POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA: Citizens Defending Freedom Files Complaint RE: Pornographic/Age Inappropriate Books in Public Schools

Apparently, No law enforcement agencies in Polk County, Florida have taken any action concerning pornographic/age inappropriate books currently available in Polk County Public School Media Centers. It is difficult for me to explain their seemingly lack of concern about this issue by refusing to even conduct an investigation nor even to openly support an Opt-In option for parents.

We owe our appreciation to Polk County Citizens Defending Freedom (CCDF) and Polk Executive Director Robert Goodman for having the courage and integrity to take this action which 42 Winter Haven 912ers and 48+ County Citizens Defending Freedom members participated in. It seems very reasonable to ask for an OPT-IN policy which will require parents to actually approve access of these books to their children. We are hopeful the State DOE or other agency will weigh in on this issue.

As stated below, Lisa Miller, Sarah Fortney, Sara Beth Wyatt and Kay Fields opposed Superintendent Heid’s initial plan for an Opt-In, Opt-Out policy and convinced him to change it to only an Opt-Out policy which few parents will even know about. In evidence of this, the Aug deadline has already passed with only 42 parents of over 100,000 PCPS students completing the Opt-Out form online. So much for supporting Parent’s Rights.

Lisa Miller expressed concern below about a law suit and that the left would come after the Bible which are both faux reasons in my opinion.

Remember this when voting in General Election in Nov. and vote for Jill Sessions to replace Lisa Miller in the SB run off.

Leader of group targeting Polk school library books asks police agencies to take action

Paul Nutcher The Ledger  09/30/22

The leader of the County Citizens Defending Freedom has tried to get law enforcement, state prosecutors and lawmakers, including the governor’s office, to respond to the group’s complaint that parents should be required to opt-in to let their children checkout books the group says are offensive and harmful to students.

The district has chosen instead to maintain its opt-out policy that allows parents to restrict their students from reading any book at school libraries, but keeps the challenged books in Polk schools.

Robert Goodman followed through with his pledge at the last Polk County School Board meeting to file police reports if the district kept distributing at least 12 of 16 controversial library books the group challenged late last year.

Polk books: Polk schools superintendent defends library book policy as activist threatens to file police reports

‘Opt-out’ policy: Polk County schools switch to ‘opt-out-only’ process for restricting library books. Here’s what that means

Florida’s book bans: Which titles are being pulled from school media centers?

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and several police departments in the county have been in contact with Goodman, the leader of the Polk County CCDF.

Goodman filed reports with Lake Alfred, Winter Haven, Haines City and the Mulberry substation of the Sheriff’s Office as well as its main office to inform law enforcement of the board policy. As of Tuesday, he had not visited the Lakeland or Bartow police departments.

When none of the law enforcement agencies took action, he cast a wider net, writing an email to Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, State Attorney Brian Haas of the 10th Judicial Circuit based in Bartow, members of the Florida legislature, county commissioners and the Polk School Board.

---