Florida Central High School students declare victory after protesting to their school board against plans to censor a yearbook page showing students leaving against the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” state law
From the Associated Press
May 11, 2022, 1:35 p.m.
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SANFORD, Florida – After protests by students and parents over censorship of the yearbook, a Florida school board rejected their supervisor’s plan to cover up a page showing students waving rainbow flags and a “love is love” sign during a walk. against the US authorities. called the “Don’t say gay” law.
The superintendent said on board that the page violated their policy by seeming to approve of leaving a student. Full-page stickers have already arrived and will be added before the anniversaries are distributed this week, she said.
Seminol County School Board members rejected the plan Tuesday night, voting 5-0 to order smaller stickers that do not obscure the words and photos on the page, while explaining that the March protest against the Florida Parental Rights Bill in front of the high school in Lyman was not allowed.
“I would be happy to pay out of my own pocket for various stickers to say that this is not a school-sponsored event,” said board chairman Amy Penock, applauding the crowd.
The Florida bill, signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in March, bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
Students at a school in Longwood, near Orlando, responded to the censorship plan by creating the hashtag “#stopthestickers” on social media.
This has caught the attention of lawmakers, including Democrat Carlos G. Smith, Florida’s first LGBTQ Latin American lawmaker, who tweeted that “censorship is a direct result of the law these students are protesting against.” #WeWillNotBeErased in this so-called “free state”.
The governor often refers to the “free state of Florida” in his press conferences.
“We are now all over the world on this issue,” complained Abby Sanchez, vice-chairman of the board, who offered to help pay for the smaller stickers. “It’s the funniest thing. These are our children! We have to do what is right for them. “
More than 30 students, parents and teachers have spoken out against the sticker plan. “This is drowning out the LGBTQ-plus community and drowning out the journalistic community,” Sarah Ward, a student on the yearbook team, told the board.
“I want to make it clear to every student that this is not the Lyman High School administration that wants to try to target every student, to try to drown out every voice,” said Superintendent Serita Beamon as she tried to explain his decision.
She denied that covering the entire page would violate the First Amendment or the board’s policy, which she said allowed prior restrictions on school-sponsored publications.
“There is a speech that is forbidden. And that includes speech that is likely to cause significant disruption or that significantly interferes with school activities or the educational process, “Beaman said.
The board was gone.
Board member Karen Almond said she had personally witnessed the students leave, which was peaceful, and said there was nothing wrong with the yearbook page.
“We all make mistakes. … We acknowledge it and try to do what we can to fix it,” Sanchez said. “As students, I am proud of you for bringing it to our attention.
Faculty adviser Daniel Pomerantz said her students were just doing their job documenting an event that happened on campus. She assured the board that the smaller stickers could be ordered and added in time so students could receive their anniversaries this week.
Yearbook employee Sky Tidemann summed up the evening as a clear victory for the students’ speech.
“Don’t be afraid to talk,” Tideman said, “because students have a chance to change things.”
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