Miami-Dade School Board Votes to Ban Cuba Book

ACLU statement
ACLU Statement RE: Miami-Dade School Board’s Vote to Authorize the
Censorship of the Book ‘Vamos a Cuba’ in the Public School System

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, June 14, 2006

CONTACT:
Brandon Hensler, Communications Director, 786-363-2722 or 786-208-
7203

MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida today
released the following statement which can be attributed to Howard
Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida and Virginia Rosen,
President of the ACLU of Florida, Greater Miami Chapter:

Lawyers and staff of the American Civil Liberties Union are now
preparing a legal challenge to today’s regrettable decision of the
Miami-Dade School Board.

Parents, educators, librarians and others with standing in this
matter who are equally concerned about the School Board’s disturbing
decision should contact the ACLU to discuss becoming a part of this
challenge so that book censorship does not become the official policy of
the Miami-Dade Schools.

It is unfortunate that the School Board ignored the professional
advice of both the Superintendent and the overwhelming finding of two
committees of educators, parents and librarians.

Today’s precedent – if allowed to stand – opens the door to yank
virtually any book off the shelf of a school library at the whim of a
single parent and a school board judgment that there is some inaccuracy or
omission in a book.

The answer to controversial or unpopular speech — as the U.S.
Supreme Court has said over again — is to add more information with
different viewpoints, not enforce censorship. That is a cure worse than
the disease.

The fight for freedom in Cuba cannot be waged as a war on the First
Amendment in Miami.

About the ACLU of Florida
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is freedom’s watchdog,
working daily in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend
individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and
the Bill of Rights. For additional information, visit our Web site at:
http://www.aclufl.org.

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2006 Press Releases

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