Florida principal forced to quit after showing Michelangelo’s David in art history lesson

A charter school principal in Tallahassee, Florida, has had to quit her job. It comes after she showed an image of Michelangelo’s statue David to a sixth-grade class (11 and 12-year-olds) during a Renaissance art history lesson.

Three parents complained, saying their children were “upset” by the educational session. Besides the statue of David, the lesson also looked at Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’. One parent called the content “pornographic”.

At an emergency board meeting held at 7am on Monday, Hope Carrasquilla tendered her resignation. She’d been principal of Tallahassee Classical School in Leon County for just less than a year.

“It saddens me that my time here had to end this way,” Carrasquilla told the Tallahassee Democrat.

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In a statement, Carrasquilla said that the school’s board chair, Barney Bishop, had for several weeks been making his displeasure known, “when parents became upset about policies or procedures not being followed to the ‘T.’

“He was more concerned about litigation and appeasing a small minority of parents, rather than trusting my expertise as an educator for more than 25 years.”

She says Bishop took her aside last week and gave her an ultimatum. Resign or be fired.

“Parental rights are supreme”

Two of the parents who complained about the art history lesson said they should have been notified in advance. Last month, the school board passed a motion that parents should receive a warning two weeks in advance of any lessons deemed “potentially controversial”.

Parents are also allowed to review the curriculum and any photos to be shown in such classes.

Carrasquilla admits parents should have been notified about the lesson. However, she said a breakdown in communication between herself, the director of operations and the art teacher led to this administrative oversight on this occasion.

The school opened in the Fall of 2020 and Carrasquilla was the third principal during that time. Some parents told the Tallahassee Democrat they were concerned by the turnaround of staff and the manner of Carrasquilla’s departure.

Bishop admits giving Carrasquilla an ultimatum.

“Parental rights are supreme, and that means protecting the interests of all parents, whether its one, 10, 20 or 50,” he said.

‘Don’t Say Gay’ expansion to all school years in Florida

News of the principal’s exit comes the same week that the administration of Governor Ron DeSantis announced it wants to extend the controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill to all school years in Florida.

The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is officially known as HB 1557, the ‘Parental Rights In Education’ bill. The legislation became law last summer. It bars educators from talking to younger students about anything related to LGBTQ people. Advocates for child safety and LGBTQ rights, and teachers unions, have criticized the legislation.

Next month, the state’s Board of Education will vote to expand the legislation. It comes following a recommendation from the Florida Department of Education. The expansion does not require legislative approval.

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On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre called the expansion proposal “completely, utterly, wrong.” She said it was part of a “dangerous, disturbing trend.”

DeSantis spokesperson Bryan Griffin shot back in a tweet, saying, “There is no reason for instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to be part of K-12 public education. Full stop.”

There is no reason for instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to be part of K-12 public education.

Full stop. https://t.co/yVKNwqFrxV

— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) March 22, 2023