A relative from Tallahassee, Florida has complained that one of the world’s most beloved artistic masterpieces was pornographic. Following this complaint, the headmistress of the school was fired.
Hope Carrasquilla, who had just started work at Tallahassee Classical School less than a year prior, announced her resignation Monday at an emergency board meeting, according to the Tallahassee Democrat’s report.
AFP
Ms Carrasquilla told the newspaper, The Independent, that school board chairman Barney Bishop had informed her that she had to resign or she would be fired. Although it seems he didn’t specify the reason behind the request, the headmistress believes it was for a lesson in Renaissance art.
According to the headmistress, the school is required by law to teach classes in Renaissance art to sixth graders. She explains that three parents complained that their children felt uncomfortable during the lesson, which included a section on Michelangelo’s David.
Two of the three parents who complained about the Renaissance art lesson said they wished they had been told before it was taught. The third parent complained that the lesson was pornographic, despite being taught to 11 and 12 year olds.
Many well-known works of Renaissance art and in particular Michelangelo’s David feature detailed depictions of the human body, including nudity.