Florida rule could restrict class instruction on sexual orientation through 12th grade
Florida middle-school and high-school teachers would be further restricted from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity under a proposed rule backed by the DeSantis administration. If approved, the measure would go beyond what state law currently requires.
The rule, which will be considered by the State Board of Education next month, says teachers in grades 4 to 12 “shall not intentionally provide classroom instruction” on those topics — unless the lessons are “expressly required” by the state’s academic standards or are part of a reproductive-health course.
Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, the head of the Florida Department of Education, signed off on the proposed rule, which is scheduled for a vote on April 19. If the board approves the rule, teachers who violate it could be suspended or see their teaching licenses revoked.
The proposed rule would go beyond the Parental Rights in Education law — dubbed by critics as “Don’t Say Gay” — which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and older grades in cases when the lessons are deemed not “age appropriate.”
The law, which Gov. Ron
DeSantis signed last year, has led some teachers to question which conversations are appropriate and to be more careful when discussing certain topics as Republican leaders and conservative parents and groups more actively scrutinize education-related content. Supporters of the restrictions, however, have said the law is aimed at classroom instruction, not conversations about those topics when they naturally come up.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the DeSantis administration’s proposal on Wednesday when asked during a press conference.
“It’s wrong, it’s completely, utterly wrong,” Jean-Pierre said. “And we’ve been very crystal clear about that when it comes to the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill and other actions that this governor has taken in the state of Florida.”
DeSantis’ press secretary, Bryan Griffin, and Diaz, the state’s education commissioner, publicly defended the proposed rule.
“There is no reason for instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to be part of K-12 public education,” Griffin said. “Full stop.”
Diaz posted on Twitter, “Students should be spending their time in school learning core academic subjects, not being forcefed radical gender and sexual ideology.”