Here’s an update to a post I wrote on Saturday. The Florence, Italy museum that displays Michelangelo’s ‘David’ extended an invitation to the Florida school principal fired for showing a photo of the Renaissance masterpiece in art history class without prior notice sent to parents. Three parents complained, one describing the sculpture as pornographic. The museum director also invited the sixth-grade students and their parents to view the “purity” of the statue.

To recap, Hope Carrasquilla of Tallahassee Classical School in Leon County, a charter school, was fired at least in part due to her failure to notify parents of a sixth-grade art history class about a picture of ‘David’ that would be shown to the class. Due to Florida’s new law, Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, schools are vigilant about notifying parents about anything that could be considered controversial. In this case, though, it is completely understandable that Carrasquilla didn’t realize that some parents would expect advanced notice and that the nude masterpiece would be controversial for some parents.

To be clear, parents choose to send their children to this school. They are well aware of the curriculum. A school that teaches Classical education will include Renaissance art in its art history classes. Yes, it is a nude sculpture. Sixth-graders are typically eleven and twelve years old. These aren’t kindergarteners we are talking about here.

Barney Bishop, chairman of Tallahassee Classical’s school board, told reporters that Carrasquilla’s failure to give parents advanced notice was a part of the reason the board voted to give Carrasquilla the option of either resigning or being fired, that other reasons contributed to their decision. Bishop has not disclosed what those other reasons are, though.

So, all of this brouhaha looks odd to the museum in Florence, Italy where ‘David’ is displayed. The museum extended an invitation to the Floridians to come to see the art in person to fully understand its beauty and to view its “purity.”

Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Galleria dell’Accademia, where the “David” is housed, expressed astonishment at the controversy.

“To think that ‘David’ could be pornographic means truly not understanding the contents of the Bible, not understanding Western culture and not understanding Renaissance art,” Hollberg said in a telephone interview.

She invited the principal, school board, parents and student body to view the “purity” of the statue.

Florence Mayor Dario Nardella tweeted an invitation to the principal. He wants to honor her. Nardella said that confusing art with pornography was “ridiculous.’

Un’insegnante della Florida è stata costretta a licenziarsi per aver mostrato agli studenti le foto del David di Michelangelo. Scambiare l’arte per pornografia è semplicemente ridicolo. pic.twitter.com/Gn8UM3HUqe

— Dario Nardella (@DarioNardella) March 25, 2023

Tallahassee Classical School is a small school with 400 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It is in its third year of existence and now on its third principal. It follows a curriculum designed by Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school consulted by Governor DeSantis on educational issues. The rapid turnover of principals indicates a problem exists between the school board’s expectations and the day-to-day management of the school.

Most Americans seek out the sculpture and pose with it for selfies, according to the museum’s director. However, some people (likely progressives) note that the culture wars in America are about fear of the body and sexuality.

Marla Stone, head of the Humanities Department at the American Academy in Rome, said the Florida incident was another episode in escalating U.S. culture wars and questioned how the statue could be considered so controversial as to warrant a prior warning.

“What we have here is a moral crusade against the body, sexuality, and gender expression and an ignorance of history,” Stone said in an email. “The incident is about fear, fear of beauty, of difference, and of the possibilities embedded in art.”

In this case, though, it was not about fear. It seems to be some confusion about adhering to Florida law. Schools don’t want to be sideways with the state over classroom instruction about the human body. The law protects young children up to fourth grade from activist teachers pushing their agendas on young impressionable minds not ready to handle discussions on sexual activity and gender confusion.

The invitation to visit the museum and the sculpture in Florence is an interesting response. The school should take them up on it.