What happened
Florida reached a settlement Monday with civil rights groups that challenged a controversial 2022 sex education law dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by its critics. The settlement, filed in federal court, keeps the law in place but clarified it "restricts only classroom instruction" on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity," not discussion of those topics.
Who said what
The settlement "safeguards against hate and bullying" in school, said plaintiffs' lawyer Roberta Kaplan. "Simply put, the State of Florida has now made it clear that LGBTQ+ kids, parents and teachers in Florida can, in fact, say that they are gay." A spokesperson for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called the agreement a "major win" because "Florida’s classrooms will remain a safe place" and the law won't be "maligned in court, as it was in the public arena."
What next?
Florida must now make clear to its 67 public school districts that students and teachers can discuss gender and sexual orientation, read and perform literature with LGBTQ themes, and teach anti-bullying lessons, and that school library books can't be banned for LGBTQ content.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Pregnancy in AmericaFeature Why is it getting riskier to give birth in the U.S.?
-
The potential warning sign of an auto lender’s bankruptcyIn the Spotlight Tricolor collapse an ‘extreme example’ of economy’s challenges
-
RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine crusade comes under fireFeature Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a heated hearing as senators accused him of lying and spreading chaos
-
England’s ‘dysfunctional’ children’s care systemIn the Spotlight A new report reveals that protection of youngsters in care in England is failing in a profit-chasing sector
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classroomsPros and cons The devices could be major distractions
-
School phone bans: Why they're spreadingFeature 17 states are imposing all-day phone bans in schools
-
Penn wipes trans swimmer records in deal with Trumpspeed read The University of Pennsylvania will bar transgender students from its women's sports teams and retroactively strip a trans female swimmer of her titles
-
Education: America First vs. foreign studentsFeature Trump's war on Harvard escalates as he blocks foreign students from enrolling at the university
-
Where will international students go if not the US?Talking Points China, Canada and the UK are ready to educate the world
-
Colleges are canceling affinity graduations amid DEI attacks but students are pressing onIn the Spotlight The commencement at Harvard University was in the news, but other colleges are also taking action
-
Education: Can public schools be religious?Feature A Supreme Court seems ready to rule in favor of religious charter schools in Oklahoma, which could reshape public education
