Book banned: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a coming of age novel by Stephen Chbosky, is being removed from the curriculum at Pasco Middle School. A school-based committee made up of parents, teachers and administrators decided the book was too sexually graphic. A district committee agrees, and recommends it be banned from all district schools. That decision will be made by School Superintendent Kurt Browning. Tampa Bay Times.

Bathroom fight: A vote on a proposed change in the Duval County School District's bathroom policy is tabled after a city attorney cautioned members about making public comments. John Phillips, general counsel for the city, says any comments could be used against the board in a lawsuit brought by a mother of four district students. That mother says the current policy, which bans discrimination due to gender identity, race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation, deprives her children of the "right to bodily privacy.” Florida Times-Union. Gov. Rick Scott tells an Orlando TV station: "If this federal mandate means that a man could walk into the bathroom of a young lady or the locker room of a young lady, that is clearly concerning.” It was Scott's first public reaction to the Obama administration directive to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity or face lawsuits or a loss of federal aid. WESH.

Expulsions, suspensions: A community group made up law enforcement officials, attorneys, judges, school officials and academics is trying to create a program to cut back the Sarasota County School District's use of expulsions and out-of-school suspensions. The group hopes to land a $4 million grant to create a Juvenile Court Intervention Team at some high schools. Those teams work with students to minimize time spent out of school. The district expelled the second-highest number of students in the state from 2010 to 2014. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)