Gregory Robinson
The principal who was forced to resign after she showed a class of sixth grade students pictures of Michelangelo's David has been able to see the real statue in Italy.
Hope Carrasquilla was left ‘saddened’ when she was ousted from her job at Tallahassee Classical School in Florida in March, following an emergency board meeting after parents raised concerns about the art lesson.
Children in the sixth grade, who are usually 11-12 years of age, are taught about Renaissance art and the lesson included Michelangelo’s sculpture ‘David’, the ‘Creation of Adam’ fresco painting and Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’.
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However, Carrasquilla said a breakdown in communication between herself, the director of operations and the art teacher meant parents were not informed about what their students would be learning.
The complaints raised by parents included one of whom deemed the statue ‘pornographic’, while others thought the statue was not age-appropriate for their children.
After the Principal was ousted, the news of the controversy spread across the world, including Florence, Italy where Cecilie Hollberg, the director of the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, is based. Michelangelo’s David is on display at the galleria and after losing her job, Carrasquilla was invited to Florence by the galleria’s director and the city's mayor to see the sculpture in real life.
Carrasquilla arrived at the galleria on Friday (30 April) in an incredible shift in the story no one saw coming. Hollberg said she was delighted to introduce the former Principal to 'David'.
Michelangelo's 'David' was created between the years of 1501 and 1504, and is described by the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze museum as a symbol of the strength and independence of the Florentines.
In a statement released after her resignation, Carrasquilla claimed school board president, Barney Bishop, had 'expressed his displeasure with [her] leadership when parents became upset about policies or procedures not being followed to the 'T"'.
"He was more concerned about litigation and appeasing a small minority of parents, rather than trusting my expertise as an educator for more than 25 years," she said.
Bishop has described parental right as 'supreme', adding: "That means protecting the interests of all parents, whether it's one, 10, 20 or 50."
“It’s not unusual in new charter schools to go through several principals,” Bishop added.
However, after traveling to Florence this weekend, Carrasquilla once again praised Michelangelo's David.
"The thing that impresses me the most is that this whole gallery was built for him," she said in a statement provided to BBC News.
"There is nothing wrong with the human body in and of itself.
"Michelangelo would have done him wrong to sculpt him in any other way. I think it's wonderful."