DRAWINGS DEPICTING NUDITY OR SEXUAL CONTENT ARE STILL AGAINST FLORIDA LAW AS STATED IN STATUTE 847.012. NUMBER TWO, SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY 9130 STATES NO CHALLENGED MATERIAL MAY BE REMOVED SOLELY BECAUSE IT PRESENTS IDEALS THAT MAY BE UNPOPULAR OR OFFENSIVE. THIS BOOK IS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT BEING OFFENSIVE. GIVING MINORS ACCESS TO THIS BOOK IS AGAINST FLORIDA LAW, PERIOD. THIS ISN'T ABOUT SOME PERSONAL OFFENSE. NUMBER THREE, GLOSSARY OF THE BOOK MENTIONS THE TERM SCAT, WHICH IS EATING POOP. DO WE REALLY HAVE TO SUBJECT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS TO THIS? IS EATING. A NEED OF THE COMMUNITY AND STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM? NUMBER FOUR, ABSTINENCE IS THE STATE STANDARD WHEN IT COMES TO

033OFFICIAL -- THEY SHOULDN'T BE HAVING SEX PERIOD. WE SHOULD EXPECT ALL STUDENTS TO HOLD THEMSELVES TO HIGHER STANDARDS AND NOT GET INVOLVED WITH SEX UNTIL ADULTS. SCHOOLS IS THE PLACE AND TIME TO FOCUS ON ACADEMICS, NOT DOING BLOWIES AND BUMMING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. IF THE NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS CAN PLEASE COME UP. GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD. I'LL KEEP THIS BRIEF HERE. MAJOR MAXIM. U.S. ARMY RETIRED. YOU ARE VIOLATING, THE BOARD IS VIOLATING FLORIDA STATUTE 847. YOU NEED TO ENSURE THAT YOU ENFORCE THAT LAW. MAKE SURE YOU ENFORCE THAT LAW. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS R.L. HILL. THE LAST TIME I STOOD BEFORE YOU I TOLD YOU I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND THEN I ALSO ADVISED YOU

034THAT I COULDN'T BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU WERE DOING AND I THANK THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME THAT ARE WORKING TO REMOVE THIS OBSCENITIES AND PORNOGRAPHY FROM OUR SCHOOLS. I DON'T KNOW HOW FIVE OF YOU CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT. LET ME READ EXCERPTS THAT MAY HELP YOU UNDERSTAND "THIS BOOK IS GAY" BY JUNO DAWSON. HERE IS A DIAGRAM OF A BOY. IF YOU ARE ALSO A BOY, YOU ARE PROBABLY AWARE OF WHICH PARTS FEEL NICE WHEN YOU TOUCH THEM. BUT HERE IS A ROUGH GUIDE. THE LIPS, SEX SHOULD ALWAYS START WITH A KISS. INITIALLY, YOU SHOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER THAN A KISS. IN FACT, KISSING IS INTIMATE AS SEX AND IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE GOING FURTHER THAN A KISS, A GOOD PARTNER WILL RESPECT THIS AND WAIT. NIPPLES, A LOT OF GUYS LIKE HAVING THEIR

035NIPPLES PLAYED WITH AND THEY ARE MEGASENSETIVE. TESTICLES ALSO TO BE TREATED WITH LOVING CARE. DO YOUR JOBS. THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO. DO YOUR JOBS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SPEAKS 21 TO 26 TO PLEASE LINE UP. CHRIS BEARD. THE STATUTES HAVE BEEN READ THAT ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW. THIS APPLIES TO BOOKS WITH OBSCENE MATERIAL SUCH AS ON PAGE 210 THAT I'M GOING TO READ. THE MEDIA SPECIALIST WAS SPEAKING ABOUT ALL THEIR RIGHTS AND HAVING ALL OF THIS AVAILABLE, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE, IT'S AGAINST THE LAW. SO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO ME AS I READ WHAT'S ON PAGE 210, WHICH MAKES ME SICK. LET'S TALK ABOUT DILDOS. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSUME THAT WHERE THERE IS NO PENIS, A DESPERATE SEXUAL VOID IS CREATED OUT OF WHICH SOMETHING DICK-SHAPED

036MUST ULTIMATELY SLOT IN ORDER TO SATISFY A VAGINA. BASICALLY THERE ARE HOLES EVERYWHERE BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO FILL THEM ALL, NOT NECESSARILY EVEN WITH YOUR TONGUE AND NOT WITH SOMETHING PENIS SHAPED EITHER. I THINK MOST GOOD ORGASMS REVOLVE AROUND THE CLIT. WELL, FOR ME AND MINE ANYWAY. IF YOU THEN WANT TO GET A BIT FANCY, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH A FEW FINGERS INSIDE, BUT THAT'S ORGASMS AND AS GREAT AS THEY ARE, IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THEM. WILL YOU BE READING THIS TO YOUR GRANDCHILDREN? TO YOUR CHILDREN? WILL YOU? I WON'T. IF THEY NEED INFORMATION, THEY CAN GET IT FROM THEIR PARENTS IN A PRIVATE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. GOOD MORNING. I'M STEPHANIE ASHCROFT. I WANTED TO CLEAR UP SOME THINGS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES, YOU MENTIONED, MR. PORTER, THIS

037IS ABOUT SPECIFICALLY IN PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL WHICH SERVES 11 YEAR OLDS. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIGH SCHOOLS, OLDER CHILDREN. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO 11 TO 14 YEAR OLDS. IF YOU READ THE CHALLENGE ITSELF, IT HAS TO DO WITH AGE APPROPRIATENESS AND SAFETY. THE PUBLISHER ITSELF WHOSE GOAL IS TO MAKE MONEY AND REACH THEIR WIDEST AUDIENCE POSSIBLE SAYS THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE UNTIL AGE 14. ON THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MEDIA WEBSITE, IT SAYS THIS IS FOR GRADES 10 THROUGH 12. I CAN PULL IT UP FOR YOU. HOW IS THIS APPROPRIATE FOR A SIXTH GRADER? WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING OUR OWN WEBSITE GUIDANCE. SECONDLY, HOW IS A BOOK THAT OUTLINES HOW TO FIND NO STRINGS ATTACHED SEXUAL PARTNERS ONLINE OKAY FOR AN 11-YEAR-OLD? AGAIN, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIGH SCHOOL. IT'S ALL

038ABOUT 11-YEAR-OLDS, 12-YEAR-OLDS, 13-YEAR-OLDS. I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO WOULD BE OKAY WITH AN 11-YEAR-OLD FINDING A SEXUAL PARTNER ONLINE. THIS CHALLENGE WAS SUBMITTED LONG AGO BACK OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND, BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER. I'VE SAT IN, AND IT'S TAKEN THIS LONG TO COME HERE. I'M SADDENED IT'S NOW BECOME A POLITICAL ISSUE AND IT'S POLITICALLY CHALLENGED BECAUSE THAT IS NOT THE INTENT OF THE CHALLENGE. IT HAS TO DO WITH PROTECTING OUR KIDS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. MY NAME IS CHERYL STOKER. THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK "THIS BOOK IS GAY." HANDIES, PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL YOU WILL MASTER IS THE TIMELESS CLASSIC THE HAND JOB. THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU CAN PRACTICE ON YOURSELF. THE BAD NEWS IS, EACH GUY HAS BECOME VERY USED TO HIS OWN WAY OF GETTING HIMSELF OFF.

039LEARNING HOW TO FIND A PARTNER'S PERSONAL STYLE CAN TAKE AGES BUT IT CAN BE VERY REWARDING WHEN YOU DO. SOMETHING THEY DON'T TEACH YOU IN SCHOOL IS THAT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO COME AT ALL, YOU OR YOUR PARTNER MAY NEED TO FINISH OFF WITH A HANDY. A LOT OF PEOPLE FIND IT HARD TO COME THROUGH OTHER TYPES OF SEX. THIS IS FINE AND CERTAINLY NOT SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR. A GOOD HANDY IS ALL ABOUT THE WRIST ACTION. RUB THE HEAD OF HIS COCK BACK AND FORTH WITH THE HAND. TRY DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND PRESSURES UNTIL HE RESPONDS POSITIVELY. A BAD HANDY IS GRASPING A PENIS AND SHAKING IT LIKE A KETCHUP BOTTLE. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS DOROTHY PULCHER. THE DISTRICT APPEALS COMMITTEE BELIEVES STUDENTS

040AT PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL ALREADY KNOWN OF PORN AND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL BY ONLINE AND THROUGH OTHER STUDENTS. THEY CLAIM THIS BOOK SERVES TO CLARIFY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT RELATED TOPICS. THAT APPROACH IS IRRATIONAL AND DANGEROUS AND HAS EXPOSED MINORS TO INSTRUCTIONS ON BLOW JOBS, ANAL SEX, THE USE OF A STRAP-ON AND HOW TO HAVE SEX ENCOUNTERS ADULT APP GRINDER. THE DISTRICT LEGAL ADVISOR SAID THE BOOK IDENTIFIES ITSELF AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL MANUAL AND IF MADE AS A MOVIE IT WOULD BE FOR 17 AND OLDER PERSONS. THAT'S R-RATED MATERIAL. BOOKS CREATE IMAGES IN THE MINDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN, HENCE IT IS A MOVIE TO THEM. WHEN A CHILD SELECTS A BOOK IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY, THEY KNOW LITTLE ABOUT HOW IT GOT TO THE SHELF. THEY BELIEVE THEY HAVE PERMISSION FROM ADULTS TO READ, IMAGINE, AND DO WHAT IS

041FOUND IN THE PAGES. YOU HAVE A DUTY TO MAKE AVAILABLE AGE-APPROPRIATE MATERIALS. THIS BOOK WITH ITS HOW-TO APPROACH ABOUT SEX DOESN'T MEET THIS DEFINITION. I ASK YOU TO REMOVE THIS BOOK FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. IT'S AGAINST STATE STATUTES. I DON'T WANT THIS BOOK IN THE SCHOOLS, NOT ON MY DIME. Nadia Combs: NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. IF WE COULD GET THE MOVERS TO MOVE UP AND COME UP QUICKLY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MY NAME IS RACHAEL. I LIVE ON MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE WITH MY HUSBAND AND TWO CHILDREN WHO ATTEND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I READ "THIS BOOK IS GAY" OVER THE WEEKEND. I'M A FLORIDA NATIVE. I DID ALL OF MY SCHOOLING HERE, WHILE GOING TO FLORIDA SCHOOLS I WAS EXPOSED TO PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL. I WILL READ YOU THE PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL WHICH WAS MANDATORY IN MY

042SCHOOL. THIS ENTIRE BOOK WAS MANDATORY. YOUR NAVAL IS A ROUNDED BOWL. YOUR WAIST IS MEAT SURROUNDED BY LILIES. YOUR BREASTS LIKE TWO FAWNS, LIKE CLUSTERS OF FRUIT AND I WILL CLIMB THE TREE AND TAKE ITS FRUIT. THAT IS FROM SONG OF SOLOMON IN THE BIBLE. Jim Porter: STOP THE TIME. WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT "THIS BOOK IS GAY." I HAVE A POINT. Jim Porter: IF YOU CAN GET TO YOUR POINT. THIS IS ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC BOOK AND THIS SPECIFIC SCHOOL. YES. I'M SAYING IF THIS BOOK IS GAY VIOLATES, THEN SO DOES THE BIBLE. THAT IS MY POINT. DAWSON'S BOOK IS FINE. I AM A PROFESSIONAL BOOK REVIEWER. IT EXPLICITLY STATES THAT READERS SHOULD LOOK AT THE BOOK AND SAY, HMM, THAT EXACT LINE IS IN THE TEXT. IT DOES NOT TELL MINORS TO DO ANY

043OF THESE THINGS. EDUCATION IS A HUMAN RIGHT AND WE SHOULD ALLOW CHILDREN TO READ THINGS IN SCHOOLS BECAUSE NONE OF THESE PARENTS ARE ACTUALLY TEACHING SEX ED OR QUEERNESS AT HOME AND DATA SHOWS THAT. SO THEY ARE NOT LEARNING THAT. IF WE ARE INVESTING IN CHILDREN'S FUTURE THEN WE SHOULD INVEST IN THINGS THAT HAVE POSITIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES AND POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR QUEER KIDS INSTEAD OF BULLYING AND SUICIDE, WHICH IS WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE UNDER ABSTINENCE EDUCATION AND NO QUEER EDUCATION. I THINK ALL OF YOU -- Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. AUDIENCE, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL TO BOTH SIDES, I'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. NEXT. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MAYO SHAPOWELL. I'LL READ A FEW THINGS AND REITERATE TO BEAR IN MIND WE ARE REFERENCING 11 TO 13, 14 YEAR OLDS. I'LL

044READ A FEW EXCERPTS FROM "THIS BOOK IS GAY." IF YOU ARE THAT HORNY -- THIS IS RELATING TO THE SEX APP, GRINDR -- IF YOU ARE THAT HORNY THAT YOU WANT TO DO A SEX MEET-UP, MEET THE TRICK IN PUBLIC FOR A DRINK FIRST. THAT'S CONCERNING, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE DEAL WITH SUCH HIGH RATES OF SEX TRAFFICKING HERE IN FLORIDA, ESPECIALLY IN TAMPA. IT GOES FURTHER TO SAY TO WARN CHILDREN, IF YOU ARE ON GRINDER UNDER THE AGE OF 18, IT HAPPENS. BE AWARE THAT SWIPING ADULT PICS IS ACTUALLY ILLEGAL. YOU ARE DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY EVEN IF IT IS OF YOURSELF. AGAIN, WE'RE DISCUSSING 11 TO 13, 14 YEAR OLDS. IF YOU ARE AN ADULT, THERE'S NO PROBLEM, BUT WE'RE REFERENCING CHILDREN. MOREOVER, IT DOES ENCOURAGE THAT CHILDREN GO, OR IF YOU ARE PUTTING IT IN

045FRONT OF CHILDREN, CHILDREN WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO GO TO THE GRINDER APP. I'M ASKING RESPECTFULLY THAT THIS BE REMOVED FROM THE SCHOOL AND ALL SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE AGE THAT IT'S TARGETING. THIS IS NOT MATERIAL AT ALL SUITED FOR CHILDREN. IT'S FOR ADULTS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. NINA TATLOCK. I WANT TO SAY THAT I'VE READ THROUGH BOTH REVIEWS FROM THE PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE DISTRICT LEVEL REVIEW. I SUPPORT THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR THEIR ASSESSMENTS OF THE BOOK. "THIS BOOK IS GAY." I SUPPORT THE DISTRICT'S REVIEW SYSTEM FOR BOOKS AND ASK THAT THIS SYSTEM REMAIN IN PLACE. I WILL SUPPORT OUR DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD'S DECISION ON THIS BOOK. AND THIS DOES PERTAIN TO LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN READ THIS MORNING. I WANT

046TO STATE THAT I DO NOT SUPPORT AUTHORITARIAN BULLYING TACTICS THAT ARE COMING DOWN FROM TALLAHASSEE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MELANIE LAX. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY. I WANT TO ASK THE BOARD TO UPHOLD THE RECOMMENDATION OF BOTH REVIEWS AND KEEP THE BOOK, "THIS BOOK IS GAY," AS PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM THAT REVIEWED THE BOOK KNOWS AND WORKS WITH THE STUDENTS THERE EVERY DAY, AND IT WAS THEIR DECISION THAT UPPER-LEVEL CLASSES AT THAT SCHOOL WOULD FIND THAT BOOK VALUABLE. MEMBERS OF THAT COMMUNITY THAT ARE VULNERABLE NEED THAT BOOK. I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE PROCESS. IT'S BEEN RESPECTED. I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE UPHOLD

047THE PROCESS. IT WORKS. THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THAT SCHOOL THINK THE CHILDREN NEED THE BOOK. I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE UPHOLD THAT RECOMMENDATION TODAY. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON. SHAWN ROBERTS, THE FOUNDER OF ANTI-BULLY ORGANIZATION. SO I'M HERE TO SAY THAT WE'RE STANDING UP HERE NOT TO BE ON SIDES. WE'RE STANDING UP HERE FOR KIDS, AND THAT INCLUDES THE LGBT KIDS AS WELL. THIS AFFECTS ALL KIDS. I REMEMBER GROWING UP JUST PLAYING, HAVING FUN. WHERE ARE WE AS A SOCIETY WHEN WE HAVE THESE BOOKS THAT ARE DESTROYING THE CORE OF US AS HUMANS, AND THAT'S KIDS. NOW, I'M STANDING UP HERE FOR SOCIETY. WE HAVE FALLEN, AND WE HAVE TO COME BACK. WE INCLUDE THE KIDS THAT ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE. THERE'S A LOT

048OF HURT IN THIS ROOM. THERE'S A LOT OF TRAUMA IN THIS ROOM, AND THESE BOOKS ARE PART OF THE TRAUMA. SO, PLEASE, KEEP THESE BOOKS OUT AND LET'S FOCUS ON THE MENTAL ILLNESS AND THE TRAUMA THAT'S AFFECTING THESE PEOPLE. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. MY NAME IS KALEB. I'M HERE LISTENING TO THE EVIDENCE BEING PRESENTED HERE, AND IT'S -- ANYONE WITH ANY INTELLECTUAL HONESTY AT ALL CAN RECOGNIZE THAT THE CONTENT IN THIS BOOK IS BY DEFINITION PORNOGRAPHIC. AND THAT DISTRIBUTING PORN TO MINORS IS ILLEGAL. WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT IS ILLEGAL. THEREFORE TO PUT IT IN THE SCHOOLS MEANS YOU MUST FIRST CHANGE THE LAW BEFORE YOU CAN DO THAT, AT LEAST IF YOU CARE ABOUT BEING LEGAL, RIGHT? SO MY QUESTION GOES TO, OKAY,

049WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION HERE? WHY WOULD ANYONE EVEN WANT A BOOK LIKE THIS TO MINORS? WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DEFEND THIS? IS IT PEDOPHILIA? I CERTAINLY HOPE NOT. THAT'S OBSCENE. BUT THERE IS ALSO A FAR LEFT EXTREME CULT OUT THERE THAT SEEKS TO INDOCTRINATE PEOPLE AND GETTING THE CHILDREN WHEN THEY ARE AS YOUNG AS POSSIBLE IS A PRETTY GOOD RECRUITMENT STRATEGY. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST REMIND YOU THAT I DON'T GROVEL AT YOUR FEET. I DON'T BOW DOWN TO YOU. YOU WORK FOR US. SO DON'T YOU DARE WHIZ ON US, TELL US IT IS RAINING AND THEN ASK FOR YOUR JOBS BACK NEXT ELECTION. Nadia Combs: NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. I'M HERE TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS. I'M SURE THIS MEETING IS NOT WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO ON A TUESDAY MORNING. MOST PEOPLE HAVE

050BEEN DOWN HERE EVERY MEETING SINCE AT LAST AUGUST FIGHTING AGAINST THIS ONE BOOK IN OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES. WE'VE BEEN READING FROM THIS BOOK THAT YOU AGREE WITH. I CHALLENGE YOU TO READ THIS TO A CHILD. A COUPLE OF THINGS I'M ASKING TO YOU CONSIDER DURING THIS MEETING, THE PEOPLE HERE, THIS MEETING ARE SPEAKING UP FOR THEIR PARENTAL RIGHTS HAVE TAKEN OFF WORK OR PAID BABYSITTERS TO BE HERE. THIS MAY BE ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE FOR YOU BUT FOR US IT'S SO MUCH MORE. BOOK BANNING. WHO IS BOOK BANNING THIS BOOK? % TAKEN OUT OF LOCAL LIBRARIES? HAVE THEY ASKED FOR IT NOT TO BE ON AMAZON OR BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSHELF? CAN PARENTS, IF THEY CHOOSE, STILL GO LOCALLY TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK FOR THEIR CHILD TO HAVE ACCESS TO. ALL THOSE ANSWERS POINT

051TO NO ONE IS BANNING A BOOK, HOWEVER, WE DO ASK THIS BOOK BE REMOVED FROM OUR SCHOOLS WILL KIDS HAVE FREE ACCESS TO THE MATERIAL. HOW IS REMOVING THIS BOOK STOP ANY OTHER PARENT FROM GIVING IT TO THEIR CHILD? PARENTS ARE SIMPLY FIGHTING FOR THEIR PARENTAL RIGHTS AND NOT ALLOWING THEIR CHILDREN TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS BOOK AND MANY JUST LIKE IT. SOME PEOPLE WERE LAUGHING WHEN SOMEONE BROUGHT UP TEACHING ABSTINENCE WAS BEING MENTIONED. WHY IS TEACHING ABSTINENCE TO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, AGES 11 TO 14 SO FUNNY? FINAL QUESTION IS, WHY PERMISSION SLIPS ARE USED FOR CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS TO JOIN SPORT, CERTAIN CLUBS OR EVEN WATCH A PARTICULAR MOVIE DURING CLASS YET YOU DON'T THINK BOOKS HAVE THE SAME PRECAUTIONS. WHO IS LIABLE IF A CHILD DOES MEET UP WITH A STRANGER FOR SEX? Nadia

052Combs: THANK YOU. SPEAKERS 31 THROUGH 36 ARE UP THERE, IF WE COULD PLEASE KEEP MOVING ALONG QUICKLY. THANK YOU. 31 THROUGH 36. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS GAY JONES. ON PAGES 182 AND 183 OF "THIS BOOK IS GAY," THE READER IS INTRODUCED TO GRINDER. GRINDER, IT CLAIMS IS THE MARKET LEADER IN SEX APPS. THE MINIMUM USE OR AGE IS 18. WHAT FOLLOWS IS A HOW-TO FOR GETTING STARTED WHICH INVOLVES THE USER POSTING A PHOTO ON THE SITE AND IMMEDIATELY THE APP PINPOINTS THE USER'S LOCATION AND PROVIDES INFORMATION ON, QUOTE, WHO IS THE NEAREST HOMOSEXUALS ARE, END QUOTE. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? COULD UNDERAGE PARTICIPANTS USE THIS APP? YES, THEY COULD. FROM 2021 NPR ARTICLE ENTITLED HOW GRINDER A POPULAR GAY DATING APP EXPOSES RISK TO MINORS. THE DATING APP GRINDER IS SUPPOSED TO BE

053FOR MEN SEEKING MEN BUT MANY UNDERAGE BOYS ARE USING IT TO HOOK UP WITH ADULTS AND THAT CAN PUT THEM AT RISK OF EXPLOITATION AND TRAFFICKING. MORE THAN A HUNDRED MEN ACROSS THE UNITED STATES HAVE FACED CHARGES SINCE 2015 RELATED TO SEXUALLY ASSAULTING OR ATTEMPTING TO MEET MINORS FOR SEX ON GRINDER, END QUOTE. THESE ARE JUST A FEW. IDAHO MAN RAPED 13-YEAR-OLD BOY AFTER MEETING HIM ON GRINDER. DELAWARE MAN ARRESTED FOR SETTING UP A THREE-WAY WITH 16-YEAR-OLD. HIV POSITIVE TEACHER SEX WITH 16-YEAR-OLD. FINALLY, IN OCTOBER OF 2022, A MICHIGAN MAN WAS FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING, DISMEMBERING AND CANNIBALIZING HIS GRINDER DATE. THESE ARE JUST A FEW REASONS WHY THE SARASOTA AND PINELLAS COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENTS INCLUDE GRINDER ON ITS LIST OF DANGEROUS APPS. Nadia Combs: I CUT YOU OFF BUT GAVE YOU AN EXTRA FEW

054SECONDS. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. I DID GIVE YOU AN EXTRA FIVE SECONDS. YOU'RE DONE, THANK YOU. I'M ASKING YOU TO REMOVE THIS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. MY NAME IS JORDAN. I'M A LIFELONG FLORIDIAN, BUSINESS OWNER AND TAXPAYER. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A BOOK I RECENTLY FOUND. IT'S CALLED "THIS BOOK IS GAY." IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE INTERESTING BECAUSE, FRANKLY, SO AM I. WHY WOULD I THINK IT IS A BAD IDEA TO HAVE THIS BOOK BE ACCESSIBLE TO CHILDREN? WOW, THIS MIKE IS SO LOW. I'M LIKE BENDING DOWN. WELL, IF YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE CONTENT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO DENY THAT THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL IS INAPPROPRIATE AND THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT. WE ALL KNOW WHAT'S IN IT. I DON'T HAVE TO ELABORATE ON THAT. BUT WHAT I WILL ELABORATE ON ARE THE

055EFFECTS THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL WILL HAVE ON CHILDREN. I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS, BUT CHILDREN ARE LIKE SPONGES. YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER'S BRAIN IS HYPERSENSITIVE TO STIMULI, MEANING BEHAVIORS CAN BECOME HABITUAL VERY QUICKLY. WHEN EXPLICIT CONTENT IS CONSUMED DURING ADOLESCENCE, THE BRAIN CREATES NEUROPATHWAYS THAT CRAVES SEXUAL CONTENT. I WANT TO READ A QUICK EXCERPT FROM THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PEDIATRICIANS. EXPOSURE OF EX-POLICE YOU THE CONTENT TO -- EXPLICIT CONTENT OFTEN LEADS TO DISTORTED VIEW OF SEXUALITY AND FOSTERING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. THESE PERSPECTIVES MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO FORM LASTING, MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN MORE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND OVERALL SATISFACTION. IS THERE ANY QUESTION WHY THERE IS A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW? LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN NASHVILLE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. WE

056HAVE TO TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT WHAT OUR CHILDREN ARE CONSUMING. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. MY NAME IS DONALD MORGAN. I HAVE READ THE FEBRUARY 10th AND FEBRUARY 21st MINUTES OF DISTRICT RECONSIDERATION APPEALS COMMITTEE. I APPLAUD THE PROFESSIONAL MANNER IN WHICH THIS REVIEW PROCESS FOR THE BOOK, "THIS BOOK IS GAY," HAS BEEN CONDUCTED. IT IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO NOTE THAT THE REVIEW PROCESS HAS BEEN BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY UPON WHICH OUR REPUBLIC HAB FOUNDED -- HAS BEEN FOUNDED. TO WIT, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN STATED AT THE END OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF 1877 IN RESPONSE TO TO A QUESTION, QUOTE, A REPUBLIC, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT, UNQUOTE. A KEY PRINCIPLE UPON WHICH A REPUBLIC IS BASED IS THAT THE MAJORITY RULES, NOT AN OVERLY LOUD AND RAUCOUS MINORITY WHICH ATTEMPTS TO

057USURP OUR REPUBLIC BY INTIMIDATION VIA OUTSCREAMING THE MAJORITY AND BY IMPLYING NOT SO SUBTLE THREATS OF VIOLENCE, IF THAT MINORITY'S WILL IS THWARTED. ONE OF MY CHILDREN IS NONBINARY. HAS A FIVE-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER WITH HER PARTNER WHO IS A TRANSGENDER WOMAN. THIS WOMAN IS MARINE CORPS VETERAN OF AFGHANISTAN WITH A PURPLE HEART FROM AN IED INCIDENT. SHE HAS SURVIVED AVOIDING AMPUTATION OF RIGHT LEG ONLY AT THE COST OF LIFELONG PAIN AND SUFFERING AND TITANIUM PLATES. THE BOOK "THIS BOOK IS GAY" BETTER BE IN THE LIBRARY OF A FLORIDA SCHOOL MY GRANDDAUGHTER WILL ATTEND IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI THERE. KATHLEEN DANIELS. AS A RESIDENT AND CURRENT PRESIDENT OF OUR STATE SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, I RECENTLY WENT TO GO UP TO TALLAHASSEE TO SPEAK WITH LEGISLATORS, BOTH HOUSE

058REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE, BOTH DEMOCRAT AND GOP. ACROSS THE BOARD, LEGISLATORS AGREE THAT BANNING BOOKS IS BAD. WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM IS WHAT CONSTITUTES AS PORNOGRAPHY. UNLIKE MANY WHO SPOKE TODAY AND LAST WEEK'S MEETING, CITING THE STATUTE DOES NOT MAKE IT SO. IF YOU READ THE ENTIRE BOOK AS I DID YESTERDAY, YOU WOULD READ THAT THE BOOK ACTUALLY DOES ADDRESS WHAT PORNOGRAPHY IS AND IT IS NOT SEX EDUCATION. IT ADVISES YOUTH UNDER 18 TO AVOID APPS LIKE GRINDER DUE TO A MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS AND EVEN AFTER 18 ADDRESSES THE PROBLEMS WITH APPS LIKE THAT. I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE NOT ONLY TO KEEP THE BOOK AT SCHOOL, BUT ALSO TO ADVOCATE TO UPHOLD THE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE'S DECISIONS, BOTH THE SCHOOL SITE AND DISTRICT LEVEL COMMITTEE VOTED TO KEEP THE BOOK. ISN'T LOCAL CONTROL VALUABLE? AREN'T

059THE COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS OF THE SCHOOL'S DECISION EXTREMELY IMPORTANT? ULTIMATELY THE BOOK IS NOT PORNOGRAPHY, EVEN SAID THE LAWYER. TRULY, IF IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL AND IT WOULD BE UNETHICAL TO READ PORNOGRAPHY EXCERPTS ALLOWED IN A PUBLIC SETTING. I DON'T SEE ANYBODY BEING CARTED AWAY IN HANDCUFFS. OUR STATE ORGANIZATION FAME SERVES ALL SCHOOLS PUBLIC CHARTER AND PRIVATE, SO THIS IS NOT A STANCE THAT'S JUST FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL. PROTECT STUDENTS' RIGHTS TO QUALITY RESOURCES VETTED, STUDENTS RIGHTS TO INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM, PROTECT LGBTQ REPRESENTATION FOR STUDENTS, PROTECT THE VALUES AND VOTES AT THE LOCAL, COMMUNITY AND KEEP A RESOURCE THAT IS SEEN AS VALUABLE IN SCHOOLS TO THOSE WHO NEED IT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. I'M LAFITA. A SENIOR FROM LETO HIGH SCHOOL. REPRESENTATION MATTERS. AS A LITTLE KID I ALWAYS THOUGHT LIKING

060OTHER GIRLS WAS UNUSUAL. IMPRINTED IN MY MIND WASN'T SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE TO LIKE THE SAME GENDER. MOVIES SHOWED MEN AND WOMEN IN RELATIONSHIPS, NOTHING ANYTHING ELSE. I NEEDED SOMEONE TO TELL ME IT WAS OKAY TO LIKE WHOMEVER I WANTED. BUT TO SPREAD AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEMS BEHIND BEING IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. THAT GO UNPROVED ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. IF I HAD THIS BOOK IN MIDDLE SCHOOL IT WOULD HAVE MADE IT EASIER TO DISCOVER MY TRUE SELF. SOMEBODY WHO ISN'T AFRAID TO LOVE WHOM THEY LOVE. AT THE END OF THE BOOK IT STATES MANY RESOURCES KIDS CAN GO TO IF THEY EVER NEED HELP OR SOMEONE TO RELATE TO, JUST LIKE I DID. RESOURCES I COULD HAVE USED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL BUT DID NOT ACCESS TO. THE SCHOOL IS NOT FORCING ANYBODY TO READ IT. IT IS

061IN THE LIBRARY WAITING TO BE CHECKED OUT BY SOMEBODY WHO DOES NEED IT. EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE. SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE PARENTS, FRIENDS OR ANYONE TO GO TO. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HELLO. ELISE NUÑEZ. SENIOR AT LETO HIGH SCHOOL. EVER SINCE I COULD WALK I PICKED BOOKS THAT WERE OF INTEREST. MY PARENTS WOULD LOVE TO SURPRISE ME ON THE BIRTHDAY WITH A NEW STORY TO DIG MY FINGERS INTO. I REMEMBER FORMING DEEPER CONNECTIONS ABOUT READING ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES. LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT PEOPLE'S LIFESTYLES. THIS NONFICTION BOOK CAN BE A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS QUESTIONING THEIR SEXUALITY. ALSO USED AS INFORMATION SOURCE OF WHO THEY ARE BUT WANT A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF OTHER PEOPLE'S DESIRES. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THE BOOK SHOULD BE REMOVED

062BECAUSE NOT DEEMED AGE APPROPRIATE. ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, KIDS BEGIN EXPLORING THEIR SEXUAL FEELINGS BY AGE 10. STATES THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS START TO DEVELOP AN INTEREST IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS. YOUNG ADULTS DO NOT HAVE RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION SO THEY RELY ON INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET AND THIS CAN OFTEN BE MISLEADING. THIS BOOK IS NOT BEING FORCED ON ANY PARTICULAR STUDENT. IT IS IN THE MEDIA CENTER FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT OR CHOOSE TO READ IT. ADEQUATE GUIDE EXPLORING WHO THEY ARE AS INDIVIDUALS. SAFER FOR A KID TO RELY A RELIABLE SOURCE APPROVED AND PURCHASED BY A MEDIA SPECIALIST RATHER THAN MISINFORMED BY A NONCRITICAL SOURCE. ONE COULD ARGUE IT WOULD BE HYPOCRITICAL TO REMOVE THE BOOK FROM THE SCHOOL LIBRARY BECAUSE THEY ARE BOOKS THAT INFORM KIDS OF HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS. WE NEED INCLUSIVE

063BOOKS THAT DISCUSS SAME-SEX AND. THE KIDS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THEIR SEXUAL FEELINGS AND THEY WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHO THEY ARE. I ALWAYS FOUND BOOKS A PLACE OF COMFORT WHERE I CAN BE MY AUTHENTIC SELF. WHY SHOULD WE TAKE THIS AWAY -- Nadia Combs: THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. JAVIER ROSARIO. I AM A CISGENDERED HOMOSEXUAL JUNIOR AT LETO HIGH SCHOOL. WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE CONTROVERSY, I QUESTIONED THE FUNCTION OF A SCHOOL. MANY WILL AGREE WITH ME WHEN I SAY THE SCHOOL'S JOB IS TO EDUCATE KIDS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH MATERIALS TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND LEARN WHATEVER THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD. THIS MEANS THAT SCHOOLS JOB IS TEACH AND PREPARE KIDS FOR THE NEXT STEP IN LIFE. IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THIS

064IS A TOPIC THAT SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO PREPARE KIDS FOR LIFE. IF 6th GRADERS ARE OLD ENOUGH TO LEARN ABOUT HETEROSEXUAL SEX THEN THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO LEARN ABOUT WHO WILL HOMOSEXUAL LIFESTYLES. BUT IT IS UP TO THEM TO REGULATE AND POLICE WHAT THEIR CHILD CONSUMES. IF THIS BOOK GETS REMOVED FROM PIERCE, THERE ARE A MILLION OTHER WAYS TO DISCOVER THE INFORMATION, SOME A LOT MORE DANGEROUS THAN OTHERS. OVERALL A SCHOOL CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY PERSON'S PARENTING STYLE. BESIDES, MOST KIDS WILL LAUGH ABOUT GAY AND THEN TELL CLASSMATES SO THEY CAN LAUGH TOGETHER. THEY WILL PROBABLY NEVER READ THE BOOK OR TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. TWO KINDS OF CHILDREN READ THE BOOK. CHILDREN WHO ARE MATURE AND LOOKING TO LEARN ABOUT THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND KIDS WHO ACTUALLY NEED TO DISCOVER

065WHO THEY ARE BECAUSE WITH ALL THE HOMOPHOBIA MIDDLE SCHOOLERS DEAL WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, THEY JUST MIGHT NEED A BOOK TO DISCOVER THEMSELVES. PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE THEIR GENDER OR SEXUALITY BECAUSE OF A BOOK. IT'S NOT THAT GOOD. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. HI. MY NAME IS SHANNON AUG. I AM A PARENT OF THREE YOUNG CHILDREN. THEY WILL BE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TODAY AND JUST GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF STATISTICS. LGBT YOUTH ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE THAN THEIR PEERS, AND SEEN SUICIDE IS VERY -- AND TEEN SUICIDE IS VERY HIGH AMONG CHILDREN 10 TO 20 ANYWAYS. BANNING BOOKS THAT EDUCATE TEENS WILL ONLY INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUICIDE. SO I ASK YOU TO

066THINK ABOUT THE MENTAL WELL-BEING OF OUR CHILDREN AND HAVING ACCESS TO RESOURCES. BOOKS ENHANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF TOPICS AND HISTORY. ALL THE EXCERPTS THAT WERE READ TODAY WERE NITPICKED OUT OF THE BOOK. THEY DIDN'T MENTION THE RESOURCES THAT ARE IN THE BOOK. I DID READ THE BOOK ABOUT COMING OUT, ABOUT SAFETY. AND THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT THINGS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT IF THEY ARE EXPLORING THEIR SEXUALITY. SIMPLY READING A BOOK ABOUT GAY TOPICS WILL NOT MAKE SOMEONE GAY. REMOVING AND BANNING BOOKS WILL NOT ERASE THE GAY. IT ONLY FOSTERS A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT OF INTOLERANCE AND HATE. OUR WORLD IS BECOMING MORE HATEFUL AND MORE INTOLERANT, ESPECIALLY HERE IN FLORIDA. AS LGBT PERSON, I FEEL IT ALL THE TIME. I'M HERE TO STAND FOR THOSE YOUNG CHILDREN THAT ARE EXPLORING THEIR OWN SEXUALITY. Nadia

067Combs: THANK YOU. IF WE COULD PLEASE HAVE SPEAKERS 38 TO 43 TO PLEASE LINE UP. 38 TO 43. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS TANYA BLANTON. PRONOUNS SHE/HER. PARENT AT THREE CHILDREN AT MacFARLANE PARK ELEMENTARY. BOARD MEMBER OF THE PTA AND VOLUNTEER IN THE SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER. ALSO ORDAINED REFORMED JEWISH CAN TORE SERVING CONGREGATION BETHOM AND ITS 200 FAMILIES. WHILE I AM NOT REPRESENTING ANY OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, MY ROLES INFORM MY COMMENTS. I'M HERE TO SPEAK FOR INCLUSION AND AGAINST THE REMOVAL OF "THIS BOOK IS GAY" BY JUNO DAWSON OR ANY BOOK FROM ANY SCHOOL LIBRARY IN OUR DISTRICT. OUR JOB AS PARENTS IS TO HELP OUR CHILDREN NAVIGATE THE INFORMATION THEY COME ACROSS AND TO MAKE SENSE OF CONTENT THAT UPSETS, TROUBLES, CONFUSES, OR CHALLENGES THEM. AS PARENTS, WE HAVE THE RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO

068FRAME WHAT THEY LEARN SO THAT THEY WILL FILTER NEW INFORMATION THROUGH THE LENS OF OUR VALUES. IF A BOOK IS REMOVED FROM A LIBRARY OR A SCHOOL, IT TAKES AWAY A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL CHILDREN, NOT ONLY THOSE WHOSE PARENTS MIGHT OBJECT TO ITS CONTENT. IF YOU AS A PARENT CHOOSE TO CURATE YOUR CHILD'S EXPERIENCE BY LIMITING ACCESS TO CONTENT YOU FIND OBJECTIONABLE, YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO COMMUNICATE THAT DIRECTLY TO YOUR CHILD. IF YOU DON'T TRUST YOUR CHILD TO FOLLOW YOUR RULES, YOU CAN INVOLVE YOUR CHILD'S TEACHER OR MEDIA SPECIALIST WHO WILL BE ABLE TO GUIDE YOUR CHILD TO WHAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER APPROPRIATE. YOU DO NOT, IN MY OPINION, HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT WHAT MY CHILD OR ANYBODY ELSE'S CAN CHOOSE TO READ. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HELLO. I AM

069THEODORE GREENBLATT. I AM A STUDENT AT MacFARLANE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I AM A KID OF TONYA GREENBLATT. I AM IN FIRST GRADE, AND I LIKE THE LIBRARY BECAUSE WHENEVER I NEED TO FIND A BOOK I NEED TO READ, I ASK A MEDIA SPECIALIST IF THEY CAN FIND IT, AND THEY'LL GIVE ME THE BOOK THAT MY GRADE CAN READ. AND IF THEY BAN A BOOK IN MY GRADE THAT I COULD READ, IF I ASK MY MEDIA SPECIALIST TO FIND ME A BOOK THEY MIGHT NOT FIND ANY BOOK. AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY I THINK THIS BOOK SHOULD NOT BE BANNED. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HELLO. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SCHMIDT. I AM THE PARENT OF FOUR KIDS, TWO ADULTS, TWO YOUNGER ONES THAT ARE STILL IN THE DISTRICT AND

070TWO OLDER ONES THAT ARE ADULTS, BUT THEY WENT THROUGH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DISTRICT. I AM VERY ACTIVE ON OUR SCHOOLS AS A VOLUNTEER AND I AGREE WITH TANYA WITH EVERYTHING SHE SAID SO FAR. I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE BANNING OF "THIS BOOK IS GAY." YES, THE BOOK HAS PARTS THAT ARE PROBABLY NOT APPROPRIATE, BUT IF YOU READ THE BOOK COVER TO COVER, IT WILL ALSO EXPLAIN A LOT OF THINGS GIVE KIDS RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO LEARN. IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH A BOOK, SPEAK TO YOUR CHILD. BANNING BOOKS HAS PROVEN THROUGHOUT HISTORY TO BE A TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCE. A PARENT'S JOB IS TO GUIDE THEIR KIDS THROUGH LIFE AND THE MORE INFORMATION THE BETTER. BOOKS ARE MEANT TO BE READ AND DISCUSSED, AGREED OR DISAGREED, BUT NEVER BANNED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Nadia Combs:

071THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HI. MY NAME IS SHARON GRAHAM. I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE PROCESS THAT IS IN PLACE FOR ASSESSING AND REVIEWING ANYTHING THAT IS BROUGHT AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, AND THEN THE SCHOOL BOARD LEVEL. WE HAVE THESE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO PROVIDE LOCAL CONSIDERATIONS AS WELL AS INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THAT IS THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I HAVE READ "THIS BOOK IS GAY" FROM COVER TO COVER. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHERIFF READ THE REVIEWS AND ASSESSMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED. I SUPPORT THOSE. I ALSO SUPPORT ANY DECISION THAT COMES FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD AND I SUPPORT YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. AND I WOULD ALSO

072LIKE TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT FOR CHILDREN WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SUPPORT AT HOME, I CAN SEE THE VALUE OF IT BEING PROVIDED. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS CARMEN EDMONDS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US ALL TO SPEAK TODAY. FIRST, I WANT TO START OFF BY REITERATING THAT NO ONE HERE OPPOSED TO THIS BOOK IS AGAINST THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. WE'RE JUST SIMPLY NOT. WE ARE NOT FOR BANNING BOOKS. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE CALLING FOR AND WE ARE NOT CALLING ON PUBLISHERS TO STOP PUBLISHING THESE BOOKS. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR LOCAL RETAIL STORES TO BAN THEM OR LIMIT ACCESS TO THEM TO ADULT PATRONS WHO WANT TO PURCHASE THEM WHETHER FOR THEMSELVES OR FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THAT'S THEIR CHOICE. WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IS

073THE SCHOOL BOARD TO FOLLOW THE LAW. THE BOOK, "THIS BOOK IS GAY," CLEARLY VIOLATES FLORIDA STATUTE 847. WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, TO FOLLOW THE LAW. LET ME ASK, HOW MANY OF YOU ON THIS BOARD WOULD ALLOW YOUR OWN 11-YEAR-OLD CHILD ACCESS TO THIS BOOK? A BOOK THAT TEACHES THEM HOW TO ACCESS ADULT DATING APPS, A BOOK THAT TEACHES THEM CASUAL HOOKUPS AND PORN IS NORMAL. THIS IS NOTHING SHORT OF SETTING OUR CHILDREN UP FOR EXPOSURE TO PREDATORS AND GROOMERS. FLORIDA RANKS NUMBER THREE IN THE COUNTRY IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING. CHILDREN GO MISSING AND ARE EXPLOITED EVERY WEEK IN OUR COUNTY. WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHY THE SCHOOL BOARD CONTINUES TO IGNORE STATE LAW AND IN TURN PUTS OUR CHILDREN AT RISK. WE MUST DO BETTER. WE MUST REMOVE AGE-INAPPROPRIATE BOOKS. THAT'S

074ALL WE'RE ASKING, REMOVE AGE-INAPPROPRIATE BOOKS FROM OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES. FOR SOME OF THE PEOPLE MAKING THE STATEMENT LIKE KIDS SHOULD MONITOR THEMSELVES AT SCHOOL, WELL, AS A PARENT, WE CAN'T FOLLOW OUR KID TO SCHOOL. EXPOSURE TO AT HOME BUT WHEN THEY ARE ON YOUR WATCH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT. I'VE ADDRESSED THAT BEFORE WITH THE SCHOOL WITH DRUGS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. SIMON RO. I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE BANNING OF "THIS BOOK IS GAY." WHILE THE BOOK CAME OUT WHILE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL I READ MANY BOOKS IN MY K-12 SCHOOLING WITHOUT MY PARENTS' PERMISSION. I WORRY STUDENTS ARE LOSING THE RIGHT TO A DECENT EDUCATION. BEING EXPOSED TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND PERSPECTIVES. LGBT TEENS HAVING BOOKS LIKE "THIS BOOK IS GAY" CAN PROVIDE LIFESAVING INFO AND ASSIST

075TEENS LEARN ABOUT A COMMUNITY. IF BOOKS LIKE THESE CAN MAKE CHILDREN AWARE OF HEALTH CARE, GIVE THEM HISTORY OR HOPE TO SURVIVE TO ADULTHOOD, THEN THEY ARE WORTH KEEPING ON THE SHELVES. STUDENTS AND TEACHERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO CURATE THEIR OWN LIBRARIES. WE KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALTERNATIVE. MANY LGBT FACE BULLYING IN SCHOOL AND ADULTS LEGALIZING IT ONLY MAKES IT WORSE. LGBT CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND SAFETY SHOULD BE PROTECTED. AND THAT INCLUDES ACCESS TO INFORMATION. WHEN A TEENAGER HAS LIMITED ACCESS TO COMMUNITIES ONLINE AND REAL LIFE, OFTEN DUE TO SO-CALLED PARENTS YOU'LL SEE BEFORE YOU IN PUBLIC COMMENT, A BOOK LIKE THIS IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THEIR SURVIVAL IN A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE WOULD RATHER BE DEAD THAN GAY. SPEAKING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I READ A BOOK IN HIGH SCHOOL.

076I CHECKED IT OUT FROM MY LOCAL LIBRARY AND THAT'S HOW I REALIZED I WAS BISEXUAL. I'M HERE TO HAVE THE SAME LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN HERE IN OUR SCHOOLS. THEY SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW THAT IT IS OKAY TO BE THEMSELVES. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. KATHY JAMES. I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL NOT TO BAN THIS BOOK FROM PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME I SPOKE TO ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT BANNING BOOKS WAS IN 2005 WHEN THEN COUNTY COMMISSIONER RONDA STORMS HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH BOOKS IN OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES AROUND THE COUNTY. 18 YEARS LATER, HERE WE ARE. THIS IS JUST THE TOE IN THE WATER FOR THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE WANTED TO BAN THIS BOOK. SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL ABOUT BANNING ANY

077BOOKS. THE PROCESS SEEMS TERRIFIC. UNANIMOUSLY, THE PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL MEDIA MATERIALS COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY SAID LET'S KEEP IT IN THE LIBRARY. AND THEN THE DISTRICT RECONSIDERATION APPEAL COMMITTEE, 8-2, IN FAVOR OF KEEPING IT IN THE LIBRARY. BE CAREFUL ABOUT BANNING BOOKS. IT DOESN'T END WELL. THANKS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. DAVE COLEMAN. I'M FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I ACTUALLY LIVE HERE. I WAS HERE LAST WEEK AND THERE WAS ONLY LIKE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN SUPPORT OF KEEPING THIS BOOK. IT JUST WENT ON AND ON AND ON FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF OF THE EXCERPT READING FROM THE OTHER SIDE. SO GLAD THAT THERE ARE MORE FAIR REPRESENTATION OF OUR ACTUAL COMMUNITY HERE TODAY. I DO AGREE WITH SOME PREVIOUS SPEAKER WHO SAID THAT THERE WERE POLICE IN THIS ROOM AND

078IN FRONT OF A CHILD, SOME REALLY QUESTIONABLE THINGS WERE BEING READ IN FRONT OF A CHILD. I DIDN'T SIT AT LAST WEEK'S MEETING. I SPOKE NUMBER FIVE, A FRIEND WAS SPEAKING AT 51. I WENT OUTSIDE. I COULD NOT SIT AND LISTEN TO WHAT YOU GUYS HAD TO ENDURE LAST WEEK. I WASN'T ABOUT TO SIT AND LISTEN TO THAT. THERE IS AN INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER 9 BY THE AUTHOR THAT CLEARLY SAYS, THIS CHAPTER IS ABOUT SEX AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THERE, DON'T. IT IS SUGGESTED AS A 14 TO 17-YEAR-OLD READERSHIP BY THE AUTHOR. SO IF IT DOESN'T END UP STAYING IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE OTHER TWO PLACES WHERE IT'S FOUND IS A TECH SCHOOL AND A HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY. I'D BE ALL FOR THAT. JUST

079THIS SATURDAY AND YOU CAN FIND THIS EASY ENOUGH, JUNO DAWSON DID A THING, THE AUTHOR OF -- Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. MY NAME IS LISA. BEFORE I GET STARTED, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I DID GIVE A COPY OF THE ARTICLE THAT I'LL BE READING FROM TO THIS PERSON OVER HERE. Jim Porter: IT'S BEEN PLACED INTO THE RECORD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. EXPOSING A CHILD TO PORNOGRAPHY IS A CRIME IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. GROOMING A CHILD IS A CRIME IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. FLORIDA IS THIRD IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING. YOU'VE HEARD THAT REPEATEDLY TODAY. TAMPA IS THIRD. I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS PARTICULAR BOOK CONTAINS PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL AND IMAGES. THE STATS THAT I PULLED ARE FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER OF SEXUAL

080EXPLOITATION AND THE ARTICLE IS CALLED "DAMAGED CAUSED BY CHILDHOOD EXPOSURE TO PORNOGRAPHY." IT STATES ADOLESCENTS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE THAN ADULTS TO ADDICTIONS AND TO DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN. ACCORDINGLY, THERE ARE MANY POTENTIAL NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES RELATED TO CHILDREN VIEWING PORNOGRAPHY. I'D LIKE TO CALL ON GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS -- Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANK YOU. BRIAN PARIS. THIS IS BREAKING THE LAW. EVERYBODY SAID IT EARLIER. THANK YOU. I KNOW. I APPRECIATE IT. HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS NUMBER THREE IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA. NOTHING SEEMS BEING DONE ABOUT IT. KEEPS GETTING WORSE AND WORSE. WE LIVE IN A CITY WHERE WE'RE NUMBER ONE IN STRIP CLUBS. SO IT'S EASY TO MANIPULATE THE CHILDREN. TRYING TO SAY THEY TAKE OVER THE COUNTRY WITHOUT FIRING ONE BULLET WITH INDOCTRINATION AND MARXISM. THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON.

081I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST WATCHED CHILD ABUSE HAPPEN RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, SOMEONE USING THEIR CHILD TO USE THIS SITUATION AS INDOCTRINATION. Nadia Combs: SIR, PLEASE STICKING TO THE BOOK. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BOOK. [MUTING] WHY ARE YOU MUTING? THIS IS ABOUT A BOOK. Nadia Combs: WE'LL RESTART YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. Nadia Combs: WE WANT TO MAKE SURE -- Jim Porter: THIS IS ABOUT A BOOK IN THE LIBRARY -- ISN'T THAT WHY WE'RE HERE? Jim Porter: THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. YOU NEED TO FOCUS YOUR REMARKS ON THIS SPECIFIC BOOK. OKAY. I HAVE DEGREES, TOO. SINCE EVERYBODY SAID THEY HAVE A DEGREE AND EXPERT IN IT. I AM FORMER UNITED STATES MILITARY VETERAN. I'M NOT A FORMER VETERAN, I'M NOT DEAD YET. Nadia Combs: WE'RE GOING TO RESTART YOUR TIME. IF YOU

082COULD PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE BOOK. EVERYBODY IS ALLOWED TO SAY THEIR CREDENTIALS AND I CAN'T? Nadia Combs: SIR, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE 34 SECONDS LEFT. MY TIME WAS RESTARTED. Nadia Combs: GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. AS A VETERAN AND SOMEONE WHO HAS A DEGREE, TOO, THIS IS NOT GOOD MATERIAL. THIS IS PORNOGRAPHIC. THIS IS INDOCTRINATION. IT'S SICKENING. AS AN ADULT, YEAH, AS AN ADULT, SOMETIMES WE MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS, SOMETIMES WE DON'T. IT'S MY RIGHT AS AN ADULT TO SAY IF I WOULD WANT MY KIDS TO READ THIS OR NOT. IT'S ALL BY THEIR OWN FAMILIES PRIVATELY. THIS SHOULDN'T BE PUBLICLY FUNDED, JUST LIKE ABORTIONS SHOULDN'T BE PUBLICLY FUNDED BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE TODAY. I'M JUST SAYING. WE'RE ALLOWED TO MAKE CHIME INS FROM THE AUDIENCE BUT I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING IN MY TIME.

083I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. ANYWAY, YOUR JOB IS TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CHILDREN. YOUR JOB IS TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THE PEOPLE. THAT'S YOUR OATH. YOU SWORE AN OATH ON THE BIBLE AND THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION WHEN YOU'RE SWORN IN TO BE ELECTED. SO THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: YOU DID HAVE 35 SECONDS REMAINING, JUST SO YOU KNOW. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. JOSIE FIQQI. RESIDE IN VALRICO IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AS YOU HEARD, YOU HAVE BROKEN SEVERAL STATE LAWS WITH YOUR DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF THIS BOOK, BUT I'M HERE TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU HAVE ALSO VIOLATED FEDERAL LAWS. I'M CALLING ON THE PARENTS TODAY TO REPORT EVERY ONE OF YOU TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HERE IN FLORIDA. I ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I DO

084HAVE THE FEDERAL CODES IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE BREAKING HERE. YOU HAVE THESE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION, AS YOU SAY, TO BE ALL INCLUSIVE AND INCLUDING, BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU ALL IS HOW MANY BIBLES ARE IN THE CLASSROOM TODAY? LIBRARY OR RECOMMENDED -- OR ON A RECOMMENDED READING LIST BY ANY OF YOU. THE BIBLE TO THIS DAY IS EASILY THE MOST READ BOOK IN THE WORLD AND THAT IS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. IT IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE SOLD OVER 40 MILLION COPIES IN THE LAST 60 YEARS AND THAT IS PROVEN. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU FEAR THAT YOU CANNOT SUPPORT IT IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL AS ON A READING LIST BUT YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS NONSENSE? AS EDUCATORS AND LEADERS, YOUR ONE JOB IS TO EDUCATE CHILDREN ON THE FUNCTIONS THEY NEED TO

085BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA. YOU HAVE ALL FAILED AND ONCE AGAIN I'M HERE TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU ARE BREAKING STATE LAWS AND FEDERAL LAWS. OUR MISSION AS PARENTS IS TO PURSUE CHARGES AND HAVE THOSE THAT STAND REMOVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL SUPER PAC, I ENSURE YOU THAT WILL HAPPEN. Nadia Combs: NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU. IF WE COULD PLEASE CALL UP SPEAKERS 47 TO 51. THANK YOU. HI. BOBBY EWING. I'M A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND AN ORGANIZE WE ARE THE PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION. TODAY, AS YOU ALL KNOW, SET TO DISCUSS THE BOOK "THIS BOOK IS GAY" BY JUNO DAWSON. THIS HAS COME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF A CAMPAIGN BY RIGHT WING OPERATIVES WHO HAVE TRAVELED FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY TO

086TRY TO INTIMIDATE SCHOOL BOARDS AROUND THE STATE TO BAN ANY BOOKS THAT MAKE REFERENCE TO NOT ONLY LGBTQ+ IDENTITY BUT THE BLACK LIBERATION AND CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLES AND ANY CONTENT THEY DEEM CONTRARY TO THEIR FAR RIGHT AGENDA. THIS CONTEXT IS VITALLY NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS BOOK AND THIS MEETING IS NOT HAPPENING IN A VACUUM. THEY ARE CITING THE LAW AS THE REASON WHY YOU SHOULD BAN THIS BOOK. YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THAT SEGREGATION WAS ALSO LEGAL. LYNCHING WAS LEGAL AND SLAVERY WAS LEGAL. THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE LAW HAS BEEN USED AS A WEAPON AGAINST PROGRESSIVE CHANGE, A WEAPON AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE, QUEER PEOPLE AND WORKING CLASS PEOPLE AND IT CONTINUES TO BE USED THIS WAY TODAY AS THIS MEETING IS DEMONSTRATING. THE LAW EXISTS TO UPHOLD EXPLOITATION AND DEPRESSION. AS MARTIN LUTHER

087KING, JR. SAID, WE HAVE A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO DISOBEY UNJUST LAWS. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING. JENNIFER FABEAU. GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE HAS HAD COFFEE THIS MORNING. I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON "THIS BOOK IS GAY" AS WELL. LAST WEEK ALSO SPOKEN ON THESE INAPPROPRIATE BOOKS. I HAVE A BEST FRIEND FOR 42 YEARS WHO IS GAY. MY BROTHER'S MOTHER IS GAY. THIS IS NOT A HETEROSEXUAL VERSUS HOMOSEXUAL VERSUS TRANSOR CIS ISSUE. THIS IS AGAIN A LEGAL ISSUE IN DISTRIBUTING PORNOGRAPHY TO OUR KIDS, PERIOD. I WOULD BEHOOVE ANYONE TO SAY THAT PROTECTING A CHILD ON ALL ASPECTS AND SIDES OF THESE DEMOGRAPHICS DOESN'T ENTAIL NOT HANDING PORN TO CHILDREN AND FOLLOWING THE LAW. I WOULD ALSO BEG TO SAY THAT EVERYBODY HERE IS A LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN WHO WOULD NOT WANT

088TO OR KNOWINGLY DISTRIBUTE PORNOGRAPHY TO A CHILD. I COULD BE WRONG. I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ENCOURAGE ANY ONE OF YOU TO TAKE THIS BOOK AND HAND IT TO ONE OF MY CHILDREN IN FRONT OF ME, BECAUSE I PROMISE YOU IT WOULD BE DISTRIBUTING PORNOGRAPHY TO MY CHILD. WHO IS HANDING THESE BOOKS TO THE KIDS WHEN THEY ARE CHECKING THEM OUT IN THE MEDIA CENTER? IS IT THE MEDIA SPECIALIST? SO IS IT THERE WHERE WE HAVE TO START TO FIND A WAY TO GET AND PROTECT ALL CHILDREN, TRANS, CIS, HOMOSEXUAL, HETEROSEXUAL, I DON'T CARE. THEY ARE STILL CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18. THEY ARE MINORS. THIS IS ILLEGAL. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HELLO. MANUEL RAMOS WITH TURNING POINT USA. IN A WORLD WHERE REALITY HAS BECOME RELATIVE, I AM SPEAKING ABOUT

089THE BOOK, BY THE WAY. IN A WORLD WHERE REALITY HAS BECOME RELATIVE IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT OUR CHILDREN BECOME A GOVERNMENT EXPERIMENT. RATHER THAN PROVIDE AN EDUCATION, THEY ARE GIVEN INDOCTRINATION. CHILDREN BECOME VICTIMS WHEN ADULTS BECOME SUBMISSIVE. IN CONVINCING THEM IT'S OKAY TO GIVE A BOOK IN A PUBLIC TAX-FUNDED LIBRARY THAT EXPLICITLY DEPICTS PEDOPHILIA, PORNOGRAPHY AND HOW TO USE GAY SEX APPS. IMAGINE IF YOU FOUND YOURSELF AT A PACKED SCHOOL BOARD MEETING QUESTIONING AND DEMANDING THAT THE SAME GOVERNMENT THAT APPROVED THE BOOK IN THE SCHOOLS BE THE GOVERNMENT THAT TAKES IT OUT. HERE IS A REMINDER THAT ALL OUR RIGHTS COME FROM A POWER GREATER THAN OURSELVES. THEY COME FROM GOD, NOT FROM A POORLY ELECTED GROUP OF ABSENT-MINDED VALIDATION SEEKERS WHO ALLOWED A PER VERSION AT THE HANDS OF OUR YOUTH. THE PRESSURE IS

090ON YOU AND THE REMINDER THAT YOUR ELECTED IS ON US. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. IF WE COULD HAVE SPEAKERS 52 TO 58 PLEASE LINE UP. HI. MY NAME IS HAMARA. I'M HERE TO THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS HERE FOR DOING YOUR JOB. YOU WERE FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURES AS THEY ARE LAID OUT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. EVERYBODY WHO HAS SPOKEN HERE TODAY HAS SPOKEN ON THE PROCESS, THE EVALUATION -- FOR THE EVALUATION OF THIS BOOK BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF THIS PROCESS. SO THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR JOB. I SUPPORT WHATEVER DECISION YOU MAKE REGARDING THIS BOOK. AGAIN, I ASK THAT YOU DO IT BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS. MAKE YOUR DECISION BASED ON WHAT THE PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL COMMITTEE HAS SAID. GIVE THAT CAREFUL THOUGHT. OF COURSE, GIVE THOUGHT TO WHAT PARENTS HAVE

091SAID, BUT LET'S NOT HAVE THE DECISION BASED BECAUSE OF PRESSURE FROM POLITICAL THEATER. I'M NUMBER 50. THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT LEFT TO BE SAID. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING CHILDREN, THERE ARE AN ABUNDANCE OF OTHER ISSUES THAT ACTUALLY DO PRESENT A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE CHILDREN OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. GUN VIOLENCE, FAMILIES WHO CAN'T AFFORD A PLACE TO LIVE, HUNGER, CLIMATE CHANGE, ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, EFFORTS TO DENY THE HUMANITY OF MEMBERS OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY, WHETHER PARENTS, CHILDREN OR ADULTS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS RACHAEL. WHILE THIS BOOK CAN BE CONTROVERSIAL AND SOME PARENTS ARE NOT OKAY WITH THEIR CHILDREN READING IT, THE PROCESS THE STATE REQUIRES ALREADY OCCURRED. DON'T ALLOW A GROUP HERE TO BULLY YOU. TWO REVIEW COMMITTEES HAVE ALREADY VOTED TO KEEP THE BOOK.

092IT IS NOT REQUIRED READING OR CURRICULUM. IT IS SELF-SELECTED AND A PARENT CAN TELL THEIR CHILD AND THE LIBRARIAN THAT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO READ IT. THE STUDENTS REACHING FOR "THIS BOOK IS GAY" ARE DOING SO BECAUSE THEY ARE QUESTIONING THEIR SEXUALITY AND THEY WANT ACCURATE INFORMATION INSTEAD OF GETTING INCORRECT INFORMATION ONLINE BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT HAVE A SAFE SPACE AT HOME. THE AUTHOR CLEARLY STATES TO SKIP CERTAIN CHAPTERS IF THEY ARE TOO YOUNG AND ISSUES WARNINGS THROUGHOUT. THE ARGUMENT THAT KIDS' PARENTS CAN JUST BUY THE BOOK IS NOT SUFFICIENT. 18% OF CHILDREN IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE LIVING UNDER THE POVERTY LINE. SCHOOL LIBRARIES ARE THEIR ONLY ACCESS TO BOOKS. ULTIMATELY THIS MEETING IS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL RESPECT THE QUALIFIED MEDIA SPECIALISTS WHO DEDICATED THEIR TIME TO REVIEWING THIS BOOK CAUTIOUSLY AND

093HONESTLY, RESPECTING THE SCHOOL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND THEIR DECISION AND THE DISTRICT REVIEW COMMITTEE DECISION. PLEASE RESPECT THEIR DECISION MADE BY THREE ENTITIES TO KEEP THIS BOOK. DON'T LET THIS BECOME THE STEPPINGSTONE TO REMOVING MANY MORE. OTHERWISE, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO DRAW THE LINE? THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. MY NAME IS CARLA. I'M HERE TO URGE ALL SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO HONOR THE DECISION MADE BY THE PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL COMMITTEE SAYING THAT THE BOOK SHOULD STAY. WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR LGBTQ STUDENTS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE SAFE PLACES TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED TO LEARN ABOUT. THE OUTSIDE WORLD DOESN'T ALWAYS OFFER THAT. AS WE CAN SEE HERE, THERE'S PEOPLE WITH A REALLY HATEFUL AGENDA HERE WHO DON'T WANT GAY PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO EXIST

094OR TRANSPEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO EXIST FREELY. THEY WANT TO SEND THEM BACK IN THE CLOSET. WE AS A COMMUNITY AND AS A SOCIETY, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT COMPLICIT IN THAT. THAT WE'RE NOT COMPLICIT IN RON DESANTIS' PLAN TO GENOCIDE TRANSPEOPLE AND GAY PEOPLE AND TO SEND THEM BACK. THIS IS PART OF THE LARGER ATTACKS ON WORKERS, ON BLACK PEOPLE -- Nadia Combs: WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE TALK ABOUT THE BOOK, OKAY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REALIZE THAT THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE BOOK. THIS IS PART OF A MUCH LARGER AGENDA TO DIVIDE WORKERS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS STATE IS A WHITE SUPREMACIST, HATEFUL STATE. [YELLING FROM THE AUDIENCE] Nadia Combs: EXCUSE ME, AUDIENCE, PLEASE. Jim Porter: -- THE COMMENTS SHOULD BE ON THE BOOK. WE

095NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS BOOK IS KEPT IN SCHOOLS AND THAT NO MORE BOOKS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE BANNED AND WE'RE NOT CAPITULATING TO RON DESANTIS' WHITE SUPREMACIST AGENDA. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: I SEE A FEW PEOPLE. CAN YOU PLEASE BE CIVIL AND PLEASE GIVE THE SAME AUDIENCE -- PLEASE GIVE PEOPLE THE SAME RESPECT THEY GAVE YOU WHEN YOU SPOKE. EXCUSE ME, MA'AM, PLEASE OR YOU WILL BE REMOVED. PLEASE BE QUIET AND LET THE REMAINING SPEAKERS SPEAK. THANK YOU. DEBBIE HUNT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MORNING OR AFTERNOON. IN THE BOOK, "THIS BOOK IS GAY," THERE ARE REFERENCES TO TWO ADULT SEX APPS, GRINDER AND SCRUFF. WHICH THE AUTHOR STATES ARE ADULT SEX APPS. HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK ON THE APP PROGRAM, THEY ARE NOT. THEY ARE 17 +. CONCERN HAS BEEN EXPRESSED ABOUT

096THE VULNERABILITY OF STUDENTS WHO MAY USE THESE APPS. WE HAVE HAD A SITUATION IN OUR OWN COUNTY, I HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH THE ARTICLE. ONE OF OUR OWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS WAS ARRESTED IN A SEXTING STING. HE WAS COMMUNICATING WITH WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A 15-YEAR-OLD STUDENT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THANKFULLY IT WAS A DEPUTY ON THE OTHER END OF THE SEXTING. THIS SERVES AS A VERY REAL WARNING TO EACH OF US ABOUT THE HAZARDS OF HAVING OBSCENE INFORMATION IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE SITUATION COULD HAVE TURNED OUT QUITE TRAGICALLY. HE WAS USING THE SCRUFF APP, WHICH WAS REFERENCED ON PAGE 186. I UNDERSTAND "THIS BOOK IS GAY" WAS SUPPOSEDLY BROUGHT IN BECAUSE A LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST WAS ASKED TO. THIS IS NOT ABOUT REMOVING LGBTQ GAY BOOKS. IT'S ABOUT REMOVING OBSCENITY FROM OUR PUBLIC

097SCHOOL LIBRARIES. OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES. WOULD A MEDIA SPECIALIST BRING IN PLAYBOY OR HUSTLER? Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HELLO, EVERYBODY. I'M ERIN WILY. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON "THIS BOOK IS GAY." THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I NEED TO SAY. FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS NO MORE PORNOGRAPHIC THAN THE JIMINEY CRICKET CARTOONS THAT I WAS QUITE LITERALLY SHOWN AS A HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL STUDENT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THERE IS NO PORNOGRAPHIC ELEMENT TO THIS BOOK REGARDLESS. THAT IS PART OF THE ISSUE HERE. BUT THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THE BOOK AND THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT WORKS, THAT PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS TOLD US IS WORKING. THE COMMITTEE HAS DECIDED UNANIMOUSLY WHAT DECISION THEY WANT TO HAVE. HOWEVER, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE POLITICAL THEATER BY PEOPLE AS

098YOU'VE SEEN TODAY IN THE ROOM WHO TELL YOU THAT THIS IS ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S SAFETY WHEN IT COMES TO THIS BOOK. IF WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CHILDREN'S SAFETY, THEY WOULD NOT BE CHALLENGING A BOOK THAT WAS NOT, IN FACT, EVEN ON THE SHELVES AT PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. WHAT WE KNOW, THERE ARE TWO COPIES OF THAT BOOK. ONE THAT WAS CHECKED OUT BY AN 8th GRADER AND NEVER RETURNED AND ONE NEVER THERE. THIS BOOK WAS NEVER ON THE SHELVES IN THE FIRST PLACE TO HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE. THIS IS POLITICAL THEATER AND NEEDS TO BE STOPPED AND WE NEED TO UPHOLD THE PROCESS IN PLACE WHICH IS WORKING AND WORKING WELL. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HI. KATHERINE MORRIS. I JUST WANT TO FIRST OF ALL THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR HARD

099WORK. I KNOW THIS POLITICAL THEATER HAS BECOME VERY REAL FOR A LOT OF YOU. IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT SOME OF THE IGNORANCE AND VIOLENCE THAT I SEE THAT IS BEING THRUST UPON YOU HAS BEEN TAKEN A LITTLE TOO FAR. THE FACT IS I DO UPHOLD THE PROCESS. I APPRECIATE THE PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE PUT IN PLACE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY THE LAW. I CONTINUE TO -- OR ASK TO YOU CONTINUE THIS PROCESS BECAUSE LET'S NOT PRETEND THAT THIS ISN'T A POLITICAL STUNT. REMEMBER, WE HAVE A TEACHER, AN ART TEACHER IN TALLAHASSEE THAT WAS JUST FIRED FOR SHOWING MICHELANGELO'S DAVID. WE HAVE TEACHERS THAT ARE AFRAID OF GETTING THEIR VOTING RIGHTS TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM AS WELL AS THEIR ENTIRE -- A POSSIBLE FELONY BEING THRUSTED UPON THEM BECAUSE OF HAVING THEIR OWN PERSONAL LIBRARIES. THIS IS

100A POLITICAL STUNT. AND THE FACT IS THAT BOOK BANNING, THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING. THIS IS BOOK BANNING. WE CAN'T BE AFRAID TO ALLOW FREE THOUGHT, ALLOW THE CONVERSATIONS THAT SOME CHILDREN MAY NEED TO HAVE, OTHER CHILDREN MAY NOT NEED TO HAVE. BUT IT IS NOT OUR DUTY TO DECIDE WHAT ARE THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO BE HAD. IF YOU HAVE A YOUNG CHILD WHO IS NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AT HOME, THEY NEED TO HAVE A SAFE SPACE TO DO SO. I APPRECIATE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE READ THE BOOK COVER TO COVER THAT ARE NOT JUST TRYING TO TAKE SNIPPETS OUT OF IT AND MAKE IT INTO A BIG BOOGIE MAN SCENARIO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD MORNING. I'M HERE

101TO SPEAK ABOUT THE BOOK IN QUESTION. MY NAME IS SAM. I'M 39 YEARS OLD. I'VE LIVED IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS. I MOVED TO THE U.S. WHEN I WAS 23-YEAR-OLDS FROM INDIA. I REALIZED I WAS A LESBIAN WHEN I WAS PROBABLY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13 AND 16 YEARS OLD. AT THAT POINT WHEN I LEFT INDIA, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I COULD GO TO JAIL FOR UP TO TEN YEARS FOR BEING GAY IN MY OWN HOME COUNTRY. TODAY I HAVE THREE MASTERS DEGREES. MARRIED TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND VERY SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL. I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE TOO OFTEN THE ONLY THING QUEERNESS IS EQUATED WITH IS SEX AND PORNOGRAPHY. KIND OF SICK AND TIRED OF THAT. I CAN'T IGNORE THE FACT THAT THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS SHOW

102UP TO OPPOSE ANYTHING LGBTQ+ WITH ISOLATED NON-CONTEXTUAL EXAMPLES OF PORNOGRAPHY ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE FOR THE MOST PART HERE TODAY. WE STILL CAN'T TALK ABOUT QUEER PEOPLE WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT SEX. IT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. IF THE BOOK WASN'T TITLED "THIS BOOK IS GAY" I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CONTENT WOULD EVEN BE NOTICED. BUT THAT'S THE REAL PROBLEM HERE. BUT THAT'S NOT EVEN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. YOU'VE HEARD FROM STUDENTS. THAT IS THE COMMUNITY YOU SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON. THEY WANT THESE BOOKS IN THEIR LIBRARIES BECAUSE IT HELPS THEM BECOME WHO THEY ARE AND UNDERSTAND WHO THEIR PEERS AND COUNTERPARTS ARE BECOMING. THE STUDENTS ARE THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE HERE. ONLY THEIR VOICE MATTERS. PLEASE LISTEN TO THEM. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. HELLO. JACK WALLACE. I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND

103LIBERATION. LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK. IT'S NOT PORNOGRAPHIC OR OBSCENE TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT BEING QUEER IS NOT GROOMING THEM. IT'S SUPPORTING A CHILD'S IDENTITY. THESE BOOK BANS REPRESENT A LARGER ATTACK ON THE INSTITUTION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION. THE RIGHT WING BILLIONAIRES THAT FUND MOM FOR LIBERTY AND TURNING POINT USA FUND BOGUS ACTIVISTS TO COME OUT TO A PLACE THEY DON'T LIVE AND TRY TO GET BOOKS BANNED. THEY ATTACK PUBLIC EDUCATION AND DESTROY ITS REPUTATION SO THAT IT'S MORE EASILY PRIVATIZED AND TO ATTACK QUEER STUDENTS. THOSE ARE THE TWO BIRDS THEY ARE TRYING TO HIT IT WITH ONE STONE. THE MATTER ALREADY DECIDED LOCALLY. DO NOT CAPITULATE TO RACIST AND HOMOPHOBIC GOTTEN AS BEHIND ME AND -- GOON BEHIND ME AND THEY DO NOT REPRESENT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. ONE OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS WAS THROWN

104OUT BY POLICE FOR COMMENTS HERE. SHAME ON THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD FOR THROWING THIS WOMAN OUT WHO WAS JUST SPEAKING HER MIND. SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG. SHE WAS ACTUALLY JUST THROWN OUT BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. IF THAT'S NOT SUPPRESSION OF FREE SPEECH, I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT ELSE THAT WOULD BE. MAN HANDLED HER REALLY. IF YOU WANT TO GO OUTSIDE AND SPEAK WITH HER AND MAYBE REPRIMAND SOME OF THE OFFICERS OR SOMETHING, THAT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. OUR FINAL SPEAKER FOR TODAY. SARAH PEACOCK. TEACHING ABOUT SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY DOESN'T TEACH CHILDREN TO BE SOMETHING. IT TEACHES THEM THAT THE WORLD ACCEPTS THEM FOR WHO THEY ALREADY ARE. TO REMOVE THIS REASSURANCE OF ACCEPTANCE IS CREATE A HOSTILE WORLD THAT DISEMPOWERS A CHILD IN

105FORMATIVE YEARS. THIS IS NEGLECTFUL AND OUTWORST OUTRIGHT ABUSIVE. WE HAVE NO CONTROL WHETHER THE CHILDREN WILL BE ACCEPTED BY PARENTS AND FAMILIES BUT ABSOLUTELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT WE CREATE FOR STUDENTS IN THE HUNDREDS OF HOURS EACH YEAR THAT WE CARE FOR THEM. I WENT TO A FLORIDA PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL, MY FIRST PEER GOT PREGNANT AT 12 IN THE 7th GRADE. SEX EDUCATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SOME PARENTS PRUDENESS. I'M GLAD HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SEXUAL EXPLOITATION HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP SO FREQUENTLY BECAUSE BOOKS LIKE THIS GIVE CHILDREN THE LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE SEXUAL ABUSE. IT TELLS THEM THAT THEIR BOUNDARIES DESERVE TO BE RESPECTED. IF YOU DON'T WANT CHILDREN TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE EXPLOITATION, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE SHOULD BE LISTENING TO YOUR OPINION ON ANYTHING AT ALL. I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE ABLE

106TO RELY ON THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, EVEN IF TURNING POINT USA AND OTHER POLITICAL OPERATIVES ARE TRYING TO USE OUR CHILDREN FOR THEIR OWN PURPOSES. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THAT WILL CONCLUDE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT. AUDIENCE, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I PLEASE ASK AND REQUEST FOR EVERYONE TO BE RESPECTFUL AS BOARD MEMBERS SPEAK AND AS THE SUPERINTENDENT AND EVERYONE SPEAKS. IF THERE IS SOME DISRUPTION, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE. THANK YOU. THE FOLLOWING ITEM WILL NOW BE HEARD, C 1.01, TO DISCUSS THE APPEAL OF THE DISTRICT LEVEL DECISION REGARDING THE RECONSIDERATION OF THE CHALLENGED MATERIAL "THIS BOOK IS GAY" BY JUNO DAWSON. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR,. I'LL HAND OVER TO MR. PORTER FIRST TO SET THE GROUND RULES OR THE EXPECTATIONS AND TRANSITION BACK TO ME. Jim Porter:

107THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC. TODAY, AGAIN, AS WE SAID AT THE OUTSET, YOU ARE HERE FOR ONE SPECIFIC REASON -- THE CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER THE BOOK "THIS BOOK IS GAY" BELONGS IN PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS THE ONLY MIDDLE SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY WHERE THIS BOOK IS FOUND. THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE DISTRICT THAT HAS THREE LEVELS. THE FIRST LEVEL WHEN A BOOK IS CHALLENGED THAT IT IS HEARD BY A COMMITTEE BASED OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. THAT COMMITTEE FOUND THAT THE BOOK SHOULD REMAIN IN THE LIBRARY. THE PERSON THEN HAS THE RIGHT TO APPEAL THAT TO A DISTRICT LEVEL COMMITTEE. THAT ALSO -- THAT WAS HELD AND THE DISTRICT LEVEL COMMITTEE FOUND THAT THE BOOK SHOULD REMAIN. NOW IT'S YOUR JOB

108AS ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE BOOK IN THIS PARTICULAR LIBRARY AT PIERCE SHOULD REMAIN. YOU MUST BE GUIDED BY FLORIDA STATUTES, AND THIS IS A TIME TO FOCUS ON DEFINITIONS AND THE MEANINGS OF WORDS AS THEY ARE FOUND IN FLORIDA STATUTES. YOU HAVE TO APPLY YOUR OWN INTELLECT AND YOUR OWN ANALYSIS, BUT YOU MUST BE GOVERNED BY FLORIDA STATUTES AND THE WORDS IN THE STATUTES. THERE ARE TWO KEY STATUTES HERE THAT ARE IMPORTANT. THE FIRST ONE IS SECTION 1,006.40-3-D, THIS HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU. THIS IS HOW MATERIALS ARE PURCHASED BY THE DISTRICT IN THE FIRST PLACE. I'M GOING TO TAKE A MINUTE TO READ THEM BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT. ANY MATERIALS PURCHASED BY THE DISTRICT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION MUST BE, NUMBER ONE, FREE OF PORNOGRAPHY AND MATERIAL PROHIBITED UNDER SECTION

109847.012. NUMBER TWO, SUITED TO STUDENT NEEDS AND THEIR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND THE MATERIAL PRESENTED. AND NUMBER THREE, APPROPRIATE FOR THE GRADE LEVEL AND AGE GROUP WHICH MATERIALS ARE USED OR MADE AVAILABLE. THAT'S STATUTE NUMBER ONE, ABOUT THE SELECTION OF THE MATERIAL. IT REFERS TO YOU SECTION 847, WHICH HAS BEEN REFERENCED A LOT TODAY. THERE ARE SEVERAL ELEMENTS OF THAT SECTION OF THE STATUTES THAT ARE IMPORTANT. SECTION 847.012, A PERSON MAY NOT KNOWINGLY SELL, RENT, OR LOAN FOR MONETARY CONSIDERATION TO A MINOR ANY BOOK, PAMPHLET, MAGAZINE, PRINTED MATERIAL, HOWEVER REPRODUCED, OR SOUND RECORDING THAT CONTAINS ANY MATTER DEFINED IN SECTION 847.001 EXPLICIT IN DETAILED VERBAL DESCRIPTIONS OR NARRATIVE ACCOUNTS OF SEXUAL EXCITEMENT OR SEXUAL CONDUCT AND -- AND IS CRITICAL WORD HERE -- AND THAT IS HARMFUL TO MINORS. I'M GOING TO NOW READ YOU WHAT

110HARMFUL TO MINORS MEANS, BECAUSE THOSE ARE WORDS THAT ARE USED AND THROWN ABOUT, BUT THEY HAVE SPECIFIC MEANINGS IN FLORIDA STATUTES. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO HEAR THOSE WORDS AND APPLY THAT LANGUAGE TO THIS SET OF FACTS, WHICH IS THIS BOOK. FLORIDA STATUTES DEFINES HARMFUL TO MINORS AS HARMFUL TO MINORS MEANS ANY REPRODUCTION, IMITATION, CHARACTERIZATION, DESCRIPTION, EXHIBITION, PRESENTATION, OR REPRESENTATION OF WHATEVER KIND OR FORM DEPICTING NUDITY, SEXUAL CONDUCT, OR SEXUAL EXCITEMENT WHEN IT, A, PREDOMINANTLY APPEALS TO A SHAMEFUL OR MORBID INTEREST, B, PATENTLY OFFENSIVE TO PREVAILING STANDARDS IN THE ADULT COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE WITH RESPECT TO WHAT IS SUITABLE MATERIAL OR CONDUCT FOR MINORS, AND, C, TAKEN AS A WHOLE IS WITHOUT SERIOUS LITERARY, ARTISTIC, POLITICAL, OR SCIENTIFIC VALUE FOR MINORS. YOUR FIRST JOB IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS BOOK IS HARMFUL TO MINORS

111USING THAT DEFINITION. IF YOU FIND THAT IT MEETS THAT DEFINITION, YOU SHOULD VOTE TO REMOVE THE BOOK. IF YOU FIND THAT IT DOESN'T MEET THAT DEFINITION, YOU GO TO THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS, IS THE BOOK SUITED TO STUDENT NEEDS AND THEIR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND THE MATERIAL PRESENTED? OR IS THE BOOK APPROPRIATE FOR THE GRADE LEVEL AND AGE GROUP FOR WHICH THE MATERIALS ARE USED OR MADE AVAILABLE? THAT IS THE STANDARD BY WHICH YOU'RE REVIEWING THIS BOOK TODAY. THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THROWN AT YOU. I PREPARED THAT MEMO TO YOU EARLIER. I'M SETTING THE GROUNDWORK. YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM MR. GIBSON ABOUT THE OTHER TWO COMMITTEES THAT WERE CONVENED AND HELD AND THEIR DECISION. WE'LL GET BACK TO IT AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

112I'LL ASK YOU TO FOCUS ON THE LAW TODAY AND THESE DEFINITIONS AND WHAT THE DEFINITIONS MEAN AND THEN APPLY YOUR OWN ANALYSIS TO THAT AND TO THE SET OF FACTS BEFORE YOU TODAY. AGAIN, I CAN'T SAY THIS ENOUGH. THIS IS ABOUT A BOOK AT A MIDDLE SCHOOL. THAT'S THE ONLY THING UP FOR DISCUSSION TODAY. I'VE TALKED ENOUGH FOR NOW. I'LL TALK AGAIN WHEN IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO MAKE A DECISION. I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE SUPERINTENDENT. Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, MR. PORTER, FOR PROVIDING INSIGHT OF THE PURPOSE FOR TODAY. AS MR. PORTER SAID, OUR JOB RELATED TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE IF "THIS BOOK IS GAY" SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AT PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. IN ADDITION, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL RANGES FROM THE AGE

113OF 11 YEARS OLD AND COULD GO TO 15 YEARS OF AGE AS WELL. "THIS BOOK IS GAY" IS DESCRIBED AS A SELF-HELP BOOK GEARED TOWARD YOUNG ADULTS THAT NAVIGATE THROUGH THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY ON TOPICS SUCH AS DEBUNKING STEREOTYPES, BIASES FOR EXISTING LGBTQ+ MEMBERS AND AT THE SAME TOKEN HOW TO COME OUT, WHERE TO MEET INDIVIDUALS IN COMMUNITY RELATED TO DATING, EARLY SEX URGES AND ALSO SAFE-SEX PRACTICES. THIS TEXT CENTRALIZES THE PERSPECTIVE OF LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY BY DISCUSSING THE CULTURAL STIGMA AT THE SAME TOKEN BY GIVING DESCRIPTIONS OF SEXUAL ACTS. "THIS BOOK IS GAY" USES INFO GRAPHICS, ALSO USES ILLUSTRATIONS AND AN DOTES FOR SELF AWARENESS AND ALSO SELF INTERACTIONS WITH THE SAME-SEX PARTNERS. THIS BOOK GOES ON TO LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPE OF LGBTQ+ PHYSICAL SPACES, SOCIAL LIFE ALONG WITH SEX. AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING

114TO TRANSITION TO MR. GIBSON TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS WE PUT IN PLACE. MY PERSONAL OPINION, THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN MEASURED, THOUGHTFUL, AND TRANSPARENT WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. I WANT TO SAY THAT OUR CERTIFIED MEDIA SPECIALISTS HAVE CONTINUED TO ANALYZE THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, THE TEACHING COMMUNITY, ALSO SUPPORTING THE READING NEEDS IN OUR CURRICULUM WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO CONSULT WITH MULTIPLE RESOURCES TO SELECT BOOKS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, WITHIN OUR LIBRARIES AS WELL. THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS AND I APPRECIATE THEIR HARD WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY. AT THIS TIME, I'LL TRANSITION TO MR. GIBSON WHO WILL THEN GIVE IT BACK TO ME FOR FINAL RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS. FOLLOWING THE END OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION LAST YEAR AT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S DIRECTION, THE DISTRICT COMPLETELY OVERHAULED ITS REVIEW PROCESS, ITS

115PROCEDURE FOR THE CHALLENGE OF LIBRARY MEDIA AND THE PROCESS THAT IT WOULD GO THROUGH. AS MR. PORTER SAID, THE FIRST STEP IN THAT REVIEW IS A CHALLENGE AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL. EACH ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR CONVENES AN EDUCATIONAL MEDIA MATERIALS COMMITTEE. THAT COMMITTEE THEN MEETS AS NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO REVIEW ANY CHALLENGES THAT COME THROUGH. AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, TWO CHALLENGES TO THIS BOOK THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY WERE BROUGHT TO PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. THE PRINCIPAL THROUGH THE MEDIA SPECIALIST THEN CONVENED THE EDUCATION MEDIA MATERIALS COMMITTEE. THEY MET. THEY ARE ALL REQUIRED TO READ THE ENTIRE BOOK AND THEN THEY MEET TO DISCUSS. THE COMMITTEE DETERMINED THAT THIS BOOK WAS ONE THAT BROUGHT ABOUT AND DISCUSSED SERIOUS CONCEPTS FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY. IT IDENTIFIED IT

116AS AN INFORMATIONAL TEXT. THE COMMITTEE FOUND, SPECIFICALLY FOUND THAT IT PRESENTED THE MATERIAL IN A MANNER THAT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THE AGE OF THE STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL. FINALLY, THE COMMITTEE ALSO NOTED THAT PARENTS, AS ALWAYS, MAINTAINED THE RIGHT TO LIMIT WHAT THEIR CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO AND WHAT THEIR CHILDREN CAN TAKE FROM THE MEDIA CENTER. AFTER THAT DECISION WAS MADE, ONE OF THE TWO WHO HAD ORIGINALLY CHALLENGED THE MATERIAL FILED FOR A DISTRICT LEVEL REVIEW. THAT REQUIRES A NUMBER OF DISTRICT-LEVEL INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS A PTA REPRESENTATIVE AND THE UNION REPRESENTATIVES MET. THEY, TOO, WERE ALL REQUIRED AND ASKED TO READ THE BOOK IN ITS WHOLE. THEY VOTED 8-2 TO MAINTAIN THE BOOK. ONE OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE BEST TO GO BACK TO THE COMMITTEE TO GIVE THEM SOME

117MORE INFORMATION. THAT COMMITTEE, TOO, AGREED THAT THE OVERALL INTENT OF THE BOOK WAS TO PROVIDE INFORMATIONAL SUPPORT TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY AND SPECIFICALLY LGBTQ TEENS. THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE STATUTES THAT MR. PORTER HAS READ ABOUT, LEGAL OPINED THAT IT DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE INFORMATION WAS OBSCENE OR HARMFUL TO MINORS. BUT QUESTIONED AND THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE GRADE LEVEL AND AGE GROUP FOR WHICH THE MATERIALS ARE USED OR MADE AVAILABLE. THAT REALLY WAS THE KEY AND IS THE KEY HERE, WE BELIEVE. IN THE END, THE MEMBERS FELT THAT THIS BOOK SERVED AS A NONFICTION RESOURCE ALTERNATIVE TO CLASSMATES' DISCUSSION AND MORE PARTICULARLY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO WHAT IS OUT THERE ON THE INTERNET. SO IN THE END, THEY VOTED TO MAINTAIN THAT BOOK HERE. THEREFORE, THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS

118CHALLENGED THAT AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE AS THE FINAL ARBITER OF THE PROCESS. Addison Davis: THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, MR. GIBSON. AS YOU'VE HEARD TODAY, THIS IS ABOUT THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. IS IT FREE OF PORNOGRAPHY UNDER STATUTE 847-012, WHICH IS HARMFUL TO MINORS. IS IT SUITED FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR NEEDS? DO THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMPREHEND THE MATERIAL BEING PRESENTED? ALSO IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR GRADE LEVEL STUDENTS AND AGE APPROPRIATE WHICH THE MATERIALS ARE USED AND ARE MADE AVAILABLE WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS. I WANT TO KNOW, I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK OF BOTH COMMITTEES AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME, EFFORTS, AND ENERGY. MY EFFORT AS SUPERINTENDENT IS TO PROTECT STUDENTS AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT STUDENTS ARE EXPOSED TO APPROPRIATE

119MATERIAL EVERY SINGLE DAY. WITH THIS SAID, IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION AFTER REVIEWING THE BOOK, READING THIS BOOK, REVIEWING CHAPTER 9 OF THIS BOOK AND THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE STATUTORILY REQUIRED IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE THIS BOOK, "THIS BOOK IS GAY" FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 1.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. WE WILL NOW BEGIN DISCUSSION. SPEAKERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN, MEMBERS. REMEMBER, WE HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND THEN YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I THANK THE AUDIENCE FOR THEIR COURAGE AND THEIR VERY

120HEARTFELT, MEANINGFUL, IN MY MIND, COMMENTS AS WELL. I COME FROM A PLACE IN DIFFERENT AREAS SUCH AS ALL. GRANDMOTHER OF TWO ELEMENTARY KIDS, A BOARD MEMBER THAT HAS HAD OVER THREE DECADES OF TEACHING, INCLUSIVE IS MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND LAST, A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, OF COURSE, COUNTYWIDE, WELL, NOT REALLY LAST. I DO HAVE THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING COMMITTEE FORMED THREE YEARS AGO, AND WE ARE VERY CONCENTRATED ON WHAT DOES HELP OUR STUDENTS STAY OUT OF THE NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKERS. CERTAINLY, VERBIAGE FOUND IN BOOKS BUT MORE OFTEN ON CELL PHONES, SOCIAL MEDIA, CONTRIBUTE TO AN OUTLANDISH SPREAD AND GROWTH OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. MAKE NO MISTAKE, I KNOW SOME OF YOU SAID WE'RE THIRD METROPOLITAN AREA. TAMPA IS NUMBER ONE METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE NATION FOR A HUMAN TRAFFICKING SITUATION TO OCCUR. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THAT'S WHERE

121MY EYES ARE AS EVERY ONE OF YOU WITH OUR LITTLE CHILDREN WHO ARE GROWING UP AND NOT BEING AWARE, AND THEY SHOULD NOT. THEIR INNOCENCE AND YOUNG AND LIKE TO KEEP THEM THAT WAY, I'M SURE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD AGREE. FIRST OFF, WHEN I LOOK AT THE COMMITTEE REPORT, AND I'LL BE VERY BRIEF, THERE ARE SOME SITUATIONS HERE THAT I SEE THAT IS NOT CONGRUENT WITH WHAT SEEMS TO BE IN PLACE FOR THIS BOOK TO BE IN THE LIBRARY. IT SAYS IT FALLS WITHIN THE AGE GROUP. AND, OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S ON PAGE 9. 11 THROUGH 14, SCHOOL BOARD -- EXCUSE ME, CHILDREN 11, 12, 13, 14, AND 15 ARE NOT EMOTIONALLY OR SOCIALLY READY TO HEAR OR READ THIS TYPE OF MATERIAL. THE SAFETY ISSUE I MENTIONED. VERY HEIGHTENED. DESENSITIZING WITH WORDS AND VERBIAGE THAT WE SEE

122ALL TOO OFTEN. THIS IS A NEW WORLD WE'RE LIVING IN. THIS IS NOT THE WAY IT WAS WHEN WE WENT TO SCHOOL, BABY BOOMERS. YOU KNOW THAT. WE'RE LOOKING AT A GREAT AMOUNT OF NEFARIOUS, I SAY THAT WORD TWICE, ACTIVITIES. THAT'S THE REALITY THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE SEEING. AND WHY EXPOSE THEM TO MORE. THIS IS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY IN ITS OWN WAY AS FAR AS THE BOOK GOES BECAUSE THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO HAVE LITERATURE AND EXPOSE THE CHILDREN TO WHAT IS REAL OR NOT REAL WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. IT ALSO RELATES TO DOES -- THIS IS COMING RIGHT FROM THE REPORT. PAGE 9. PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT WHAT THEIR CHILD CAN READ. YES, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT. PARENTS THINK OF LIBRARIES, AND THIS IS GOING BACK TO MANY YEARS

123OF MY TEACHING SAFE HAVEN. WE GO TO THE LIBRARY, WE SEND OUR KIDS TO THE LIBRARY TO HAVE VALUE IN WHAT THEY READ. EDUCATIONAL VALUE. IN MY MIND, IF WE'RE HAVING A TEACHER WHO WANTS A CERTAIN BOOK, THAT'S FINE, AS LONG AS THERE'S EDUCATIONAL VALUE AND THE PARENTS ARE PART OF THAT EQUATION BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU REALLY TEACH EFFECTIVELY UNLESS YOU HAVE PARENTAL BACKING. BUT AGAIN, THE REALITY IS, MANY PARENTS ARE NOT AWARE OF WHAT THEIR CHILD IS READING AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT IS ON THEIR CELL PHONE. AND THAT IS THE TOUGH PART OF ALL THIS. I ALSO NOTED IN THIS COMMITTEE REPORT THAT DOES SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL FOUND IN BOOKS, ESPECIALLY SOCIAL MEDIA, REPLACE THE PARENT WHO IS INFLUENCING THE PARENTS -- I MEAN, DO PARENTS HAVE THE CENTRAL ROLE OF INFLUENCING? WELL, UNFORTUNATELY,

124WE'D LIKE TO THINK SO. THE AUDIENCE HERE IS REMARKABLY RESPONSIVE TO INFLUENCING THEIR CHILDREN, BUT THE REALITY AGAIN IS THAT IS NOT THE CASE IN MANY, MANY HOMES. I HATE TO SAY THAT, BUT YOU ALL KNOW THAT. YOU MUST KNOW THAT. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A BOARD AND AS A SUPERINTENDENT TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN, MY GRANDKIDS FROM MATERIALS THAT MAY ELICIT RESPONSES THAT WE ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF. LAST, AND MR. PORTER, YES, WE DO HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAW AND FLORIDA STATUTE 1,006.403, 2 AND 3, IT IS NOT SUITED FOR STUDENT NEEDS AND THEIR ABILITY TO COMPREHEND. TOO YOUNG. THE THIRD ONE, APPROPRIATE FOR GRADE LEVEL AGE GROUP, OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S FACTUALLY TRUE. BOOK PUBLISHERS, AUTHORS, THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE 14 AND UP AND THERE IS A SEXUAL APPLICATION,

125AND WE DON'T WANT THE STUDENTS TO START PLAYING AROUND WITH THAT. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. CERTAINLY, LIKE MEMBER GRAY, I BELIEVE IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT MATERIALS CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO ARE NOT ONLY AGE APPROPRIATE BUT ARE OF VALUE. WE WANT CHILDREN TO READ BOOKS THAT WILL BROADEN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND INSPIRE THEIR IMAGINATION AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM. TODAY WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A SCHOOL LIBRARY? IS IT SIMPLY TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH BOOKS THEY DESIRE REGARDLESS OF THE CONTENT OR THE VALUE OF THOSE BOOKS OR IS IT TO CURATE A COLLECTION OF MATERIALS THAT WILL HELP OUR CHILDREN GROW INTO INFORMED AND THOUGHTFUL ADULTS? I BELIEVE IT IS THE LATTER.

126WHILE I UNDERSTAND MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES MAY ARGUE THAT THE BOOK IN QUESTION CONTAINS CERTAIN THEMES OR MESSAGES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO STUDENTS, I DO URGE US ALL TO CONSIDER THE BOOK IN ITS ENTIRETY. AND UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF BOOKS THAT EXIST THAT CAN BE IN OUR LIBRARIES THAT WILL PROVIDE A RESOURCE TO CHILDREN WHO ARE STRUGGLING AROUND VERY DIVERSE ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEY WILL PROVIDE APPROPRIATE AGE APPROPRIATE INFORMATION AND ACCURATE INFORMATION WITHOUT RESORTING TO INCLUDING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT. I, TOO, LOOKED AT WHAT THE COMMITTEE'S WROTE. AND IN THE BOOK, IT DESCRIBES SOME SEXUAL ACTS AND IT SAYS YOU WON'T LEARN THIS IN SCHOOLS, BUT WE ARE TEACHING CERTAIN SEXUAL ACTS IN SCHOOLS THROUGH THIS BOOK. LIBRARIANS DON'T GET TO TEACH IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES WHAT TEACHERS CAN'T TEACH IN CLASSROOMS. WHEN

127WE DISCUSS THE SEX ED CURRICULUM, IT WAS REALLY CLEAR WHAT WE COULDN'T TEACH WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SEX EDUCATION. WHAT'S CONCERNING TO ME AND PROBLEMATIC IS THAT THE COMMITTEES AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SPOKE ABOUT THE COMMITTEES AND WHAT DECISION THEY CAME TO, WHAT THEY DID NOT TAKE, IT SEEMS, INTO CONSIDERATION IS THE AGE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE BOOK. AS WELL AS THE HIGHLY SEXUAL CONTENT. IT'S VERY EXPLICIT. I DON'T HAVE TO READ IT. PEOPLE READ IT TO YOU TODAY. AND EVEN ON OUR OWN WEBSITE, IT SAYS IT'S FOR GRADES 10 TO 12. AND YET THIS IS NOW IN A LIBRARY WITH 11 AND 12 AND 13 AND MAYBE SOME 14-YEAR-OLDS THAT ARE IN THAT SCHOOL. AND LIBRARIANS, THEY USE THE REVIEWS. WE HEARD THAT A LOT TODAY, TOO. WHEN I LOOK AT THE REVIEWS

128THAT WE ALL HAVE BEEN GIVEN, IT CLEARLY STATES THAT IT OFFERS VERY FRANK INFORMATION ABOUT SEX. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ITS FRANK SEX TALK, BUT IT'S FAR LESS INCLUSIVE THAN IT AIMS TO BE. AND THAT IT HAS SEX APPS. MEMBER GRAY SPOKE WELL ABOUT THE DANGERS OF HIGHLY EXPLICIT SEXUAL INFORMATION GIVEN TO MINORS. WHAT WE KNOW ALSO ABOUT THIS APP IS THAT EVEN THE AUTHOR ADMITS IT'S FOR ADULT. IT'S NOT CHILDREN, AND IT ENCOURAGES BEHAVIOR THAT CAN PUT KIDS AT RISK. SO WE KNOW THAT EXPOSING KIDS TO THESE APPS AT A YOUNG AGE, AT ANY AGE, IT PUTS ADULTS AT RISK. BUT IT PUTS CHILDREN AT RISK BECAUSE THEY COULD, AGAIN, PUT THEMSELVES INTO SITUATIONS THAT ARE DANGEROUS TO THEIR MINDS AND THEIR BODIES. AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT CHILDREN'S MINDS ARE STILL DEVELOPING EXPOSURE

129TO OBSCENE OR HIGHLY SEXUALIZED CONTENT MAY BE TRAUMATIC OR CONFUSING THEM, AND THEY MAY FEEL PRESSURE TO BEHAVE INAPPROPRIATELY OR THEY MAY DEVELOP UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OR ENGAGE IN RISKY BEHAVIORS THAT THEY ARE NOT MATURE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND. IT PUTS THEM AT A LOT OF RISK. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT WAS LOST WHEN PEOPLE WERE REVIEWING THIS BOOK. THERE ARE, AGAIN, PLENTY OF APPROPRIATE RESOURCES OUT THERE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND, EVEN SOMEBODY SAID WHY THIS BOOK. THE LIBRARIAN WAS ASKED TO FIND INFORMATION FOR LGBT KIDS. THIS IS THE ONLY BOOK SHE COULD FIND THAT WAS A HOW-TO ON HOW TO HAVE SEX? I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT. I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE ARE NOT MORE VALUABLE BOOKS OUT THERE FOR THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS CHILDREN'S NEEDS AND RESOURCES. I AM VERY CONCERNED AND I'LL GET BACK IN THE

130QUEUE. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU SO MUCH. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT TO SPEAK TODAY. IT IS VALUABLELY IMPORTANT THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK THEIR OPINIONS, TO EXPRESS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT A TOPIC, AND WE AS A BOARD NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND REVIEW ALL TOPICS. ALSO, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL WHERE WE ARE REQUIRED STUDENTS TO HAVE A PUBLIC EDUCATION -- I'M SORRY, TO HAVE AN EDUCATION. THEY CAN CHOOSES PRIVATE SCHOOL, HOMESCHOOL, OR OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION, BUT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN SCHOOL. SO WE ARE REQUIRING MINORS TO BE IN OUR SCHOOLS WHERE WE ARE HOUSED. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT

131WHAT IS RIGHT FOR A PARENT OR NOT FOR A PARENT. THAT IS DECIDED WITHIN YOUR HOME. BUT WE ARE DECIDING IS WHETHER A PIECE OF MATERIAL MEETS FLORIDA STATUTE AND IS ALLOWED TO BE IN A PUBLIC SETTING OPEN TO MINORS. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, MAY I CLARIFY YOUR RECOMMENDATION? COULD YOU CLARIFY THAT AGAIN, PLEASE? Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THROUGH THE CHAIR, MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO MOVE "THIS BOOK IS GAY" -- REMOVE "THIS BOOK IS GAY" FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. Jim Porter: LET'S BE CLEAR. THIS IS ONLY ABOUT PIERCE TODAY. THAT'S TOO BROAD OF A RECOMMENDATION FOR WHAT'S BEEN ADVERTISED. THAT IS A DISCUSSION THAT COULD BE HAD AT A LATER DATE AND YOU CAN CERTAINLY MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION AND CERTAINLY DO THAT. THIS IS AN APPEAL OF A SPECIFIC BOOK AT A SPECIFIC SCHOOL.

132I'M GOING TO ASK THE SUPERINTENDENT, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT OF THE BOARD, TO FOCUS ON THIS BOOK IN THIS MIDDLE SCHOOL. THAT IS A BROADER DISCUSSION. IT CAN ABSOLUTELY BE HAD AND ABSOLUTELY COULD BE DECIDED ON, JUST NOT TODAY UNDER THE -- BECAUSE WE'RE IN AN APPEAL PROCESS. Patti Rendon: LET ME CLARIFY THAT. IN HILLSBOROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IF I AM AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL THAN PIERCE, I AM ALLOWED TO REQUEST THIS BOOK, AND IT IS EXCHANGED BY MEDIA SPECIALISTS, THEREFORE, OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARY IS ONE WITH VARIOUS MANAGERS. Jim Porter: THAT'S CORRECT. AGAIN, I DON'T WANT THE CONVERSATION -- THIS IS AN APPEAL. IT'S A LEGAL PROCESS, AND THE APPEAL IS ABOUT THIS BOOK IN THIS SCHOOL. YOU ALL HAVE THE RIGHT GOING FORWARD -- Patti Rendon: THERE'S NOWHERE IN THAT APPEAL PROCESS THAT SPEAKS

133ABOUT ONE SCHOOL. Jim Porter: THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. THIS IS AN APPEAL PIERCE. PIERCE IS THE ONLY SCHOOL WITH THE BOOK IN IT. KIND OF MOOT POINT, LEGALLY IT MATTERS. I ASK RESPECTFULLY THAT YOU CONSIDER THAT BROADER BAN OR THAT BROADER CONVERSATION AT A MEETING WHICH HAS BEEN PROPERLY ADVERTISED AND PROPERLY VETTED. Patti Rendon: BUT YOU SAID THIS IS ABOUT THE APPEAL. Jim Porter: THIS IS ABOUT THE APPEAL FROM PIERCE. Patti Rendon: PROCESS OF THE APPEALS, IT DOES NOT REFLECT THAT THIS IS ONLY ABOUT ONE SCHOOL. IT DOES SAY ON OUR WEBSITE THAT IT IS IN TWO SCHOOLS. Jim Porter: MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S ONLY IN PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. MIGHT BE IN HIGH SCHOOLS. Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, AND TO WHAT MR. PORTER IS SPEAKING TO, THE APPEAL WAS FOR ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL. THIS TEXT

134IS IN ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLY AND ALSO AT TBT AS WELL, ONE HIGH SCHOOL. SO THE APPEAL PROCESS WAS FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOL. I DIDN'T MEAN TO CREATE RELATED TO ANY CONFUSION. MY RECOMMENDATION STILL STANDS RELATED TO REMOVING IT FROM EVERY ONE OF THE SCHOOLS. RELATED TO THE APPEAL, MY RECOMMENDATION IS REMOVE IT FROM PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL AT MINIMUM TODAY. Nadia Combs: BOARD MEMBERS, REMEMBER, WE DO HAVE A WORKSHOP SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 25th WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROCESS. WE WANT TO STICK ABOUT JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK AT THIS SCHOOL. THANK YOU. MEMBER RENDON, PLEASE CONTINUE. Patti Rendon: I'M GOING TO SAY PUBLICLY WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THIS BOARD, BUT WITHIN OUR CURRENT PROCEDURES THAT YOU WANT ME TO REVIEW, IT DOES NOT REFLECT THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGE ABOUT THIS SCHOOL. IT'S A

135CHALLENGE ABOUT THE BOOK. THERE IS NO REFERENCE WITHIN THIS APPEAL. I DON'T NEED TO COMMENT. I HAVE FIVE MINUTES OF MY TIME THAT I'M MAKING SURE, WHEN I READ THROUGH THE APPEAL PROCESS, IT IS APPEALING THE BOOK, NOT THE SCHOOL. I'M GOING TO MAKE THAT COMMENT. NOW, AS FAR AS THE OTHER PART GOES, WHEN WE REFERENCE THE LAW IN THE COMMITTEES, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS WITH OUR COMMITTEES. HOWEVER, WHEN I LOOK AT THE CHECKLIST IN WHICH THE COMMITTEES HAVE REVIEWED THIS BOOK AND ANY OTHER BOOK THAT'S CHALLENGED, THERE IS NO REFERENCE IN THIS PARTICULAR, WHAT THE COMMITTEE REVIEWED AND THE COMMITTEE COMMENTS THAT ACTUALLY READS AND REFERENCES STATUTE. WHAT IT REFERENCE IS THE PURPOSE, THE AUTHENTICITY, THE APPROPRIATENESS, THE NONFICTION CONTENT, BUT IN NONE OF THE QUESTIONS DOES IT GIVE

136REFERENCE TO ANY OF THE STATUTES IN WHICH WE COULD POSSIBLY BE DISCUSSING TODAY. SO, MR. PORTER, OR MR. DAVIS, WAS THIS COMMITTEE, EITHER OF THE TWO COMMITTEES, GIVEN COPIES OF THE STATUTES THAT WOULD REFLECT THIS BOOK? Jim Porter: I'LL ASK MR. GIBSON TO OPINE ON THAT. HE WAS THE ATTORNEY THAT DEALT WITH THE DISTRICT LEVEL COMMITTEE AT LEAST. JEFF GIBSON: YES, WE HAVE CREATED A LEGAL SORT OF CHEAT SHEET FOR THE SCHOOL BASED COMMITTEES LAYING OUT THE STATUTES REFERENCED TODAY. I ALSO WAS A NONVOTING MEMBER OF THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE AND WAS THERE AND WE SPOKE ABOUT ALL THE STATUTES THAT MR. PORTER THAT IS ADDRESSED HERE. Patti Rendon: BECAUSE NOWHERE IN THE PROCEDURES IS THE STATUTE OR STATING THAT THE STATUTE WAS GIVEN TO THE COMMITTEE. SO YOU'RE VERIFYING THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD ALL THE

137STATUTES REFERENCED. Jeff Gibson: YES, MA'AM. Patti Rendon: BECAUSE NONE OF THE QUESTIONS REFER TO THAT. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE BOARD HAS, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO OVERTURN IT, I'M GOING TO REFER BACK TO OUR STATUTE THAT WE HAVE AS A SCHOOL BOARD. THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS A CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO SELECT AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR ALL STUDENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS PART. THE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD HAS THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC DUTIES: EACH DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF ALL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL AND OTHER MATERIALS USED IN A CLASSROOM MADE AVAILABLE IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY OR INCLUDED ON A READING LIST WHETHER ADOPTED OR PURCHASED FROM A STATE ADOPTED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS LIST, ADOPTED OR PURCHASED THROUGH A SCHOOL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL PROGRAM UNDER OR OTHERWISE PURCHASED OR MADE

138AVAILABLE. EACH DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD SHALL MAINTAIN ON ITS WEBSITE A CURRENT LIST OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. ALSO, STATUTE 8470011, ADULT, MEANS A PERSON 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. SUBSECTION 6, HARMFUL TO MINORS, MEANS ANY REPRODUCTION, IMITATION, CHARACTERIZATION, DESCRIPTION, EXHIBITION, PRESENTATION, REPRESENTATION OF WHATEVER KIND OF FORM DEPICTING NUDITY, SEXUAL CONTENT, OR SEXUAL EXCITEMENT WHEN IT -- WHEN IT IS POTENTIAL -- I'M SORRY. PATENTLY OFFENSIVE OR PREVAILING STANDARDS IN THE ADULT COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE WITH RESPECT TO WHAT IS SUITABLE MATERIAL OR CONDUCT FOR MINORS. TAKEN AS A WHOLE IS WITHOUT SERIOUS LITERARY, ARTISTIC, POLITICAL, OR SCIENTIFIC VALUE TO MINORS. THANK YOU. I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SO, SUPERINTENDENT, I'M JUST GOING TO ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. HOW DOES THE

139PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS IMPACT THE DISTRICT'S POLICY ON BOOK CHALLENGES? Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, THE PARENT BILL OF RIGHTS JUST GIVES ACCESS TO PARENTS FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE EXPOSING CHILDREN TO RELATED TO CLASSROOMS, CLASSROOM LIBRARIES AND OUR MEDIA CENTERS AS WELL. IT GIVES THEM THE ABILITY TO SELECT AND REVIEW CONTENT, ALSO TO BE AWARE, TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH ANY CONTENT THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEN OPENLY THROUGH THIS PROCESS WE WERE REQUIRED TO CREATE A PROCESS FOR PARENTS TO BE ABLE TO CHALLENGE, AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY. SO THEY HAVE ALL RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO ALL OF OUR CONTENT, THAT WE ADOPT FROM TIER ONE, ALSO RELATED TO ANYTHING WE HAVE FROM OUR MEDIA SPECIALIST, CLASSROOM LIBRARIES, MEDIA CENTERS AS WELL. Karen Perez: I NOTICED THAT THE

140TWO COMPLAINTS CAME FROM TWO PARENTS. ONE THAT LIVES 10.8 MILES AWAY, OR 20 MINUTES FROM THE SCHOOL AND ANOTHER ONE WHO LIVES 29 MILES AWAY, 40 MINUTES FROM THE SCHOOL. HAVE WE HAD ANY PARENTS CHALLENGE THIS BOOK FROM PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL? Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, THERE WAS NO PARENT AT PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT HAS CHALLENGED THIS BOOK TO DATE. Karen Perez: ALL RIGHT. AND DO YOU TRUST THE STAFF THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE TO FOLLOW POLICY AND PROCEDURE IN OUR DISTRICT WITH FIDELITY? Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, ALL OF OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN TRAINED. RECENT TRAINING ON JANUARY 13th. IT WAS PROVIDED FROM GUIDANCE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THEY ARE ALL TRAINED TO BE ABLE TO SELECT TEXT. ONE THING I WILL SAY THAT OUR TEAM AND OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS CONTINUE DO, THEY

141START OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND THEY HAVE A PLAN THAT GOES THROUGH EVERY SECTION ON A MONTHLY BASIS OF THEIR MEDIA CENTER TO BE ABLE TO SELECT TEXT, REMOVE TEXT, ADD TEXT IN THAT PROCESS. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW STATUTORILY REQUIREMENTS AND I ALSO TRUST THAT THEY ARE PROFESSIONALS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT WE FOLLOW IN ORDER TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. Karen Perez: AND HOW MANY BOOKS OF THESE -- "THIS BOOK IS GAY" DO WE HAVE IN THIS DISTRICT IN OUR SCHOOLS? Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, I THINK IT'S ONLY A HANDFUL. Karen Perez: I'M SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING TO PIERCE MIDDLE. Addison Davis: THERE ARE TWO. ONE HAS BEEN CHECKED OUT AND THE OTHER ONE CANNOT BE LOCATED. Karen Perez:

142OKAY. I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER VAUGHN. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WHOO. THAT IS VERY LOUD. THANK YOU. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AS WELL. FIRST, I DID SPEAK TO THE LIBRARIAN AND SPOKE TO AS MANY COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABOUT THIS BOOK AS I COULD GET IN TOUCH WITH TO UNDERSTAND THEIR RATIONALE BEHIND THE WAY THAT THEY VOTED. TO MEMBER HAHN'S POINT, SHE SAID THAT HER AND THE STUDENTS SAT DOWN TOGETHER AND THEY IDENTIFIED BOOKS WHERE THE STUDENT FELT THAT THERE WAS A NEED IN ORDER TO FEEL SAFE OR TO HAVE SAFE INFORMATION. IS IT NOT ON? IT'S LIKE -- SOMEBODY LOWERED IT. THERE WAS A NEED. SHE MADE THIS DECISION SITTING DOWN WITH THE STUDENT, LOOKING OVER SEPARATE BOOKS AND HAVING A CONVERSATION OF WHY THE STUDENT FELT THIS

143WAS NECESSARY IN THE SCHOOLS. I ALSO SPOKE WITH PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE. THERE WERE TWO DISSENTING VOTES. I SPOKE WITH ONE OF WHY THEY DISSENTED AND WHAT WAS THE REASON BEHIND IT. THE REASON THEY GAVE ME WAS THE FACT THAT THERE IS A LIST THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMITTEE FILLS OUT AND THAT THEY -- MEMBERS OF THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMITTEE DID NOT COMPLETE THE SURVEY COMPLETELY. THAT THERE WERE PARTS THAT WERE LEFT BLANK, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO AGE APPROPRIATENESS AND WITHOUT THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND ANSWERING THAT IN COMPLETION, THEY FELT THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION. AS PART OF THE PROCESS, ONE THING THAT I WOULD URGE IS ANYONE WHO IS ON THE COMMITTEE AND WHO IS ANSWERING THESE SURVEYS, IS TO FULLY COMPLETE THEM SO THAT WE HAVE

144ALL OF THAT DECISION TO MAKE, ALL OF THAT INFORMATION TO MAKE A DECISION. I SPOKE TO STUDENTS. I SPOKE TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. I SPOKE ACTUALLY TO A LAWYER THAT SPECIALIZED IN PORNOGRAPHY CASES AROUND THE COUNTRY TO GET FEEDBACK ON WHAT IS CONSIDERED PORNOGRAPHY AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE. ONE, REMIND ME. DO WE IN FLORIDA OFFER SEX EDUCATION IN SIXTH GRADE? Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, WE DO NOT. Jessica Vaughn: WHAT GRADE DOES IT START? Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, FLORIDA DOES, BUT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WE OFFER IT IN 7th GRADE. Jessica Vaughn: BUT IN FLORIDA, WHICH GUIDES OUR STATUTES, THE ENTIRE STATE, THEY DO OFFER SEX EDUCATION IN SIXTH GRADE PER THE STATUTE. THAT HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED YET. Addison Davis: THAT HAS NOT. Jessica Vaughn: I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. NUMBER

145TWO, OR WHATEVER NUMBER I'M ON, I'M REALLY TAKING TO HEART THE PROCESS YOU LAID OUT FOR US. DO I THINK THIS BOOK IS HARMFUL? HE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT? YOU ASKED US TO EVALUATE TWO STEPS OF IT. NO, I READ THIS BOOK ENTIRELY, IN ITS ENTIRETY. EVERY STEP, EVEN THE PARTS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE READ THINGS THAT FOR SOME PEOPLE MIGHT BE CONSIDERED ABSOLUTELY INAPPROPRIATE, THE AUTHOR HAS MADE A POINT TO SAY I AM SHARING THIS INFORMATION SO YOU CAN MAKE A SAFE A DECISION AS POSSIBLE. THESE THINGS ARE DANGEROUS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A DATING APP. THEY GO THROUGH MAKING SURE, NUMBER ONE, NEVER REVEAL YOUR NAME OR INFORMATION OR AGE PUBLICLY. MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY THAT YOU'RE MEETING IS IN A SAFE PLACE WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU TRUST. EVERY STEP OF

146THE WAY THE AUTHOR HAS GONE INTO GREAT DETAIL TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE SAFE ANY INFORMATION THAT OUR STUDENTS MIGHT STUMBLE UPON WITHOUT ANY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE TO IT. SO THEY DEFINITELY PUT INTO THIS BOOK AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE KEEPING OUR STUDENTS SAFE. THE INFORMATION AROUND THE SEX EDUCATION THAT MANY PEOPLE FIND UNCOMFORTABLE IS, AGAIN, GEARED TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS, IF THEY ARE ENGAGING IN THINGS, ARE DOING IT SAFELY, RIGHT? WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT OF SEX EDUCATION, THAT THERE'S NO IRREPARABLE DAMAGE THAT CAN BE DONE AND MAKING SURE THAT, AGAIN, SAFETY IS AT THE FOREFRONT. THEY TALKED ABOUT MONOGAMY BEING IMPORTANT. THEY TALKED ABOUT ABSTINENCE IN THE BOOK. IF YOU READ THE ENTIRE BOOK, YOU WOULD SEE WHERE THEY TALKED ABOUT ABSTINENCE. THE WHOLE THING IS PRESENTED

147AS ENHANCEMENT TO SEX EDUCATION GUIDE FOR LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY TO MAKE THEM SAFE, TO KEEP THEM SAFE. EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK. AND WHEN I LOOK AT OUR MEDIA, THE PURPOSE OF OUR MEDIA CENTER FROM OUR OWN DISTRICT WEBSITE, IT SAYS TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS AND FACILITY AT HILLSBOROUGH ARE PROVIDED WITH THE BEST RESOURCES FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING. THE MEDIA CENTER COLLECTIONS INCLUDE DIVERSE MATERIALS THAT ENRICH THE CURRICULUM AND OF ALL PROGRAMS. SO ENRICHMENT. IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT MIRRORING. DOESN'T TALK ABOUT BEING THE ACTUAL CURRICULUM. IT TALKS ABOUT ENRICHMENT. MY QUESTION IS, CAN PARENTS OPT OUT OF THIS? CAN THEY HAVE A LIST AT THE BEGINNING THAT THEY PROVIDE WITH THE LIBRARIAN TO MAKE SURE THEIR STUDENTS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THIS? YES? NO? ANYONE? ASKING A QUESTION. STOP MY TIME WHILE I GET THE ANSWER PLEASE.

148Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, RIGHT NOW THERE IS NOT A PROCESS FOR OPTING OUT. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR PROCEDURES WITHIN OUR MEDIA CENTER. KIM, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? THANK YOU. THROUGH THE CHAIR, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT PARENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO REACH OUT TO MEDIA SPECIALISTS, SO MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE A TEACHER AND A LIBRARIAN AT OUR SCHOOL SITES. AND THAT PARENTS WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT MEDIA OR ITEMS THAT THEIR STUDENT MIGHT BE CONSUMING, IF THEY REACH OUT TO THE MEDIA SPECIALIST AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT, MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE THERE TO SUPPORT THEM, TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES' VALUES AND IDEALS AND HELP MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MIGHT BETTER ALIGN WITH THEIR FAMILY IDEALS. THERE ISN'T AN AUTOMATED PROCESS. OUR LIBRARIES ARE ALSO RUN BY SUBSTITUTES

149AND BY VOLUNTEERS. SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS ARE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR FAMILY'S VALUES AND IDEALS ARE SO AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THAT SPACE, THEY CAN REPRESENT THAT AND MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE THERE TO SUPPORT THEM IN THAT PROCESS. Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THANK YOU. MY TIME IS UP. I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE AREN'T TALKING ABOUT A PROCESS WHERE THE MEDIA SPECIALIST CAN HAVE AN R-RATING, PUT A LABEL ON THE BOOK, IF A STUDENT TRIES TO CHECK IT OUT, THEY CONTACT THE PARENT AND GET PARENT PERMISSION AND MOVE FORWARD WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PARENTAL RIGHTS. I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER WASHINGTON. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU,

150MADAM CHAIR. I'M GOING TO BE SHORT AND BRIEF. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE AN OPINION AND HOW YOU FEEL AND I REPRESENT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR CONCERNS, I REALLY DO. BUT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO CONCUR WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION, SUPERINTENDENT. BEING A FORMER ADMINISTRATOR, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS. AND I HAD TO MAKE IT WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL, TOUGH DECISIONS. I'M GOING TO CONCUR WITH YOU, SUPERINTENDENT, FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION. AND I WON'T BE BACK IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. AND THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN REALLY THINKING ABOUT AS WELL. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PARENTS' RIGHTS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PARENTS WHO ARE ACROSS THE

151DISTRICT ARE NOT MAKING A DECISION FOR MY CHILD IN MY SCHOOL. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PARENTS' RIGHTS, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL PARENT AND WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE. FOR ME, THIS IS NOT POLITICAL. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE LGBTQ, IT'S NOT ABOUT BANNING. AND I WILL SAY, THE KIDS WHO CAME HERE TODAY WERE SUCH POWERFUL SPEAKERS. IN THE PAST, LAST WEEK, WE HAD BUSES TRANSPORTING PEOPLE FROM EVEN OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT COMING HERE. WE HAD A VERY ORGANIZED MEETING. AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE FINALLY HAVING SOME BALANCE AND HAVING FINALLY SOME PEOPLE SPEAKING. I HAVE SPENT HOURS, WEEKS REFLECTING ON THIS. I HAVE READ EVERY COMMENT. I HAD SOME OF THE SAME QUESTIONS, WHY SOME FROM THE INITIAL COMMITTEE, WHY IT WAS LEFT BLANK, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS. I READ THE BOOK. I'VE

152BEEN REFLECTING AND I'VE BEEN THINKING. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS AMERICANS, WE MAKE SURE OUR OWN INDEPENDENT VIEWS AND BELIEFS ARE LEFT ALONE AND OUR PARENTS HAVE THOSE CHOICES. JUST LIKE I DON'T WANT ONE SIDE TO ENCRYPT THEIR DECISIONS, I DON'T WANT THE OTHER SIDE TO ALSO LET ME KNOW HOW TO RAISE MY CHILDREN AND HOW TO HAVE MY CHILDREN. FOR ME, I REALLY RESPECT THE LENS OF THE COMMITTEE, LOOKING AT IT FROM EACH LEVEL. I RESPECT EVERYONE. AND I AM REALLY LOOKING AT LEGALLY. I HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS LEGALLY AND WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT'S VERY CLEAR AND WHEN PEOPLE COME IN, THIS HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR BY LEGAL THAT THIS IS NOT PORNOGRAPHY. SO MY QUESTION AND ONE AND TWO PRONG ARE LEGAL. NUMBER THREE, IS IT AGE APPROPRIATE? THAT IS THE

153CONCERN. MY CONCERN, IS IT AGE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS BOOK TO BE IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL? PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS ONE OF MY SCHOOLS IN DISTRICT ONE. I'VE BEEN THERE. I WAS A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND EVEN HAVING MY OWN CHILDREN GROWING UP BECAUSE I CHOSE WHAT I WANTED MY OWN CHILDREN TO GROW UP. I LOOKED AND I LOOKED AT VARIOUS WEBSITES, WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR THE BOOKS. I HONESTLY SPENT HOURS AND HOURS. AND EVERYTHING I SAW HONESTLY SAID THE BOOK WAS REALLY RATED FOR 14 AND ABOVE. THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S ONLY IN ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT'S NOT IN MULTIPLE MIDDLE SCHOOLS BECAUSE IT REALLY IS RECOMMENDED. I KNOW THAT th GRADER AND 8th GRADER -- 7th GRADER AND 8th GRADER MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THE BOOK BUT I

154HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LOWEST CHILD GOING IN, A 6th GRADE STUDENT. IT REMINDED ME WHEN I HAD MY TUTORING CENTER AND A YOUNG GIRL THAT WENT INTO PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL AS A VERY YOUNG SIXTH GRADER. I HAVE TO THINK TO MYSELF IS IT APPROPRIATE? I WILL SAY, WHEN I READ THE BOOK, I REALLY THINK IT WAS THE INTENT OF THE AUTHOR, VERY BEGINNING ON PAGE 2 OF THE BOOK, IT SAYS, WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, THERE'S NO WAY A BOOK LIKE THIS WOULD BE MADE TO ME. BUT WHAT IF IT HAD? IT DOESN'T SAY MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT SAYS HIGH SCHOOL. AS YOU GO FURTHER INTO THE BOOK AND IT HAS QUOTES FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE LGBT COMMUNITY, IT TALKS ABOUT PEOPLE, THE YOUNGEST CHILD THERE QUOTED IS A 16-YEAR-OLD.

155I DO BELIEVE THE INTENT OF THE AUTHOR WAS TO HAVE THIS AS A HIGH SCHOOL BOOK. THE PERSON WHO CAME IN TO CHALLENGE THE BOOK SAID I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS IN HIGH SCHOOL. SO IF THERE IS A BOOK AT PIERCE, IT SHOULD BE DONATED TO A HIGH SCHOOL, IF A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WANTS IT. THIS, I DON'T BELIEVE LEGALLY, BASED ON LEGAL AND BASED ON WHAT I'VE READ FROM THE AUTHOR, BASED ON MY RESEARCH OF THE AUTHOR AND BASED ON MY INFORMATION, I ALSO THINK THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR A SIXTH GRADER. SO I ALSO WILL SUPPORT SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS' RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT. FOR JUST PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. ONLY PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE PERSON WHO CHALLENGED THIS BOOK, THE PERSON WHO CHALLENGED THIS BOOK ALSO SAID

156THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL. IT'S SAD TO ME THAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT PARENTS' RIGHTS, BUT IT DEPENDS WHAT RIGHT THEY WANT. SO LET'S MAKE IT CLEAR, PLEASE DON'T TELL ME HOW TO RAISE MY CHILDREN AND I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU HOW TO RAISE YOURS. THANK YOU. MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE COME HERE AS A BOARD THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING A DECISION FOR ALL PARENTS -- I MEAN, WE'RE NOT MAKING A DECISION FOR JUST OUR CHILD OR YOUR CHILD, WE ARE MAKING IT FOR ALL CHILDREN. AS A PARENT, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ALL OF US ON THIS BOARD ARE GOING TO DIFFER ON AT THE END OF THE DAY. MY BEST FRIEND AND I DIFFER ON DIFFERENT

157THINGS. MY HUSBAND AND I MAY DIFFER ON DIFFERENT PARENTAL STYLES. WE COME TOGETHER AS A UNIT AND MAKE A DECISION. BUT YOU DON'T ALWAYS AGREE ON HOW YOU'RE GOING TO RAISE YOUR CHILD. SO WHEN WE SIT HERE AS A BOARD, WE CAN ONLY GO BY THE STATUTES IN FLORIDA. IF WE DON'T LIKE THE STATUTES, THEN THAT IS TO THE LEGISLATURE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT DECISIONS WE MAKE ARE BASED IN STATUTE. I GO BACK TO THE STATUTES THAT WE HAVE IN QUESTION, WHICH ARE 1,006.40, SECTION 3-D, ANY MATERIALS PURCHASED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION MUST BE FREE OF PORNOGRAPHY AND MATERIALS PROHIBITED UNDER 847.012, APPROPRIATE FOR THE GRADE LEVEL AND AGE GROUP OF WHICH THE MATERIALS ARE USED OR MADE AVAILABLE. EACH DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT

158OF ALL MATERIALS USED IN A CLASSROOM OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS. EACH DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD SHALL ADOPT RULES AND EACH DISTRICT SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT SHALL IMPLEMENT PROCEDURES. LET ME MAKE IT VERY CLEAR, AND I APOLOGIZE TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY THAT BECAUSE THIS BOOK IS THE ONE IN QUESTION, IT BRINGS A LIFESTYLE TO QUESTION. HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT WHERE OUR JUDGMENT CAN LIE. IT CANNOT LIE ON WHETHER IT IS A SPECIFIC TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP. THAT'S NOT OUR JOB. IT IS NOT MY JOB TO JUDGE ANY INDIVIDUAL FAMILY OR PERSON FOR THEIR RIGHTS OR THEIR BELIEFS, BUT IT IS MY JOB TO ASK IF THE CONTENT OF THAT BOOK VIOLATES STATE STATUTE. AND I APOLOGIZE THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR BOOK IT ADDRESSES A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY. AND THAT IS NOT WHAT I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO

159DISCUSS. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DISCUSS AND MAKE A JUDGMENT ON THE STATUTE BASED UPON THE CONTENT, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY THAT IT HAPPENS TO HAVE THE CONTENT ADDRESSED. I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU. IF THIS WAS REVERSED AND IT WAS A CONTENT ABOUT TINDER AND LOOKING AT A RELATIONSHIP FOR MY 15-YEAR-OLD AND TELLING HER WHERE SHE CAN FIND HETEROSEXUAL PARTNERS IN HER COMMUNITY, I WOULD BE JUST AS UPSET ABOUT THAT CONTENT AS I WOULD BE ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. IT'S ABOUT THE CONTENT AND HOW HARMFUL IT IS TO MINOR CHILDREN, CHILDREN THAT WE HAVE BEEN PUT INTO THE POSSESSION OF PROTECTING AND TO LOOKING FOR WHATEVER WE'RE PRESENTING TO THAT CHILD. AGAIN, I'M GOING TO REFERENCE STATUTE 847.012, AND WHEN I LOOK, THE USE OF THIS SECTION KNOWINGLY MEANS HAVING THE

160GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF, REASON TO KNOW, OR BELIEF OR GROUND FOR BELIEF WHICH WARRANTS FURTHER INSPECTION OR INJURY OF BOTH, ONE AGE OF THE MINOR. TWO, ANY PICTURES, PHOTOGRAPH, DRAWINGS, SCULPTURE, MOTION PICTURE FILM, VIDEO CASSETTE OR SIMILAR VISUAL REPRESENTATION OR IMAGE OF A PERSON OR PORTION OF A HUMAN BODY THAT DEPICTS NUDITY OR SEXUAL CONTENT, SEXUAL EXCITEMENT, SEXUAL BATTERY, BESTIALITY, SADOMASOCHISTIC ABUSE WHICH IS HARMFUL TO MINORS OR ANY BOOK, PAMPHLET, MAGAZINE, PRINTED MATTER HOWEVER REPRODUCED OR SOUND RECORDING THAT CONTAINS ANY MATTER DEFINED IN 847.001 EXPLICIT OR DETAILED VERBAL DESCRIPTION OR NARRATIVE ACCOUNTS OF SEXUAL EXCITEMENT OR SEXUAL CONTENT THAT IS HARMFUL TO MINORS. AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE TO ONE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THAT IS THE BOOK IN QUESTION. BUT WE ARE NOT MAKING A JUDGMENT ON A COMMUNITY, BUT WHETHER OR NOT THE CONTENT OF THE BOOK

161VIOLATES STATE STATUTE. SO, SUPERINTENDENT, I AM IN RECOMMENDATION OF YOUR -- I MEAN IN FAVOR OF YOUR RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER PEREZ. Karen Perez: THANK YOU. AS A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD, I DID MAKE A CONSCIENTIOUS EFFORT TO READ THIS ENTIRE BOOK. AND THEN ALSO I REACHED OUT TO THE MEMBERS WHO DID OVERSEE THE REVIEW OF THIS BOOK. AND I ALSO REACHED OUT TO A FEW FAMILIES, NOT ONLY IN FLORIDA, BUT ACROSS THE NATION AND ASKED THEIR OPINION ABOUT THIS BOOK. AND ONE OF THOSE FAMILIES WAS MY DAUGHTER WHO RESIDES IN NEW YORK AND SHE AND HER WIFE GAVE ME THEIR OPINION ABOUT THIS BOOK. THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS IS THE ISSUE OF THE SEX APPS WITH THIS BOOK. I AM THE CHAIR OF THE CYBER TASK

162FORCE, ALONG WITH TEACHING FOR THE CULTURE WHO FACILITATE IN EDUCATING PARENTS, REGARDING THE SEX APPS, LIKE YOBO, MEET ME, BAD DO AND GAFFS THAT HAVE CAUSED SIGNIFICANT HARM TO OUR CHILDREN WITHIN OUR OWN COMMUNITY. AND SOMEONE MENTIONED ABOUT OLDER -- THE OLDER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY PICKING UP YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE APP -- LET ME GET THIS -- I THINK IT WAS GRINDER. THERE WAS ALSO A REPORT NOBODY MENTIONED THAT A NEW YORK DEACON GOT 16 YEARS FOR ENTICING MEMBERS -- MINORS THROUGH GRINDER. SO EVEN IN THE RELIGIOUS -- UNDER THE RELIGIOUS UMBRELLA, WE'RE FINDING THAT MINORS ARE BEING ENTICED UNDER THESE SEX APPS. SO FOR ME, I KNOW IT'S ONE BOOK, AND I FEEL THAT -- AND THE STUDENTS THAT CAME TO SPEAK WERE STUDENTS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL -- OF

163THE HIGH SCHOOL AGE, WHICH THE BOOK SAYS IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR AGE RANGE. AND I THINK AT THAT TIME THEY CAN MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND THEY HAVE THE MATURITY TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. AND SO I, TOO, WILL BE SUPPORTING YOUR RECOMMENDATION. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER GRAY. Lynn Gray: VERY BRIEF AND YOU CAN BELIEVE THAT. FIRST, I SUPPORT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION. SECOND, I DO KEEP -- I HAVE KEPT IN MIND THAT BOOK BANNING IS A VERY SERIOUS SUBJECT BECAUSE AS MARY CUCHI, A JAPANESE AUTHOR SAID, IF YOU ONLY READ BOOKS THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS READING, YOU CAN ONLY THINK WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS THINKING. WE'VE GOT TO REMEMBER THAT. LET'S HAVE A CAUTIONARY REFLECTION ON CARRIED AWAY ON THE BOOK BANNING. I'M GLAD YOU ALL POINTED THAT OUT BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO

164FORGET IT EITHER AS AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER. SECONDLY, AS MEMBER RENDON AND THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS STATED CORRECTLY, WE HAVE FLORIDA STATUTES THAT WE MUST FOLLOW, AND THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. UNDER THE LAW 1,006.40 AND 2 AND 3, IT DEFINITELY IS APPLICABLE. SO, AGAIN, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, I AS AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER, I SUPPORT YOUR RECOMMENDATION. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER VAUGHN. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. SO WE KEEP REFERENCING A STATUTE. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON, FOR ADDRESSING THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE LETTING THEM KNOW THAT ISN'T AN ATTACK ON THAT COMMUNITY. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THIS TIME ARE BEING CLEAR ABOUT THAT AS OUR COMMUNITIES ARE UNDER ATTACK. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. SECONDLY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STATUTE FROM THE WAY THAT YOU'VE EXPLAINED

165IT TO ME, EVERYTHING THAT OUR BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SAID IS TRUE, AND THEN WE GET TO THE END WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT AS LONG AS THESE BOOKS DON'T HAVE ANY POLITICAL, EDUCATIONAL, WHAT WAS THE EXACT WORDING OF THE VALUE WHEN WE GET TO THE END? Jim Porter: AGAIN, SEVERAL STATUTES AT PLAY. I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE HARMFUL MINORS DEFINITION, AND THAT'S UNDER SECTION 847.001, SUBSECTION 7-C, TAKEN AS A WHOLE, AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART BECAUSE AS MANY OF YOU BOARD MEMBERS HAVE POINTED OUT, IT IS THE WHOLE THAT MATTERS, NOT EXCERPTS. TAKEN AS A WHOLE IS WITHOUT SERIOUS LITERARY, ARTISTIC, POLITICAL, OR SCIENTIFIC VALUE FOR MINORS. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. AND SO, AGAIN, WHAT THIS COMES DOWN TO IS, IS THIS HARMFUL FOR STUDENTS? I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT

166IS IT MAKING AN APP AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS THAT MAKES THEM LIABLE TO PREDATORS? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY SERIOUS. I APPRECIATE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT AS A BOARD. HOWEVER, AGAIN, READING THIS BOOK, THE WAY THAT I INTERPRET IT IS THEY ARE TRYING TO PROTECT STUDENTS OR CHILDREN WHO WOULD LEARN ABOUT THIS APP TO USE IT SAFELY, NOT TO BE VULNERABLE FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULD PREY ON THEM. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S HARMFUL IN THAT RESPECT. I ALSO THINK THAT WHEN WE VALUE HARMFUL OR WE TALK ABOUT HARMFUL, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT, IS AGAIN, THE STATISTICS AGAINST OUR LGBTQ POPULATION, 40% OF THEM, IF NOT MORE, THAT'S DOCUMENTED, ATTEMPT SUICIDE AT SOME POINT. WHEN WE HAVE CONTINUAL RHETORIC THAT COMES OUT THAT TELLS A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC THAT THEY ARE NOT VALUABLE, THAT THEY ARE SINNERS,

167THAT THEY ARE MONSTERS OR THEY ARE GOING TO HELL, THEY ARE AN ABOMINATION, THEIR RIGHTS AREN'T VALID, WE CAN'T DISCUSS THEIR LIFESTYLES IN SCHOOLS, PEOPLE RESPOND TO THAT. WHEN YOU TELL SOMEONE THEY ARE A MONSTER, THEY END UP DOING AWFUL THINGS BECAUSE THAT STIGMA IS AROUND THEM. SO WE HAVE MATERIALS IN OUR LIBRARY THAT DESTIGMATIZES THEM AND HELPS THEM TO NAVIGATE A LIFESTYLE THAT IS UNDER ATTACK, SAFELY, I DON'T THINK IT'S A HARMFUL BOOK TO HAVE IN OUR SCHOOLS. NOW, IT DOES COME DOWN TO AGE APPROPRIATENESS. AGAIN, SINCE SEX EDUCATION STARTS AT SIXTH GRADE, I'M ON THE FENCE ABOUT AGE APPROPRIATENESS. HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK THE SEX EDUCATION WOULD DETAIL SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IT DETAILS. I DO THINK THAT SOME OF THESE, ALTHOUGH I THINK THAT THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY,

168MIGHT BE MORE VALUABLE AND EASILY COMPREHENDED AT AN OLDER LEVEL. MANY SPEAKERS HAVE ASKED ME IS THIS SOMETHING I WOULD EXPOSE MY OWN CHILD TO? AND I HAVE BEEN VERY PROTECTIVE ABOUT WHAT I EXPOSE MY CHILD TO ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALL SORTS OF ACCESS WHEN IT COMES TO INFORMATION. AND I DO WORRY THAT IF A SIXTH GRADER FOUND THIS WITHOUT ANY GUIDANCE, THAT IT COULD BE CONFUSING AND IT WON'T BE AS EFFECTIVE AS IT COULD BE AT A LATER DATE. SO I AM NOT AGAINST THIS BOOK BEING IN OUR SCHOOLS BY ANY MEANS. I'M NOT AGAINST EVEN OLDER KIDS USING THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. WHERE I DO WONDER IF IT IS THE BEST DECISION FOR THIS SCHOOL SPECIFICALLY IS AGE APPROPRIATENESS. AND THAT'S WHERE I'M ON THE FENCE WHEN IT COMES

169TO WHETHER WE SHOULD KEEP THE BOOK AT PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. I DON'T LIKE THE PROCESS OF GOING AGAINST COMMITTEES IN GENERAL AND VOTING AGAINST OUR COMMITTEES. WE TRUST THEM. WE PUT THEM THERE FOR A REASON. I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS AS A GATEWAY TO SAYING THAT THOSE COMMITTEES AREN'T IMPORTANT OR THAT IF WE DECIDE NOT TO TAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATION THAT THE PROCESS SHOULD BE ERODED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. THE COMMITTEES, THE INFORMATION THEY GAVE ME TALKING TO COMMITTEES IS WHERE I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE STANCE WHERE I AM TODAY. SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I THINK THAT THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE IS IMPORTANT AND THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THAT IN PLACE BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS SOME TALK AT SOME POINT ABOUT WHETHER THE SUPERINTENDENT

170CAN CALL A MEETING OR OVERSTEP THOSE COMMITTEES, AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT EVEN IF I FEEL THAT THIS BOOK ISN'T NECESSARILY THE BEST FIT WHERE SIXTH GRADERS CAN ACCESS IT SO THEY CAN USE IT IN THE BEST WAY DOES NOT MEAN THAT I DON'T THINK THIS BOOK SHOULD BE IN OUR SCHOOLS OR THAT I WANT TO IN ANY WAY TAKE AWAY FROM THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. THE OTHER THING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT, AND YOU KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES, A PROCESS WHERE AS OPPOSED TO JUST REMOVING BOOKS WE DO PUT IT IN WHERE IF PARENTS DO WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS, I MIGHT NOT THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR MY 11-YEAR-OLD BUT SOMEBODY ELSE MIGHT. ALL WE

171DO IS TALK ABOUT PARENTAL RIGHTS AND PARENTAL CHOICES TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS WHERE IF INSTEAD OF REMOVING THINGS FROM SCHOOL, WE HAVE A PROCESS WHERE IF THERE IS A BOOK THAT'S BEEN FLAGGED LIKE THIS, SIMILAR TO AN R RATING, IF A CHILD WANTS TO CHECK IT OUT, WE CONTACT THE PARENT, IF THE PARENT GIVES PERMISSION, IT'S AVAILABLE. I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO BE REMOVED COMPLETELY OR LEFT IN SCHOOLS. THERE CAN BE SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, LIKE R RATINGS, WHERE PARENTS HAVE THAT CHOICE. AND THAT'S IN THE VEIN OF PARENTAL RIGHTS. SO I THINK I'VE COVERED EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE IN MAKING THIS DECISION. MY TIME IS ALMOST UP. I WILL ALLOW DR. HAHN HER TIME. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. MEMBER HAHN. Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN REALLY

172CLEAR HERE THAT THE THEME OF THE BOOK AROUND A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY, LGBTQ COMMUNITY IS NOT IN QUESTION HERE. WE UNDERSTAND CHILDREN WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY NEED TO SEE THEMSELVES IN BOOKS AND UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES IN BOOKS. I THINK THE REAL QUESTION IS THE CONTENT OF THIS PARTICULAR BOOK. IS IT DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE FOR MINORS? YOU KNOW, HOWEVER THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION, HOWEVER WE HAVE -- I'M SORRY. WE HAVE DIFFERENT METHODS OF EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS. AND WE DO IT THROUGH BOOKS. WE DO IT THROUGH LECTURES. WE DO IT THROUGH LESSONS AND A LOT OF THAT IS GUIDED THROUGH STATE LAW OR MANDATES OR THE DOE. BUT FOR US TO HAVE A BOOK THAT IS SO SEXUALLY EXPLICIT IN THE HANDS OF CHILDREN, OF MINORS, THAT IS WHAT IS UPSETTING TO ME AND CONCERNING TO ME. WE HAVE

173A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT THE MATERIALS IN OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND IN OUR SCHOOLS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR STUDENTS. I AM GOING TO SUPPORT THE REMOVAL OF THE BOOK FROM PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT IS CONCERNING THAT THIS BOOK WAS CHOSEN. I GUESS IT GOES BACK TO MY QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARY? IS IT TO HAVE A BOOK THAT A CHILD WANTS TO READ NO MATTER WHAT THE CONTENT IS? NO, IT'S NOT. IT'S TO HAVE BOOKS OF VALUE THAT ALSO, AS WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, ALSO ADHERING TO THE LAWS AROUND THAT. I KNOW THAT SOME STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED OR UPSET IF THIS BOOK IS REMOVED DURING THIS CHALLENGE, BUT I DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DISCUSS THAT WITH THEIR PARENTS. I ALSO WANT TO REASSURE

174THEM THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER MATERIALS AND BOOKS IN OUR LIBRARIES THAT ARE EDUCATIONAL AND INSPIRING AND ENGAGING FOR THEM TO READ. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WORKSHOP. I WANT TO REMIND FOLKS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A WORKSHOP. I REQUESTED THE WORKSHOP BACK IN DECEMBER. UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S BEEN PUSHED TO APRIL. I WOULD LOVE TO EVEN SEE A SPECIAL-CALLED WORKSHOP BEFORE THAT SO WE CAN DISCUSS THE PROCESS, SOME OF OUR CONCERNS AROUND THE PROCESS, THE LAWS IN MORE DEPTH BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HOW WE OPERATE AS A BOARD, HOW WE WORK TOGETHER, AND WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND OUR STAFF AS WE MOVE FORWARD. I HOPE THAT -- MY HOPE IS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND ENSURE THAT OUR CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS HAVE ACCESS TO MATERIALS THAT

175WILL TRULY ENRICH THEIR MINDS AND THEIR LIVES. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. I'M JUST GOING TO CONCLUDE WITH A COUPLE OF THINGS. I ALSO AGREE WITH MEMBER VAUGHN. I THINK THE PROCESS IS REALLY GOOD. THIS IS OUR FIRST CHALLENGE, AND WE'RE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO SPEED, TO GO FASTER THROUGH. WE ONLY HAVE ONE OTHER CHALLENGE. SO WHEN YOU SIT HERE AND WATCH BOARD MEETINGS AND YOU THINK WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF CHALLENGES, WE DON'T. THERE'S ONLY ONE OTHER CHALLENGE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS. NOTHING TO DO WITH SEXUALITY. IT HAS -- ONLY THING HAS TO DO, IS THAT CONTENT APPROPRIATE FOR THE YOUNGEST CHILD AT THAT SCHOOL, AS EVERYONE HAS SAID. AS WE MOVE TOWARDS APRIL 25th, BOARD MEMBERS, AND I WANT TO SAY

176WE DID MOVE THAT WORKSHOP UP BECAUSE WE WERE SCHEDULED SO FAR OUT, SO WE DID MOVE IT UP A COUPLE OF WEEKS -- IT WAS LATER AND THEN WE MOVED IT UP A FEW WEEKS. WE SWITCHED OUT A COUPLE OF WORKSHOPS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE TAKE TIME BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO THINK ABOUT THE PARENTS' RIGHTS AND THE CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AT THE SCHOOL AS WELL. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK WE CAN'T ALLOW ONE GROUP TO DICTATE WHAT BOOKS ARE ACROSS OUR SCHOOLS, ACROSS OUR DISTRICT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PARENT CHOICE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PARENTS IN THE SCHOOL, THE PARENTS WHO WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO READ THAT. SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THE COMMITTEE WOULD LOOK AT IT IN A DIFFERENT

177PERSPECTIVE, BUT FOR ME, AS I SAID, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS BOOK, I THINK THE AUTHOR INTENDED IT TO BE A HIGH SCHOOL BOOK. WHEN I LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE REVIEW, EVERY REVIEW I READ AND I SPENT TOO MANY HOURS, EVERYTHING I RED WAS FOR 14 AND UP. I AM ALSO GOING TO SUPPORT THE SUPERINTENDENT. AT THIS TIME, BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE VOTE. MR. PORTER, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO CLARIFY THE VOTE. Jim Porter: JUST TO BE CLEAR ON THE RECORD, THE SUPERINTENDENT MADE A RECOMMENDATION THAT THIS BE NOT IN ANY MIDDLE SCHOOLS. MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT IT BE LIMITED TO PIERCE. THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS THE RIGHT TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE AS YOU PLEASE. YOU'RE ON SAFER LEGAL GROUNDS GIVEN THE POSTURE OF TODAY'S MEETING IF YOU LIMIT

178THIS DECISION TO PIERCE AND TALK ABOUT THE BROADER ISSUE IN THE FUTURE. Nadia Combs: SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU. ARE WE ABLE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR IT TO BE JUST AT PIERCE? Jim Porter: YES, YOU ARE. THAT IS THE SAFER LEGAL GROUND. AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO STEP ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S TOES. UNLESS YOU WANT TO REVISE YOUR RECOMMENDATION. Addison Davis: I DO NOT. Jim Porter: AGAIN, WHAT I WANT THE BOARD AND EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND, THE POSTURE OF THIS MEETING TODAY WAS AN APPEAL FROM TWO LOWER COMMITTEES. THE FIRST DECISION WAS AT A SPECIFIC SCHOOL, PIERCE. IT WASN'T A DISTRICTWIDE -- DIDN'T START AT THE DISTRICT. IT'S ENDING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. I'M TELLING YOU IN MY OPINION THE SAFEST ROUTE TO TAKE LEGALLY IN ANTICIPATION OF CHALLENGES COMING, AND THE POSTURE OF HOW THIS WAS

179NOTICED AND ADVERTISED AND WHAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING TODAY IS TO LIMIT IT TO PIERCE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU HAVE THE ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER DIRECTION IN THE FUTURE. WE CAN CHANGE THESE PROCEDURES. WE CAN CHANGE THE POLICY, BUT MY ADVICE TO YOU TODAY IS TO LIMIT THIS TO PIERCE. I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THE MOTION BE REVISED TO LIMIT THIS TO PIERCE. Nadia Combs: I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE THE MOTION. IF NOT, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION. Jim Porter: PASS THE GAVEL. Patti Rendon: I'M UP FOR SPEAKING. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE THAT THIS BOOK BE REMOVED FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE THAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO SECOND IT. Nadia Combs: ALREADY SOMEBODY TALKING ABOUT A MOTION.

180Patti Rendon: I'M MAKING A RECOMMENDATION. Jim Porter: THAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE FLOOR. NO NEED TO MAKE A MOTION. IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION. THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION WHICH IS TO NOT ALLOW "THIS BOOK IS GAY" IN ANY MIDDLE SCHOOL IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THAT IS THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR. NO NEED FOR YOU TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION IF THAT IS THE INTENT. Patti Rendon: YOU CLARIFIED EARLIER THAT IT WASN'T. Jim Porter: I ASKED IT BE CLARIFIED BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE LIMITED TO PIERCE. THE SUPERINTENDENT WENT BROADER THAN WAS NOTICED TODAY. THAT'S THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR. YOU'RE FREE TO VOTE ON THAT. UNDERSTAND THERE IS A RISK INVOLVED WITH THAT. Nadia Combs: I'M GOING TO

181HAND THE GAVEL IF WE CLARIFY THAT. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, WHY DON'T YOU CLARIFY THAT REAL QUICKLY. Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THIS PART, I THINK MR. PORTER IS DOING HIS DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE CERTAIN HE PROTECTS A PROCESS. THIS ORIGINAL PROCESS WAS COMING TO REMOVE THIS TEXT FROM PIERCE ONLY. LEGAL DID GIVE ALL THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED IN THE PACKET GIVEN TO YOU THROUGH MINUTES. MY RECOMMENDATION OPENLY WAS TO REMOVE THIS BOOK FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS. IT'S THE BOARD'S DECISION WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENT MOTION AND ONLY LINK THAT TO PIERCE. IT IS ONLY IN PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME. BUT MY RECOMMENDATION WAS TO CONTINUE TO REMOVE IT FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. Nadia Combs: I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A -- Jim Porter: YOU WOULD BE

182MAKING A SUBSTITUTE MOTION. Nadia Combs: I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION THAT THIS BOOK BE REMOVED FROM PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLY. Jim Porter: THAT REQUIRES A SECOND. SECOND. Jim Porter: YOU NEED TO VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION FIRST, WHICH IS TO LIMIT IT TO PIERCE. Nadia Combs: PLEASE VOTE YES IF YOU WANT LIKE TO LIMIT IT TO PIERCE. IF YOU WANT TO EXPAND IT TO OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOLS, THEN YOU WOULD VOTE NO. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. Stacy Hahn: I NEED SOME CLARIFICATION. SORRY. IF YOU VOTE TO ONLY REMOVE IT FROM PIERCE AND IT PASSES, BUT YOU WANT TO REMOVE -- I WANT TO REMOVE -- NOW WE'RE CAUGHT BECAUSE WE WANT TO REMOVE IT -- Jim Porter: THE ONLY ISSUE NOW WITH WHY I'M SPEAKING IS ABOUT TIMING AND PROCESS, NOT

183ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE AND NOT ABOUT YOUR POWERS OR THE SUPERINTENDENT'S POWERS. I'M VIEWING THIS, THERE WAS A PROCESS CREATED FOR A BOOK CHALLENGE BASED ON A SCHOOL. IT WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS BASED ON A SCHOOL. FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, THAT IS THE SAFEST, MOST CONSERVATIVE ROUTE TO TAKE. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO GO BROADER. IN MY OPINION, THAT WASN'T BEFORE YOU TODAY, AND IT ISN'T RIGHT FOR A DECISION. COULD BE IN THE FUTURE. YOU'VE HEARD MY SAY AND HEARD THE RECOMMENDATION, YOU CAN VOTE AS YOU LIKE, UNDERSTANDING THERE'S A RISK. IT'S NOT A GREAT RISK, THAT SOMEONE WILL CHALLENGE THIS DECISION BECAUSE YOU WENT BROADER THAN WAS ANTICIPATED. THAT'S THE RISK. Stacy Hahn: MEMBER COMBS MADE A MOTION. MEMBER VAUGHN SECONDED IT. WHY ARE WE GOING RIGHT TO A VOTE -- Jim Porter: THE SUBSTITUTE

184MOTION? ABSOLUTELY, YOU CAN DISCUSS THAT. THAT'S FAIR. IF YOU WANT TO DISCUSS THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, YOU CAN. AGAIN, I WANT TO BE CLEAR. THIS IS ABOUT TIMING AND PROCESS, NOT ABOUT POWERS AND DECISION MAKING. Stacy Hahn: I WANT IT REALLY CLEAR BEFORE I VOTE. Jim Porter: FACTUALLY SPEAKING, IT IS SORT OF A MOOT POINT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN ANY OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT. IT'S ONLY IN PIERCE. Stacy Hahn: I JUST WANT THIS REALLY CLEAR. I KNEW COMING IN WE WERE VOTING FOR THIS BOOK TO BE REMOVED FROM PIERCE. I'VE BEEN OBVIOUSLY ON THE RECORD NOW SAYING YES. I'M SUPPORTING THAT BOOK BEING REMOVED FROM PIERCE. NOW IT'S OPENED UP TO ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS. SO IF I VOTE NO ON REMOVING IT FROM PIERCE BUT YET I WANT TO VOTE YES ON HIS RECOMMENDATION

185AND IT GETS VOTED DOWN -- NOW I'M VOTING TO HAVE IT NOT REMOVED AT ALL. I AM GOING TO VOTE TO REMOVE IT FROM PIERCE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT REMOVED FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS BECAUSE BASED ON WHAT WE ALL SAID TODAY, WE DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE IN ANY MIDDLE SCHOOL. BUT I UNDERSTAND THE LEGALITIES AROUND IT. Jim Porter: THAT IS THE ABSOLUTE APPROPRIATE TOPIC FOR APRIL 25th. Stacy Hahn: I UNDERSTAND THAT. I WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF YOU THINK IT'S WRONG FOR CHILDREN OF THAT AGE, WHY WE WOULDN'T WANT TO. BUT I'M GOING TO PRESERVE MY VOICE AROUND THE BOOK BEING REMOVED FROM PIERCE AND SUPPORT THE BOOK TO BE REMOVED FROM PIERCE, HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR ANY MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILD. I JUST WANT

186IT TO BE CLEAR BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO GET VERY CONFUSING FOR SOME WHO HAVEN'T JUST SAT THROUGH HOURS AND HOURS OF DISCUSSION AROUND THIS. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. Jim Porter: THE BOARD CAN DISCUSS IT IF YOU LIKE. Nadia Combs: I THINK WE CAN VOTE IF WE JUST WANT TO -- GO AHEAD AND DISCUSS. MEMBER RENDON, GO AHEAD. Patti Rendon: WE HAVE THE RIGHT FOR EVERYONE. Nadia Combs: WE'LL CONTINUE. GO AHEAD, MEMBER RENDON. Patti Rendon: AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN I WANTED TO VOTE TO REMOVE FROM ENTIRE -- NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN ANOTHER MEMBER WANTS A SECONDARY MOTION, WE NEVER VOTED ON THE FIRST ONE THAT I WANTED TO MAKE. THEREFORE WE'RE IN VIOLATION OF ROBERT'S RULES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND. Jim Porter: SHE MADE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION THAT WAS SECONDED. IF

187YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF THAT SUBSTITUTE MOTION, YOU SHOULD VOTE YES. IF YOU ARE AGAINST IT, YOU SHOULD VOTE NO. THE ORIGINAL MOTION STANDS. Patti Rendon: BUT LET ME CLARIFY, IF WE VOTE TO ONLY HAVE IT IN PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL, DOES THAT SUPERSEDE OUR MOTION THAT WAS ON THE TABLE BEFORE OR DO WE COME -- Jim Porter: YOU DO NOT COME BACK. THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION THEN TAKES PRECEDENCE. THAT'S WHAT YOU VOTE ON AND THAT'S WHAT STANDS UNLESS IT FAILS. THEN YOU GO BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION. AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE BOARD BEING IN THIS POSITION, BUT THIS IS WHERE YOU ARE. THERE'S A SUBSTITUTE MOTION THAT WAS SECONDED. IF YOU'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT, YOU SHOULD VOTE NO AND GO BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION WHICH IS TO NOT HAVE IT IN ANY MIDDLE

188SCHOOL. Patti Rendon: LET ME CLARIFY SO I UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I FIND IT COMMON SENSE WOULD TELL YOU THAT IF I FIND IT INAPPROPRIATE FOR A SCHOOL, A MIDDLE SCHOOL, I'M GOING TO FIND IT INAPPROPRIATE FOR ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLERS BECAUSE ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE UNDER FLORIDA STATUTE. I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT I TRIED TO HAVE A MOTION BUT I WASN'T ALLOWED TO GET A SECOND TO GO TO A VOTE TO HAVE IT REMOVED IN ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS. SO I WANT TO KNOW, I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE IF I VOTE FOR IT TO STAY IN PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I LOSE, I DON'T GET TO VOTE TO HAVE IT REMOVED. I WANT IT PUBLICLY NOTE THAT I WANT IT REMOVED FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH

189COUNTY. Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, LET ME SAY THIS, JIM IS DOING AN AWESOME JOB. IF I GET TO A POINT WHERE MY RECOMMENDATION IS VOTED DOWN, I'LL MAKE AN ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION. Jim Porter: THAT'S NOT THE POSTURE OF THE BOARD RIGHT NOW. THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO LIMIT THIS TO PIERCE. Nadia Combs: ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT? MEMBER VAUGHN. THEN AFTER THAT WE'LL VOTE. Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. JUST TO CLARIFY ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, THE MOTION COMING FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT, THAT WAS THE MAIN MOTION WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE MAIN MOTION FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS TO REMOVE THE BOOKS COMPLETELY. A SUBSTITUTE MOTION WAS MADE AND SECONDED. IF THAT MOTION FAILS, IT GOES BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION. THAT DOESN'T VIOLATE ROBERT'S

190RULES OF ORDER IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT. THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO REMOVE IT ALL IS STILL ON THE FLOOR, AND IF THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION FAILS, IT GOES BACK TO THAT ORIGINAL MOTION WHICH WILL STILL BE THERE. DO WE NEED A SECOND FOR THAT ORIGINAL MOTION? Jim Porter: THAT WAS ALREADY SECONDED. Jessica Vaughn: WE'RE OKAY AS FAR AS ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT FOR ME, I KNOW THAT IT'S HARD FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS TO SAY, WELL, IF YOU'VE SPOKEN AND YOU SAY THAT YOU THINK THIS MIGHT NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR 11-YEAR-OLDS, WHY WOULD WE CONTINUE THIS. AGAIN, MY POINT WAS, I WANT TO KEEP OUR PROCESS IN PLACE. I MADE THIS DECISION BASED ON INFORMATION FROM THE COMMITTEES, LACK OF FILLING THINGS OUT,

191CERTAIN THINGS THEY SAID, HAVING CONVERSATION. IF THERE IS A BOOK LIKE THIS AT ANOTHER SCHOOL, I WANT INFORMATION FROM THAT COMMITTEE. I WANT TO HEAR FROM THAT COMMITTEE IF THEY THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT, IF THEY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS COMPLETELY, WHY THEY SEE VALUE IN THIS BOOK AT THIS COMMITTEE. THE WHOLE POINT OF HAVING THESE COMMITTEES IS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND TALK ABOUT IT FOR THEIR SPECIFIC COMMUNITY. THIS BOOK MIGHT BE ONE THING, BUT WE MIGHT HAVE BOOKS THAT COME UP THAT TALKS ABOUT DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THAT MIGHT BE REFLECTIVE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES. AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO ERODE OUR PROCESS. SO THAT'S WHY I'M SUPPORTING THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION IN ORDER TO MAKE IT CLEAR BECAUSE I KNOW IT SEEMS TO BE CONFUSING TO SOME PEOPLE. EVERY TIME THERE IS A

192BOOK CHALLENGE AT A SPECIFIC SCHOOL, I WANT THAT SCHOOL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IT, TO EVALUATE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEIR SCHOOL WHETHER IT'S A GOOD FIT TO GIVE US THEIR LOGIC BEHIND THEIR DECISIONS AND HAVE A THOROUGH DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. AGAIN THAT MIGHT BE THIS BOOK BUT I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT PROCESS ERODED WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OTHER BOOKS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT IS WHY I SUPPORTED THE SECOND AND WHY I THINK THAT SUBSEQUENT MOTION IS IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO COMMENT? Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THROUGH THE CHAIR, I'M GOING TO TRY TO HELP THIS AND MR. PORTER, YOU STOP ME. OPENLY, MY RECOMMENDATION WAS REMOVE THIS FROM

193EVERY SCHOOL IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I WILL REMOVE MY RECOMMENDATION AND MAKE A NEW RECOMMENDATION WITH A NOTION THAT I WILL BRING THIS BACK TO THE BOARD ON AN ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEM IN FRONT OF THE BOARD TO REMOVE IT FROM EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL SO I CAN GO -- I WANT TO FORMERLY REMOVE MY RECOMMENDATION. Jim Porter: THAT IS THE ABSOLUTE CLEANEST WAY TO DO THIS. I THINK IT CAPTURES THE INTENT OF WHAT MS. RENDON AND SOME OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AND DR. HAHN HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT. IT ABSOLUTELY CAPTURES THE INTENT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. AGAIN, IT PRESERVES THE PROCESS AS MS. VAUGHN SAID AND GIVES US THE BEST PROTECTION WE COULD HAVE IN A SITUATION THAT IS CONTROVERSIAL FROM A PROCESS STANDPOINT. Nadia Combs: OKAY. THANK YOU. I'LL GO AHEAD AND REMOVE MY MOTION. Jim Porter:

194ACTUALLY. YOU'RE RIGHT. HIT PAUSE. THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION IS NOW TO LIMIT IT TO PIERCE. THE MAKER OF THE MOTION ORIGINALLY, MS. RENDON, THAT IS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S CURRENT RECOMMENDATION. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE, DO YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR MOTION WITH HIS NEW RECOMMENDATION? Patti Rendon: NO. I WANTED A MOTION TO REMOVE IT FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS. Jim Porter: YOUR MOTION IS REMOVED. THERE'S NO MOTION ON THE FLOOR AT ALL. THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION IS TO LIMIT IT TO PIERCE AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT THAT, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR MOTION TO ELIMINATE FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, YOU ARE CREATING A RISK BUT YOUR RIGHT TO DO. Patti Rendon: I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE THIS BOOK FROM ALL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOLS. LOOKING FOR A SECOND. Nadia Combs: OKAY.

195NOW WE'LL -- Jim Porter: DISCUSS IT OR VOTE. Nadia Combs: AFTER A MOTION, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DISCUSSION OR WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE. I'M AWARE. Patti Rendon: I'M AWARE THERE WAS A DISCUSSION. I THOUGHT WE ALL DISCUSSED IT ENOUGH THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY COME TO A VOTE. Nadia Combs: I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. DON'T HAVE TO BE DISRESPECTFUL. THANK YOU. PLEASE GO AHEAD -- Jim Porter: THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR NOW -- THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR NOW IS TO NOT HAVE "THIS BOOK IS GAY" IN ANY MIDDLE SCHOOL IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THAT'S NOT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION, BUT THAT IS THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR. YOU SHOULD VOTE ON THAT. IF YOU WANT TO LIMIT THIS TO PIERCE, YOU SHOULD VOTE NO. IF YOU WANT TO PREVENT IT FROM BEING

196IN ANY SCHOOL LIBRARY, YOU SHOULD VOTE YES. THOSE ARE YOUR OPTIONS. Nadia Combs: PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IS EVERYONE AWARE? Jim Porter: THE MOTION PASSED 4-3. THAT'S IT. Nadia Combs: ANY OTHER COMMENTS? BOARD MEMBERS, IT'S A FEW MINUTES BEFORE 1. WE HAD PLANNED AN EXECUTIVE MEETING. OUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO TALK ABOUT SALARIES, AND WE HAVE PLANNED AN EXECUTIVE MEETING TODAY. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO START AT 12. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, I HAD A QUESTION, WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THE MAGISTRATE, WHEN WILL WE HAVE THIS EXECUTIVE MEETING? IT SEEMS LIKE THE BOARD PROBABLY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MEET TODAY. I DON'T KNOW. SUPERINTENDENT, DAVIS. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT? WE HAD PLANNED AN EXECUTIVE MEETING. OUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN WAITING A VERY LONG TIME. Addison Davis: THROUGH THE

197CHAIR, OPENLY, WE HAVE BEEN CONTINUOUSLY WAITING. WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING TODAY RELATED TO THE MAGISTRATE'S RECOMMENDATION. FROM OUR SIDE OF IT, OUR TEAM IS WILLING AND ABLE TO MEET BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE BOARD. Nadia Combs: ARE YOU GUYS AVAILABLE? 1:00. CAN WE GO 1 TO 2? IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 12 TO 1? CAN WE DO 1 TO 2? CAN'T. Stacy Hahn: [INAUDIBLE] Nadia Combs: SO YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN'T MEET. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.