FLORIDA: Collier County School Board Defends use of Pornographic Materials by Students

boardmembers14Two weeks ago, Florida Citizens Alliance reported that The Collier County School District was caught promoting pornographic material on its “Summer Reading List”. This list had been promoted as a PDF for several weeks on their trusted CCPS website to parents and students. Concerned citizens led by Parents ROCK, a local watchdog group, held a press conference, inviting all the local reporters for News and TV. The School district took down their summer list and replaced it with the “Florida State” recommended “Summer Reading List”. CCPS spokesman agreed it was pornographic, but claimed this was a one-off occurrence.

However, no one knows how many parents or students downloaded these recommendations for grades 6 thru 12 yet they chose NOT to send a warning to all Parents.  Here is the Link to an excerpt from just one of the several obscene books on the List. This was recommended for 6-8 graders, so for children as young as 11 years old. Open with Caution – http://goo.gl/cUzCsX

Five (5) days later, Collier Citizens and Parents ROCK reported the following books are in the Collier Media Centers for all Collier High Schools and even some Middle schools. This is not a complete list but it shows that many obscene books are in the Collier School Media Centers- these are clear pornography bought at taxpayer expense. This is also clear evidence of a systemic break down in trust that parents place in the Collier School District. The spokesman for the CCPS District and now some of the CCPS Board members are defending this content in the Media Centers. Open with caution – http://goo.gl/yG0eVT

On June 9th, many parents and community members attended the Collier School Board Meeting.  Several, who believe that Common Core is good and removing these materials is censorship, spoke in support of keeping pornographic for under-aged children to read. However, many parents and community members who believe under-aged children should be legally and morally protected from pornographic materials spoke against the approved reading list.

Watch this YouTube video:

This is a fascinating exchange between Chairwoman K. Curatulo and Board Lawyer Jon Fishbane.  Chair Curatulo refused to approve reading some of the pornographic content into the public record and then Fishbane over-ruled her on First Amendment grounds.  The result, however, is that some of the School Board members, District Superintendent and staff are now defending pornographic materials in Collier County school Media Centers.

Chair Curatulo first ruled the reading in a School Board meeting were inappropriate and now she and the District are defending this pornographic material as appropriate for access to Middle and High School students.

Florida Citizen Alliance states:

This is a usurpation of parental controls over what their children are subjected to in our government schools, all at taxpayer expense. Parents can no longer trust that CCPS has the best interest of their children at heart!

Most importantly, how can parents trust that these pornographic materials are not in all Florida County Public Schools or used in on-line lesson plans throughout the State? These materials are endemic of Common Core. Now that 80% of all instructional materials across the USA are provided by Pearson, PLC; and Pearson, PLC was funded $350 million by the U.S. Department of Education to make all Pearson materials Common Core compliant, it is almost a certainty that these materials have already crept into most, if not all of our Florida Public Schools!

Parents, Grandparents and taxpayers, are urged to do their own homework. Read the books your children are reading.

This cartoon is courtesy of Nick Lichter from Facebook:

collier schools porn cartoon

UPDATE: The following was received via e-mail on June 24th from the Florida Department of Education:

Thank you for your letter with your concerns addressing titles of books found on the Collier County School website.  I have been asked to respond on behalf of the Commissioner and am happy to do so.  The Florida Department of Education does not regulate district websites or links to websites listing suggested books for summer reading.  I was informed however that as soon as the district was informed of the controversial and/or inappropriate titles, the link to the website was removed and currently the district only provides the Summer Reading List provided by the Just Read, Florida! office.

Both private organizations and school districts are independently operated and do not seek the approval of reading lists from the Department.  In addition, many organizations include a disclaimer concerning any recommendations and selections, leaving the responsibility of choosing appropriate reading materials to the individual.

Thank you again for contacting the Department of Education regarding this issue.  We appreciate you taking time to express your concerns.

Best regards,
Wendy Stevens
Just Read, Florida!
Florida Department of Education

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19 replies
  1. Kelly Lichter
    Kelly Lichter says:

    I am on the Collier County School Board, and I do not support these materials in our schools. If teens want these kinds of books, then their parents can take them to the local public library and check them out. We are talking about minors, not adults. As a mother of a five and six year old, I believe in parents rights and their ability to protect their children. Our children do not belong to the government.

    Reply
    • Dr. Rich Swier
      Dr. Rich Swier says:

      Kelly,

      Thank you for your comments. Our public schools have a moral obligation to protect children from materials that are inconsistent with the community’s values. This is just one example of bad public policy.

      Reply
    • Jim Kelly
      Jim Kelly says:

      Exactly! My children are my children. The District must be vigilant in all things to honor my relationship with my kids.

      Instead of getting in the way, the schools should promote the parent-child relationship.

      Reply
  2. Charlotte Greenbarg
    Charlotte Greenbarg says:

    Irony in the refusal of Chair Curatulo to allow the porn to be read publicly, but thinks it’s just fine for Middle and High students. Sunshine is the best disinfectant! This isn’t about censorship; it’s about appropriate content for minors.

    Reply
  3. Steve Donovan
    Steve Donovan says:

    I want to publicly thank some of the board members who know inappropriate reading materials for the school children. When I was on the board there were books brought to attention and we had a committee to review and bring back recommendations. Is this still part of the process? Keep up the good fight!!

    Reply
  4. Sandra Tugrul
    Sandra Tugrul says:

    As a parent and former school board member, I can attest to the fact that material like depicted here have been pushed in our schools for many years. The agenda of the left has been perpetrated on our children for many years. Alternative lifestyles and families are propagandized in every subject area. I have a sixth grade sex curriculum (put out by the Federal Department of Education) that encourages children to have sex, how to arouse their partners and how to buy (field trip) sex toys, creams and condoms. A report was requested to describe the clerks attitude when checking these items out. Local school boards often consist of union members (or their spouse) who are employed in other districts. Teachers actively campaign for their choices on the board. They have the time and the money to support those candidates that think like they do. The dumbing down of America has been taking place through out tax dollars and through the media. Vote no on every tax levy. The money is not for the children.

    Reply
    • J. Kinnear
      J. Kinnear says:

      You and others hit the nail on the head and understand the created-by-teachers problem described here. There are many evil forces after the physical control and the very souls of our children. This book list from the boards of education is a form of child molestation and explains also why so many people in authority are on the criminal’s side of the story.

      Reply
  5. Jim Kelly
    Jim Kelly says:

    I’ve witnessed the arrogance of power by the Superintendent and the weakness of the CollierCounty School Board.

    This is further revealing a pattern of leftism. Some of it is by design. Some is by the naïveté of the board members–past and present.

    2016 and beyond vis-a-vis this board will be the telling sign if this country avoids the 1000 years of darkness of which President Reagan warned us.

    This is not about books. It’s about Liberty.

    Reply
  6. Virgil Cottongim
    Virgil Cottongim says:

    After college, I was a counselor for children for a few years, I would never approve this sort of pornograhic material for children under 18 years old, certainly not allow it to be read by middle schoolers. For the past 30 years, Collier County has had a running gun battle with Superintendents, somehow, our elected school board members totally lose all reason and intelligence when hiring and firing them… I have never approved of Pam Patton being hired, I didn’t think she was qualified, finding this material in the schools seem to prove me correct…..

    Reply
  7. Joan Dever
    Joan Dever says:

    As a grandmother in Collier County I am , to say the least , appalled to learn that this kind of filth has been placed in our schools for our children to read. The school board did not want to even hear it read during the public meeting before adults, does that not tell you it is inappropriate for our children ? I am very discouraged with out standing school board and believe there needs to be some serious changes made , I do want to commend Kelly Lichter for her bold stand and strong convictions , We need all Kelly Lichters on the school board.. I am so sorry for our children .

    Reply
  8. Gloria
    Gloria says:

    One of the reasons I did not sent my second son to public school in Collier is because they don’t teach them moral and they are too liberals God doesn’t want religion He want us to teach us and our kids his instructions which are in the Bible old a New Testament, if we applied all in. our lives all schools would it be good. God Bless you all.

    Reply
  9. Kathy Harrison
    Kathy Harrison says:

    i am disgusted by the fact this issue even needs to be debated. We are becoming more and more like sodom every day . No wonder God has judged our country and is allowing our leaders to destroy us . Don’t people realize that everyone of us will stand before God !
    Whether you believe or not doesn’t change the fact that He is real and His Word is true.

    Reply
  10. Susan Nicholson
    Susan Nicholson says:

    I really can’t aid tasks listed here. Give thanks to a person for the time effectively
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    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] the school district had no control over the content found there. After receiving complaints, CCPS removed the GoodReads link and replaced it with a list compiled by the Florida Department of […]

  2. […] the school district had no control over the content found there. After receiving complaints, CCPS removed the GoodReads link and replaced it with a list compiled by the Florida Department of […]

  3. […] the school district had no control over the content found there. After receiving complaints, CCPS removed the GoodReads link and replaced it with a list compiled by the Florida Department of […]

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