Military Families for Free Expression Condemns Florida’s Book Ban Overreach
Military families continue to stand up for intellectual freedom
On June 20th, multiple advocacy groups, including Military Families for Free Expression (MFFE), signed a joint letter urging Florida legislators to investigate statewide book-removal orders that bypass the required review processes. The Tallahassee Democrat reports that these orders, backed by Florida's Attorney General, labeled dozens of titles as “pornographic” and demanded their immediate removal from school libraries without any formal evaluation or local input.
In particular, Hillsborough County - home to MacDill Air Force Base and whose public schools serve over 4,000 military families - has become the target of a recent campaign spearheaded by the Florida Board of Education to spark a new wave of book bans, bypassing existing book review processes and community input. In the past month, the State Board of Education and Attorney General have pressured Hillsborough County to ban 55 books and review over 600 more.
Why this matters to military families
Our commitment as military families to sacrificing on behalf of the freedoms of all Americans mandates that we demand intellectual freedom for our children, military students, and our communities. Stripping diverse books from shelves - or worse, implementing sweeping bans without due process - risks repeating in educational spaces the very censorship our loved ones in uniform signed up to fight against in other countries.
When states like Florida override local libraries and educators and apply broad censorship mandates, everyone’s right to access a wide range of ideas and identities is under threat. And when a military academy in Colorado or a DoDEA school follows suit, it worsens this form of censorship. It’s bad for our military kids, who have a right protected by their parents in uniform, to explore a wide range of resources as they grow into informed citizens. Servicemembers are also entitled to robust, well-rounded education through military academies, war colleges, and professional development programs. Limiting access to a full spectrum of ideas undermines their intellectual readiness and strategic thinking, both of which are essential to national security.
Who’s pushing back?
More than 40 organizations have demanded an investigation into these arbitrary censorship edicts in Florida.
Military families have initiated lawsuits with the help of the ACLU, aiming to restore access to resources and shine a spotlight on unconstitutional censorship in DoDEA schools.
Groups like Red Wine and Blue are organizing lobby days and “read ins” to fight back against book bans.
What this means for MFFE and military families
By speaking out as military families, we help safeguard the right to read, learn, and think openly for our military students and their peers.
MFFE’s membership as signatories to the letter in Florida strengthens this movement with each voice amplifying demands for fair process, respect for local educators, and genuine Constitutional protections.
How you can help
Sign up to get involved with MFFE by filling in our interest form.
Amplify the issue on social media and within your local community: