The teacher said that the 'strange world’ was related to the curriculum.
A teacher in Florida is under investigation after she screened a Disney movie featuring a gay character to her students in class. Guardian. Jenna Barbee, a fifth-grade teacher at Winding Waters School in Hernando County, showed the animated film.A strange world’ emphasizes that it is related to the curriculum. Ms Barbee said she was referred to the Department of Education by a school board member, but the Hernando County School District said an investigation was launched after parents complained about the film’s inappropriate content.
The teacher is being investigated under the state’s „don’t tell gay” law, introduced last year by Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, and is prohibited from teaching school students of all ages about gender and sexual identity. Guardian Report.
Ms Barbie has now released a TikTok video in which she accused the girl who complained against her of sitting on the school’s board and being „obsessed to remove every form of representation from our schools”. .
A Florida teacher being investigated by the state for „instructing” 5th graders to show the Disney movie „Strange World” is telling her side of the story. pic.twitter.com/OrXJ36DjW0
— ChudsOfTikTok (@ChudsOfTikTok) May 14, 2023
The teacher also said she was reported to the Florida State Department of Education for „coaching” before anyone spoke to her.
Ms Barbi also said in the video that she had signed permission slips from the parents of all the students in the class, giving consent to show PG-rated movies.
He said the students were studying about earth science and ecosystems and this film was relevant to them. ’A strange world’, released last year, revolved around a group of explorers searching for a rare plant that would provide energy to their community.
One of the film’s main characters, Ethan Glade, is gay. She has a slight crush on another male character.
Ms. Barbie said the choice of movie had nothing to do with the character’s sexual orientation.
„I’ve had a lot of fifth-graders come up to me this year, and even before showing this movie, they’re talking about how they’re part of the LGBTQ community. It’s not a big deal to me, so I said OK. Great, I’m not forcing anything, I’m just accepting. That’s what I do,” the teacher said. said in a TikTok video. Guardian.
He said the investigation would shock his students.