On Wednesday and Tuesday, NPR claimed that Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act prevented students and teachers from saying the word “gay” but now can thanks to a court settlement earlier in the week on the state’s Parental Rights in Education Act that didn’t repeal or overturn the law.
On Wednesday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” co-host Leila Fadel said, “Students and teachers in Florida can say the word ‘gay’ again, at least in certain circumstances. A court settlement has gutted parts of what critics called the ‘Don’t Say Gay law,’ which Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law in 2022.”
Elsewhere in the segment, NPR member station WMFE Education Reporter Danielle Prieur said that opponents of the law said the settlement clears up some language in the law that they say is ambiguous and noted that the ruling “doesn’t actually repeal or overturn the law in any way.”
The headline for the segment on NPR’s site also claimed, “Students and teachers in Florida can say gay again without fear of punishment[.]”
On Tuesday’s “All Things Considered,” co-host Mary Louise Kelly similarly claimed that, thanks to the ruling, “Starting today, students and teachers in Florida schools can say ‘gay.'”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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