A book about Anne Frank has been removed from a Florida school library after a parent group complained that it was sexually explicit and minimized the Holocaust.
The tome titled “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” was yanked from the shelves at Vero Beach High School in Indian River County after Moms for Liberty voiced concerns, WPTV reported.
“We think true history absolutely needs to be taught, the Holocaust, the Anne Frank diary,” Jennifer Pippin, chairwoman of the group’s local chapter, told the outlet.
But she argued that it was inappropriate that the book features illustrations of the girl strolling along nude statues, as well as a “graphic scene” where she asks a friend to expose themselves to one another.
After the grassroots parent-advocacy group complained to the principal, the school determined that some portions of the book did not contribute to the themes of Holocaust education, WPTV reported.
Kyra Schafte, the district’s director of academic compliance and equity, said the original “Diary of Anne Frank” is still available in school libraries.
“When districts address Holocaust education, it does so without denying or minimizing the events of Holocaust education,” she told the outlet. “In these times, the content did not promote behaviors we would want our students to have access to.”
The book — adapted by Ari Folman, the son of Holocaust survivors, and illustrated by David Polonsky – was only available at the high school’s library, TCPalm reported.
It was one of four books that were removed from school libraries in Indian River County.
The three others — part of a series entitled “Assassination Classroom” at the Gifford Middle School library — were about a junior high teacher who was really an alien with superpowers, TCPalm reported.
Pippin said they were inappropriate because they contained illustrations of students with guns in a classroom.
“We don’t want students to think it’s OK to kill their teachers,” she told the outlet.
In “The Diary of a Young Girl,” the 1947 book often referred to as “The Diary of Anne Frank,” Frank described how she hid with her family for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
She died in a concentration camp in 1945.
“We will never challenge the accurate diary of Anne Frank’s books. True history needs to be taught,” Pippin told TCPalm in a message.
In the original book, Anne described how she asked a friend if she wanted to show each other their bodies, her desire to kiss her and her feelings when she saw images of the statues in her art history book, the outlet noted.
Indian River County recently created a “District Objection Committee” comprising nine members, including parents and district employees.
Schafte told WPTV the district is proud of the work principals are conducting as initial gatekeepers.
“In changing times and keeping up with statutes and policies, they’re doing a fantastic job,” she said.
Pippin added that she has a list of some 250 other books Moms for Liberty plans to challenge once the group’s training is complete.
The Vero Beach incident comes as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has faced backlash over the “Stop WOKE Act,” which compels school districts to remove books that espouse critical race theory.