Jenna Barbee, a fifth grade teacher in Hernando County, Florida, is under investigation by the Florida Department of Education for showing her class the Disney film Strange World which features a gay character. According to Barbee, she had parents sign permission slips allowing her to screen a PG-rated film. A parent—who serves on the Hernando County School District Board—reported Barbee to the Florida Department of Education. From CNN:
"Yesterday, the Disney movie 'Strange World' was shown in your child's classroom," the school district said [in a message to parents]. "While not the main plot of the movie, parts of the story involves a male character having and expressing feelings for another male character. In the future, this movie will not be shown. The school administration and the district's Professional Standards Dept is currently reviewing the matter to see if further corrective action is required."
The complaint is part of Florida's controversial legislation, signed last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, banning certain instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom. DeSantis and other supporters pushed the measure as a form of "parental rights," while opponents said it tried to erase LGBTQ people from schools and dubbed the law "Don't Say Gay."[…]
At a school board meeting, Barbee explained that the movie's plot related to the class's unit on the environment and ecosystems. Meanwhile, Shannon Rodrigues, the parent who complained, was very clear about her idiotic stance:
"It is not a teacher's job to impose their beliefs upon a child: religious, sexual orientation, gender identity, any of the above. But allowing movies such as this assist teachers in opening a door, and please hear me, they assist teachers in opening a door for conversations that have no place in our classrooms…. As a leader in this community, I'm not going to stand by and allow this minority to infiltrate our schools … God did put me here."
(Thanks, Charles Pescovitz!)
