The state of Florida has reportedly rejected two new Holocaust-related textbooks due to previous laws signed by Governor Ron DeSantis as part of the state's resistance to what some call "woke" education.
The textbooks are called Modern Genocides and History of the Holocaust and were both intended for high school students, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTP)—which reported that the books' rejections were part of a broader review of K-12 social studies material that did not include the approval of any new Holocaust literature this year.
This report comes about two weeks after DeSantis, who in 2020 signed legislation requiring public schools to certify that they teach about the Holocaust, visited Israel and delivered a keynote address as antisemitism in his state reached a "historic" high, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Addressing last year's Republican Jewish Coalition, DeSantis said: "At a time of unnecessarily strained relations between Jerusalem and Washington, Florida serves as a bridge between the American and Israeli people."
Modern Genocides was rejected in part for containing prohibited "special topics" including terms like "social justice" and "critical race theory," according to documents provided by the state's Department of Education (DOE) to JTP.
Alex Lanfranconi, director of communications at the Florida DOE, told Newsweek via email that the specific textbooks referenced "did not meet our high-standards for instructional materials, and we have sent our feedback to the publishers to help them come into compliance with standards."
Florida requires instruction on the Holocaust for all students beginning in fifth grade, he said, adding that there are currently "many textbooks and other approved instructional materials" that exist.
He added that DeSantis has "championed" myriad legislation dedicated to making sure the Holocaust is never forgotten, including House Bill 1213 in 2020 designating the second week in November as "Holocaust Education Week"; and a proposed record $5 million in funding for additional security to ensure children at Florida's Jewish Day Schools can learn and thrive in a safe environment.
"The bottom line remains, Florida students are required to learn about the Holocaust and that will never change in the DeSantis administration," Lanfranconi said.
A spokesperson for DeSantis declined to comment to Newsweek, instead referring to comments made by the DOE.
Lisa Rahn, director of strategy and design at the book's publisher, eDynamic Learning, told JTA in a statement that it had spoken with the Florida DOE and planned to appeal the rejection.
"In conversations with the DOE, it is clear that the DOE sees the benefit of this curriculum for students but wants to ensure that all state standards for the curriculum have been addressed," Rahn said.
eDynamic Learning also publishes History of the Holocaust. Newsweek reached out via email to eDynamic Learning for comment.
Along with the two rejections, a social studies textbook for grades 6-8 was modified due to "politically charged language when referencing the Hebrew Bible."
The previous version contained the guiding question, "What social justice issues are included in the Hebrew Bible?" That phrase was changed from "social justice issues" to "key principles."
"Governor DeSantis' so-called 'war on woke' is really a war on honest education, on children, and on families," Nina Perez, a Jacksonville-based mother and national director of the MomsRising organization, told Newsweek via email. "It's racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia cloaked as parents' rights—but moms aren't buying it.
"We want our schools to provide honest, accurate, age-appropriate history education that includes the Holocaust, slavery and other horrors so we can learn from the past, avoid repeating our most devastating mistakes, and build a brighter future for all our families. Moms are fed up and pushing back against those who want to ban books and censor our history."
These reports come as Florida has taken steps to reform its education system to what some critics deem is a step too far.
In March 2022, DeSantis signed Florida House Bill 1467—initially called the "K-12 Education" measure—into law, allowing more freedom by parents and caregivers to challenge school library books.
It also bans materials that are "pornographic" or "not suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material presented, or is inappropriate for the grade level and age group for which the material is used."
DeSantis called it the "strongest curriculum transparency legislation in the country," according to West Palm Beach TV 5.
After banning critical race theory from public classrooms in June 2021, DeSantis approved the "Stop W.O.K.E. Act.," an acronym standing for "Wrong to our Kids and Employees."
Raegan Miller is one of three Florida mothers with multiple children who started the Florida Freedom to Read Project in October 2021, which promotes educational freedom and raises awareness largely across the K-12 spectrum.
Miller has a fifth grader. She told Newsweek via phone that she notices differences in what her son learns now, as opposed to what her daughter learned in the same grade years back.
"What they're trying to do is frame things in the way they see it and how they want to present things," Miller said. "It's pretty shameful because Florida is obviously a very large state with five of the 10 largest school districts...When you have publishers bidding and trying to sell work, of course, they will comply with certain requirements."
The removal of the words "social justice" from certain parts of the statewide curriculum defeats the purpose of education itself and is "indoctrination," Miller added.
Update 05/12/23, 3:23 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Raegan Miller and referral from DeSantis' office to the DOE statement.
