Florida Teacher Being Investigated for Allegedly Showing Students a Disney Film

No, this is not a headline from The Onion. This is something that is happening. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis became his crusade against all things “woke,” and part of that crusade was ensuring that teachers and schools were not “indoctrinating” or “grooming” children. Part of DeSantis’ “anti-woke” crusade was signing into law Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which has now been expanded to schools up to eighth grade.

Related: Disney is Accused of Being Woke. What Exactly Does that Mean?

 

Another part of this “anti-woke” crusade has been ridding schools of any books or movies that anyone seems to find the least bit offensive. One teacher in West Palm Beach, Florida, told The Guardian that a third of his school’s library books had been removed from shelves due to new laws restricting what students can and cannot see.

These new laws have also applied to the Walt Disney Company and Disney World in Orlando. After speaking out against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay,” law, DeSantis went on a crusade against Disney by stripping it of its special district and enacting new laws to inspect Disney’s monorail.

And now, these two worlds have collided in a Florida classroom. A Florida teacher is under investigation for allegedly showing the Disney film Strange World (2022) in their classroom. Carl Zee tweeted the news about a “friend” who was a teacher in Florida and a photo of the letter this person received from the Florida Department of Education.

My friend showed Disney’s Strange World in a Florida classroom and one student reported it to their parents. Now she’s under investigation by the state.

Florida is not safe for teachers, DO NOT MOVE HERE. pic.twitter.com/rZJPdadz28

— Carl Zee (@c350Zee) May 11, 2023

According to the letter, signed by Randy Kosec of Professional Practices Services, the Florida Department of Education received a complaint. Kosec’s office determined an investigation was necessary to determine if the teacher engaged in inappropriate conduct.

The letter does not specify the exact nature of the complaint. However, Zee added that the teacher had signed permission slips from the parents of every student in the class, allowing her to show Disney and Dreamworks films.

According to Disney’s website, Strange World is about “the legendary Clade family as they attempt to band together and navigate an uncharted, treacherous land beneath their world.” The film is rated PG and stars Jake Gyllenhall and Randy Quaid. While the film was a theatrical bust, that hardly seems like a good enough reason to file a complaint with the Florida Department of Education.

Over the past two years, the Florida Legislature has passed laws banning Critical Race Theory and gender-affirming care. And earlier this year, the legislature considered a bill banning gender studies and CRT in colleges. Teachers who break these rules will have disciplinary actions taken against them, including being suspended for up to a year, fired, or having their teaching license revoked.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.