Resident urges Pinellas Schools to return books removed under school challenges, cites judge Mendoza ruling and Florida statute

A member of the public told the Pinellas County School Board on Aug. 19 that books removed from district shelves should be returned immediately, citing Florida Statute section 1000.02 and a recent district court ruling she said listed books that should not have been removed.

"Books in hands impacts children achieving academic success," said Nicole St. Leger, who identified herself during the public comment period and asked the board to restore books that a judge had listed as compliant. She noted families still recovering from last year’s hurricanes may lack library access and described those gaps as harming literacy and academic achievement.

St. Leger referenced "Florida statues regarding early learning through 20, specifically at section 1,000.02," and told the board she believed the district’s book removals did not meet the statute’s student‑centered expectations. She also referred to "last week's ruling by judge Mendoza in the case of house bill 1069" and asked that any books named in that ruling that had been removed be returned to shelves immediately. "I understand the district has decided to wait for the appeals process before allowing the books removed to be returned," she said, and added that waiting could take months and "the children in our district lose asset access to academic materials."

St. Leger also warned that removing books without parent complaint could expose the district to legal challenges, and she characterized the removals as "imposing government censorship." The board did not take action on the comment during the meeting; the transcript records the public comment but no immediate board decision in response.

The commenter requested prompt restoration of the listed books; district staff said the board will wait for the appeals process, according to the public comment transcript.