Florida parents are getting fed up with changes resulting from the state's "don't say gay" bill, and the latest requirement just be the last straw.
Gov. Ron DeSantis‘s (R) bill was intended to ban any instruction of LGBTQ+ identities through 12th grade. The bill also requires parents to sign permission slips for school-sponsored events that take place outside of regular instruction hours, so students must return a form signed by a parent for anything occurring before or after school or on the weekends.
Boone High School in Florida wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day by providing a "Rom-Com Movie Night" for their students. Students voted to watch Disney's PG-rated movie Tangled, an animated version of the classic tale of Rapunzel.
Because of the aforementioned bill, the high school students—aged 14 to 18, mind you—were required to return permission slips to attend the viewing.
As you can imagine, parents were outraged that their teenage students needed permission to watch a children's movie.
One parent, Judy Hayes, told WFTV:
“I had to sign a permission slip for my child who could drive himself to see it in a movie theater."
She said the number of permission slips she has to sign each week is nearly unmanageable and has resulted in fewer experiences for students.
“It seems like it’s just out of control."
“It’s every single activity. And it’s burdensome on the staff because they have to chase down permission slips, the club’s sponsors are getting frustrated and giving up because it’s too much work.”
People on social media agreed the situation had gotten out of hand.
This isn't the first time Florida permission slips have made the news
Just a week ago, a Miami-Dade school went viral after sending home permission slips to allow students to hear a reading from a Black author.
Another Miami-Dade school required permission for students to participate in Black History Month events on campus.
This could also have something to do with the state's Stop WOKE Act, which bans critical race theory in Florida Schools, including vital information typically taught during Black History Month.
The law also bans any attempt to “indoctrinate or persuade” students in principles that are not “consistent with specified principles of individual freedom” and bans any instruction that suggests individuals are responsible for past actions due to their “race, sex, or national origin.”
Oh, Florida.
