Florida Principal Forced Out After Students Were Shown Photos Of Michelangelo’s ‘David’ Statue In Class

Hope Carrasquilla, a Florida charter school’s principal was forced to resign this week after parents complained that their Renaissance art syllabus, which included photos of  Michelangelo’s “David” statue, was inappropriate for sixth graders. One parent even compared the masterpiece to pornographic materials.

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Carrasquilla says she was forced to offer her resignation during an emergency school board meeting after she was given an ultimatum by the board to either resign or be fired. While she was not given a reason for her sudden involuntary resignation during the meeting, she is convinced that it was a consequence of the complaints the board had received from parents about the David statue photo.

Carrasquilla wrote to the school board on Thursday, saying, “It is with a sad heart that my time as the principal of Tallahassee Classical School has come to an end.”

Barney Bishop III, the chair of the school’s board, confirmed that the parent’s complaints led him to give her the ultimatum. He insists that the photos were not the reason for her “voluntary” resignation, but rather she was given the ultimatum because she failed to notify the parents ahead of the class that their children will be shown the Renaissance art.

Carrasquilla argues that while there were two parents who were bothered by the lack of notification, the other complaint came from a parent who believed their child was being exposed to pornographic content.

The controversies over the David statue come as Florida’s K-12 and higher education are under review and will possibly be reshaped as a result of a series of Republican-backed bills championed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that have limited discussion of sexuality and banned books.