Yahoo News Florida Principal Out of a Job After 6th-Graders Viewed Michelangelo's 'David' During Art Lesson
Former Tallahassee Classical School principal Hope Carrasquilla claimed she was asked to resign for not informing parents of a lesson about the marble statue of the Biblical figure depicted nude
A school principal in Florida has resigned after parents allegedly complained about their sixth-grade students seeing Michelangelo's famed sculpture of the Biblical figure David.
According to the Washington Post, Tallahassee Classical School principal Hope Carrasquilla was asked to resign this week after an emergency school board meeting. The Tallahassee Democrat was the first to report the news.
Though Carrasquilla said she was not told about the reason for the decision, she said it likely involved a lesson about the marble statue, which features David in the nude, that was taught to sixth-grade students.
"It is with a sad heart that my time as the principal of Tallahassee Classical School has come to an end," she wrote in a letter to the school board, per the Post.
While speaking to HuffPost, Carrasquilla said she did not expect the type of reaction she received from the school board.
While speaking to the outlet, Carrasquilla said a letter was meant to be sent to parents before the lesson took place. But due to "miscommunications," the message was not sent.
As a result, at least one parent "felt her child should not be viewing those pieces," HuffPost reported, while the Tallahassee Democrat said a parent felt the statue was "pornographic."
School board chair Barney Bishop confirmed to the Post and CBS affiliate WCTV that Carrasquilla was given an ultimatum to resign or be fired after complaints regarding the sculpture, though he said the decision was primarily based on communication.
PEOPLE reached out to Tallahassee Classical School and Bishop for comment on Friday afternoon. Contact information for Carrasquilla could not immediately be found.
"She wasn't let go because of the artistic nude pictures. We show it every year to our students," he told Post. "The problem with this particular issue was the lack of follow-through on the process."
He added to HuffPost: "Parental rights trump everything else."
In a letter to the board, Carrasquilla ensured she had "always desired good for Tallahassee Classical School" and was not "promoting myself or a political agenda," the Post reported.
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Per The Art Newspaper, Tallahassee Classical School is affiliated with Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian institution.
A 2022 report by the New York Times said the college has pushed back against what it called "progressive" and "leftist academics."
The Washington Post reported that Carrasquilla was named principal of the school less than a year ago.
"David," sculpted by Michelangelo around the year 1500, is considered a masterpiece by critics and is one of the most recognized pieces of art in the world.
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