Florida Is Writing the Book Banning Playbook, Report Finds

A new report cowritten by PEN America and the Florida Freedom to Read Project looks at how Florida has restricted access to books and information in libraries and classrooms under the guise of "parental rights"—and how the state has served as a testing ground for the imposition of such restrictions on a federal level. 

"The Blueprint State: Lessons from Parents Left Behind by 'Parental Rights' Policies in Florida" concludes that "parental rights" policies 1) subvert the majority of parents' preferences; 2) lead school districts to self-censor; 3) favor censorship advocates whether or not they are parents; 4) prioritize caution over students' education; and 5) codify the state's ideological preferences. 

"Since the start of 2025, free expression and freedom to read organizations have raised alarm over the new federal administration’s adoption of policies, practices, and rhetoric to suppress speech and restrict access to information," reads the report. "The administration has dismissed books bans as a 'hoax,' chilled discussions of 'race, color, sex, or national origin' by prohibiting so-called 'discriminatory equity ideology' in K-12 schools, eliminated federal funding for promoting what it has termed 'gender ideology,' and sought to advance ideological control of education under the guise of advancing 'parental rights.' Each of these federal actions has had a test run in Florida."

To read the full report, click here.