US Teacher Investigated For Showing Students Animated Film With Gay Character

A teacher in Florida, United States is facing an investigation by the state's Department of Education after she screened a Disney film with a gay character to her students.

The fifth-grade teacher Jenna Barbee defended her decision to screen the film Strange World in a video on TikTok. She said she showed the students the PG-rated film to give students a break after the exams.

Barbee added that her students had parent-signed permission slips to watch PG-rate films. However, a parent later objected to the Jake Gyllenhaal starrer for the film's inclusion of an LGBTQ+ character.

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Teacher Investigated For Showing Film

The teacher said that she showed the film to her students as it would help her students learn about earth science and ecosystems, which was in the curriculum. She added that the film also includes social and emotional lessons and did not have sexually inappropriate content.

Barbee said, "Is a character in the movie LGBTQ? Absolutely. Is that why I showed it? No."

Barbee alleged that a member of the school board, Shannon Rodriguez, reported her to the Department of Education for indoctrination. Now, the teacher is under investigation for potential violations of Governor of Florida Ronald DeSantis' law banning teaching public school students about gender and sexual identity.

The teacher also revealed that some of her students had informed her they were members of the LGBTQ+ community prior to the film's screening.

Hernando County's school district confirmed that a fifth-grade teacher was being investigated for showing students Strange World. The district also confirmed that a parent complained about the film being inappropriate for students.

The film Strange World features a gay character named Ethan Clade.

Barbee further claimed that the investigation was more "traumatising" for the young children than watching the film. She wrote that the "minor representations" in the film had resulted in a complaint and now the administration was calling students down one by one to interrogate them during lessons.