(NewsNation) — After a teenager checked out a book from a school library, two citizens called law enforcement saying the book was pornographic and allowing a teen to check it out was a felony.
The teen’s mother, though, says there’s more to the story.
A Florida teacher and two members of the conservative group Moms for Liberty notified the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office that school librarians were committing a crime, providing a copy of the young adult novel Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout as evidence.
The book is reported to contain scenes of making out and sexually-themed content in a fantasy setting. Barnes and Noble recommends the book for readers between the ages of 14 and 18.
A 17-year-old student at Jay High School checked out the book, but the student’s mother told local news outlet WEAR that her daughter only checked out the book after a teacher told her to do so. The teenager never read the book and accused Moms for Liberty of using children to further their agenda.
The teacher who asked for the book was not even a teacher at the high school. Vicki Baggett teaches English in Escambia County and was described as notorious for challenging books in schools. Students also allege Baggett openly expresses homophobic and racist views in her classes.
Baggett successfully challenged more than 150 books in Escambia County, which is now facing a federal lawsuit from a publisher, authors and parents of children affected by the bans who say the school board’s decision to ban the challenged books violates the U.S. Constitution.
Records show Baggett pressured the school board in Santa Rosa County to remove the books she had challenged in her own county and also tried to challenge books in the district’s schools. However, she was told she could not challenge the materials because she wasn’t a county resident.
After arguing with the board and continuing to submit challenges, Baggett then obtained power of attorney for a parent in Santa Rosa County and began challenging books on her behalf.
Body camera footage showed Moms for Liberty members Jennifer Tapley and Tom Gurski taking the book to the sheriff’s office as “evidence a crime was committed,” saying it was as serious as if the student had been given a Playboy magazine.
Tapley and Gurski cited a state law requiring schools to remove a book within five days of being challenged. Challenged books must remain inaccessible to students until a decision is made on whether the book is appropriate.
The Santa Rosa County School board said the book had not been formally challenged when it was checked out and that once it was returned, it was quarantined and remains unavailable to students.
