Florida school removes Anne Frank book for being sexually explicit and minimizing Holocaust
A Florida school library has removed a graphic edit of Anne Frank’s diary after a parent group complained that it is sexually explicit and trivializes the Holocaust.
The book, titled “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation,” was pulled from shelves at Vero Beach High School in Indian River County after advocacy group Moms For Liberty raised concerns.
It is one of four books removed from county school libraries — as Florida public school officials continue to review literature deemed contentious by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Jennifer Pippin, president of the group’s Indian River chapter, said WPTV that they objected to the book because it contained a “graphic scene” where Anne Frank asks a friend to expose themselves to each other.
She also argued that another scene, in which the character walks between naked statues, was inappropriate.
‘Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation’, based on the original 1947 diary, has been pulled from the shelves at a Florida high school
“We think real history should absolutely be taught, the Holocaust, the diary of Anne Frank,” she told the outlet, but she was against the visual depiction of sexuality in the graphic novel.
After Moms For Liberty complained to the principal, the school determined that some of the text did not contribute to the themes of Holocaust education.
Dr. Kyra Schafte, the district director of academic compliance and fairness, said, “When districts engage in Holocaust education, it is done without denying or downplaying the events of Holocaust education.
“In these times, the content did not promote behavior that we would want our students to have access to.”
‘The diary of a young girl’ by Anne Frank, published in 1947, describes her experience in hiding from the Nazis together with her family in Amsterdam during World War II.
Anne Frank was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944 and later died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945 – just weeks before it was liberated.
In the original diary, the young girl describes asking a friend to show each other their bodies, and how she felt when she saw images of images in an art history book.
Dr. Schafte confirmed that the original ‘Anne Frank Diary’ is still available in school libraries.
The book was removed from Vero Beach High School in Indian River County after advocacy group Moms For Liberty raised concerns
Anne Frank was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944 and later died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945
Jennifer Pippin, president of Moms for Liberty’s Indian River chapter, said the group objected to “graphic” scenes
Dr. Kyra Schafte, the district director of academic compliance and fairness, confirmed that the original book would remain in school libraries.
Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation was edited by Ari Folman, the son of Holocaust survivors, and illustrated by David Polonsky.
It is one of four books deleted from school libraries in the county, according to TCPalmpart of a series with the three others titled ‘Assassination Classroom’.
Moms for Liberty chairwoman Jennifer Pippin said the advocacy group would never contest the accuracy of Anne Frank’s original diary.
“True history should be taught,” she said.
She added that the group has about 250 more titles she plans to challenge in the future.
Indian River County has recently formed a District Objection Committee, which will meet if there are formal objections to the removal of books across the district.
It comes because banning books has been the subject of widespread controversy in Florida in recent months, amid Governor DeSantis’ crackdown on “awakened” literature in classrooms.
In parts of the state, more than 100 titles have already been scrapped after passing education policies that allow books to be removed based on parental complaints.
Thousands more are being reviewed based on laws restricting classroom topics related to race, gender, and sexual orientation, including the Stop WOKE Act and the Parental Rights in Education Act.
The review, which began in January and has generated widespread backlash, is part of a larger sweep of literature nationwide, primarily due to topics revolving around people of color or LGBTQ themes.