United States Department of Education (DOE) Secretary Miguel Cardona said their Office of Civil Rights will be monitoring the implementation of the recently signed Parental Rights in Education bill. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed the bill into law on Monday.
Cardona said Florida might be looking at legal ramifications but did not specify what that might be, and added that if parents feel their child’s civil rights have been violated, they “can file a complaint with our Office for Civil Rights.”
“By signing this bill, Governor DeSantis has chosen to target some of Florida’s most vulnerable students and families, all while under the guise of ‘parents’ rights,’” Cardona said. “Make no mistake: this is a part of a disturbing and dangerous trend across the country of legislation targeting LGBTQI+ students, educators, and individuals.”
According to the language of the bill, the new law expressly prohibits the instruction of “sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Critics have dubbed the bill the “Don’t Say Gay” bill despite that the word “gay” is found nowhere in the language of the legislation.
Cardona insisted that there is an increased hostility toward students who identify as “LGBTQI+.”
“This comes at a time when we know lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students are three to four times more likely than non-LGBTQI+ students to report experiencing persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and even self harm — not because of who they are but because of the hostility directed at them,” Cardona said.
The DeSantis administration and Cardona have butted heads previously, most notably in 2021 when Cardona said states and governors, like DeSantis and Florida, who banned mask mandates in Florida’s schools could face civil rights probes.
Similarly, Cardona said that getting COVID shots into the arms of 5-year-olds would be a “game changer.” DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced earlier this month they would “buck the CDC” and not recommend COVID shots for any child under the age of 16.
The Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) withdrew its affiliation with the National School Boards Association (NSBA) after the NSBA called upon the federal government to interfere in local school board meetings in a letter that also referred to parents as “domestic terrorists.”
It was revealed months later that it was Cardona who solicited the infamous NSBA letter.
– – –
Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
