Federal lawsuit against Florida school district that banned books can move forward, judge rules

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit may move forward against a Florida Panhandle school district over its removal of books about race and LGBTQ+ identities from library shelves. The Pensacola-base judge ruled Wednesday that the writers’ group PEN America, publisher Penguin Random House, banned authors and parents have standing to pursue their claims under the First Amendment’s free speech protections. He denied a claim under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, however. The federal lawsuit alleges the Escambia County School District and its School Board are violating the First Amendment through the removal of 10 books.