NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — Citizens Defending Freedom (CDF) of Nassau County has filed a lawsuit demanding the public release of the school district’s behavioral health curriculum.
The suit, filed in Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, names the defendants as The School Board of Nassau County (SBNC), Nassau County School District (NCSD) and a vendor for the district called Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare (SPBH).
The lawsuit alleges that SBNC and, by extension NCSD are in violation of Section 119.0701 of the Florida Public Records Act, which requires schools to make public upon request school materials given to students, including school materials given to students by contractors like SPBH.
CDF says that despite multiple public records requests, SBNC and NCSD refused to make SPBH’s “Ripple Effects” curriculum, which is allegedly taught to students with behavioral health issues, publicly available.
That curriculum, CDF says, is explicit in nature and unsuitable for children.
Later, NCSD confirmed for CDF that the Ripple Effects curriculum includes, among many other age inappropriate topics, the following:
● Date Rape
● Dirty Pictures
● Foreplay
● Incest
● Jerking Off
● Masturbation
● Online Porn
● Roofies
● Roles – Gender roles and gender identity
● Rubbers
CDF is asking the court to grant an immediate hearing on the issue directing NCSB to turn over the Ripple Effects curriculum immediately and the awarding of attorney’s fees.
CDF’s Nassau County Executive Director Jack Knocke is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
“We recently worked with the Nassau County School Board on the removal of several books that violated Florida law, and they were courteous and professional in the handling of that matter,” said Knocke. “We want to continue working with the board to identify age inappropriate materials that may be in our children’s schools, but we can’t do that without transparency. That’s what this lawsuit is about, and we’re hoping it gets resolved quickly.”
"We are trying to access educational records to be sure 'reading, writing and arithmetic' are not being secretly changed to 'roofies, rubbers, and role-playing'. The information documented in our pleadings is quite alarming,” said CDF’s Florida Director of the Office of Legal Affairs James H.K. Bruner, Esq., who is representing CDF in the case. “CDF remains committed to removing age inappropriate materials from our children’s schools, and we pray the court grants expedient relief in this matter.”
***For a copy of the lawsuit, please contact Peter D’Abrosca at 720.639.0066 or peter.dabrosca@judgepr.com***
Founded in 2021, Citizens Defending Freedom is a non-profit organization that strategically operates in counties across America to help citizens defend their faith and freedom, all while fighting for transparency in local government. Currently, Citizens Defending Freedom is established in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Texas, with plans to continue expanding across America. Click here to learn more about Citizens Defending Freedom.