The office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday called a settlement between plaintiffs and state education officials a “major win” for a controversial law he backed.
The settlement comes after civil rights attorneys challenged a state law, commonly known as “Don’t Say Gay.”
The Republican governor’s office said in an online statement that the settlement is a victory “against the activists who sought to stop Florida’s efforts to keep radical gender and sexual ideology out of the classrooms of public-school children in kindergarten through third grade.”
Under the terms of the settlement, students and teachers will be able to freely discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms as long as the topics are not part of instruction, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
In an interview with the AP, Roberta Kaplan—the lead attorney for the plaintiffs—also characterized the settlement as a victory for her side.
“What this settlement does, is, it re-establishes the fundamental principal, that I hope all Americans agree with, which is every kid in this country is entitled to an education at a public school where they feel safe, their dignity is respected and where their families and parents are welcomed,” Kaplan said. “This shouldn’t be a controversial thing.”
This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.