From WWW.FOXNEWS.COM
EXCLUSIVE: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign fired back at the White House Friday, with a spokesperson telling Fox News Digital that the administration “continues to lie” about Florida’s work to protect young children.
“The White House continues to lie about Florida’s work to protect children as young as five years old from sexualized lesson plans,” DeSantis campaign spokeswoman Lindsey Curnutte told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement Friday.
“Governor DeSantis’s pro-parent education agenda stands in stark contrast to the policies coming out of Washington as Joe Biden tries to steal lunch money from our kids to push woke gender ideology. As a father of three young children, Governor DeSantis is committed to putting students first and protecting parents’ rights, and no false White House statement will change that.”
DeSantis signed the bill into law in March that would ban teachers from giving classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed the measure as it went into effect Friday saying some of Florida’s “most vulnerable students and families are more fearful and less free.”
WHITE HOUSE SLAMS FLORIDA’S PARENTAL RIGHTS BILL AS IT TAKES EFFECT: ‘THIS IS DISCRIMINATION’
“As the state’s shameful ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law takes effect, state officials who claim to champion liberty are limiting the freedom of their fellow Americans simply to be themselves,” she said. “Already, there have been reports that ‘Safe Space’ stickers are being taken down from classrooms. Teachers are being instructed not to wear rainbow clothing. LGBTQI+ teachers are being told to take down family photos of their husbands and wives—cherished family photos like the ones on my own desk.”
Jean-Pierre said this is “not an issue of ‘parents’ rights.’”
“This is discrimination, plain and simple,” she said. “It’s part of a disturbing and dangerous nationwide trend of right-wing politicians cynically targeting LGBTQI+ students, educators, and individuals to score political points.”
Jean-Pierre also said the measure “encourages bullying and threatens students’ mental health, physical safety, and well-being.”
“It censors dedicated teachers and educators who want to do the right thing and support their students,” she said. “And it must stop.”
Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden has “been very clear that every student deserves to feel safe and welcome in the classroom.”
She announced that the Department of Education plans to monitor the law, and said that “any student or parent who believes they are experiencing discrimination is encouraged to file a complaint with the Department’s Office for Civil Rights.”
“Our Administration will continue… (Read more)
