The principal of a contract school in Florida’s capital, Tallahassee, was forced to resign after showing her 11- and 12-year-old students a photo of the Florentine artist’s famous nude sculpture, a move parents criticized as pornographic.
There is a big difference between nudity and pornography, argued Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy. You really have to have a twisted mind to confuse the two.
Those who are disturbed [par la nudité de David] She has a serious problem with the roots of western culture, she decides, when nudity is the very symbol of her purity.
The German historian, who denounces an inappropriate puritanism, considers this case very serious because it shows that we are losing touch with our culture and with history.
Considering that everything is over at the Olympics in Greece [les athlètes] were naked, she adds, smiling.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, tweeted that confusing art with pornography was ridiculous.
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A symbol of the Italian Renaissance, David, carved in a single block of marble by Michelangelo Buonarroti between 1501 and 1504, represents the biblical hero preparing to confront the giant Goliath with his slingshot. This statue is often regarded as the ideal of male beauty.
The president of the Florida school’s parents’ council, Barney Bishop, assured CNN it was not about banning the picture, which is shown in classrooms every year.
However, the parents were not informed in advance as provided for in the procedure and, although almost everyone was satisfied with the course, the facility received a complaint in which the picture was classified as pornographic.
While acknowledging the aesthetic beauty of the work, Mr. Bishop explained that the concept of parental rights, which is a top priority in Florida, prevailed.
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Principal and teacher Hope Carrasquilla was asked to resign or risked being fired. It saddens me that my mission here had to end like this, she told the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper.
When asked by Slate if that decision was due to the controversy, Mr Bishop confirmed that it was one issue among many.
Florida places a strong emphasis on parenting rights in education, a policy spearheaded by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to run against Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential election.