FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — The impassioned debate over a controversial award-winning book continues in Flagler County.
During a meeting on Tuesday, people spoke out for and against the book “All Boys Aren’t Blue.”
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The award-winning book by George M. Johnson explores growing up Black and queer.
“Are you afraid of viewing from different points of views? And are you afraid of your children understanding race and sexuality? Are you afraid of children having their own opinions,” one person said.
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“I don’t even know what kind of convoluted mind you would have to have to want to keep this kind of material in a school,” another person said.
School board member Jill Woolbright filed a criminal report with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office because she’s concerned about the book’s sexual content.
“My words to them, the superintendent and the attorney, was that in my research of the statutes, this is a crime of a felony of the third degree,” Woolbright said.
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The author of the book called into the meeting last night.
“There is no reason to pretend that the world is not going to expose our youth and our teens to these very heavy subjects and heavy topics that are included in my book. The problem is, we think my book is what is introducing them to that, when realistically, they are already experiencing these things, and my book is teaching them how to get through these things,” Johnson said.
“I encourage anyone else to read the entire book before you cast judgment,” Johnson said.
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Flagler County students can no longer check out the book while it’s under review.
Elsewhere in Central Florida, Orange County Public Schools told Channel 9 that there are 17 copies of “All Boys Aren’t Blue” at the following schools: Boone, Colonial, Dr. Phillips, Edgewater, Horizon, Lake Buena Vista, Lake Nona and Timber Creek high schools.
The school district said none of the books have been removed.
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