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The ACLU of Florida has responded to allegations that the New College of Florida discreetly dumped hundreds of library books in a landfill.
The act was brazen censorship that harkens back to when academic freedom is sacrificed on the altar of political expediency, asserted the ACLU of Florida, an affiliate of the nonprofit, nonpartisan American Civil Liberties Union.
Bacardi Jackson“We vehemently condemn the reprehensible actions taken by New College of Florida, where hundreds of library books — including those concerning LGBTQ+ studies — have been unceremoniously discarded, destined for a landfill,” said Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. “This is not merely an administrative oversight; it is an intentional act of censorship that strikes at the heart of our democratic values and the very purpose of education.”
Herald-Tribune reported that the New College of Florida, a public institution based in Sarasota, disposed of books that discussed LGBTQ+ topics and religious studies and did offer them for purchase to students or other academic institutions, noting Florida Statute 273 outlines various options for disposing of state-funded property. The statute permits custodians of state-owned property to sell or transfer the property to another governmental entity, to sell or donate the property to a private nonprofit agency, to sell the property through a sale open to the public, or to enter contractual agreements with other entities that may include arrangements to dispose of the property. (FS 273.055)
“The dumping of these books is more than just the disposal of outdated materials,” said Jackson. “It is a clear and dangerous signal of the extent to which political interference is poisoning our educational institutions. This isn’t just an attack on academic freedom — it is an all-out assault on the right to free expression, the free exchange of ideas, and the intellectual autonomy that our colleges and universities must protect at all costs.”
Jackson urged citizens, educators, and students to speak out against the act. She asserted that “the fight for academic freedom and the right to free expression in Florida is far from over” and that “unfettered access to information, in whatever form or medium, is a core function of a democracy.”
“The decision to destroy these books, particularly those from the Gender and Diversity Center, is a direct attack on the voices of LGBTQ+ individuals and others who have historically been marginalized and silenced,” said Jackson.
“We demand immediate accountability from New College of Florida’s administration,” she continued. “We call on educational leaders across the state to resist these authoritarian tactics and to stand firm in defending the integrity of our educational institutions. The removal and destruction of these books is not just a loss for the students of New College — it is a loss for us all.”