1 of 2 | Florida settled a lawsuit Monday, over what critics dubbed the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, allowing students and teachers to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity, as long as it is not part of classroom instruction. File photo by Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE/
March 11 (UPI) — Florida has settled a lawsuit over what critics dubbed the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, allowing students and teachers to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity, as long as it is not part of classroom instruction.
The historic agreement was reached Monday between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys, as both sides celebrated “a win.”
“This settlement not only reaffirms the rights of LBGTQ+ students and educators to live and speak openly, but also marks a significant step towards rectifying the damage inflicted by the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ or ‘Trans’ law,” Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s Executive director, said in a statement.
The settlement also reinforces safeguards against bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and protects LGBTQ+ student clubs. The settlement says the Parental Rights in Education Act cannot ban references to LGBTQ+ individuals, relationships or families in any educational or extracurricular context. The settlement also clarifies that the law does not apply to library books, as long as those books are not being used in the classroom.
Monday’s settlement “demonstrates our ongoing commitment to a Florida where everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can live authentically and without fear,” Smith said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office also called the settlement a “major win” for the law, which will remain in effect as “children will be protected from radical gender and sexual ideology in the classroom.”
“We fought hard to ensure this law couldn’t be maligned in court, as it was in the public arena by the media and large corporate actors,” said Ryan Newman, an attorney for the state of Florida. “We are victorious, and Florida’s classrooms will remain a safe place under the Parental Rights in Education Act.”
The law, banning instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity through the third grade, was passed two years ago.
Last year, after publicly disagreeing with the law, Disney filed a lawsuit against DeSantis, claiming the governor led an unconstitutional political retaliation against the company by removing Disney World’s power to govern itself. In January, a judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying the complaint lacked merit.
“For nearly two years, Florida’s notorious ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law has spawned a disturbing wave of fear, anxiety and confusion. By providing much-needed clarity, this settlement represents a major victory for the many thousands of LGBTQ+ students, teachers, parents and their allies throughout Florida,” said lead counsel Roberta Kaplan.
“Today’s settlement makes clear the legitimacy of gay student groups, safeguards against hate and bullying and the ability of LGBTQ+ students and teachers to openly draw or display pictures of their partners and families,” Kaplan added.
“Simply put, the state of Florida has now made it clear that LGBTQ+ kids, parents and teachers in Florida can, in fact, say that they are gay.”
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) football state championships continued last night down in Miami at Pitbull Stadium as the Raines Vikings upset the Northwestern Bulls for the the Class 3A state championship, provind the most exciting game of the week thus far. Another rematch from last year’s finals pits the American Heritage Patriots versus the Jones Tigers for the Class 4A state championship this afternoon. We preview the sixth of seven FHSAA state championship games as teams begin being crowned as champions of their classifications.
Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Fla.
TV Channel: NFHS Network
QB Leon Strawder: Strawder is making his second consecutive appearance in a state championship game, this time with a different team, however. The senior has thrown for 2,052 yards and 19 touchdowns.
WR Jamar Denson: Of the star-studded wide receiving corps for American Heritage, its Denson who has been Mr. Reliable thus far this season. Throughout the course of the season, Denson has hauled in 69 passes for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns.
WR Jeffar Jean-Noel: The Georgia Tech commit has been the second option behind Denson on offense, with Jean-Noel catching 57 passes for 795 yards and six touchdowns.
LB Dylan Bennett: Anchoring the front seven of the Patriots’ defense is the senior linebacker, who currently leads the team with 61 total tackles, 17 them going for a loss and five sacks.
QB Dereon Coleman: The Miami signee is as calm as they come in the pocket as the senior quarterback has thrown for 2,749 yards, 28 touchdowns and only three picks this Florida high school football season.
WR Larry Miles: Coleman’s favorite target to throw to is the Nebraska signee as the senior looks to end his high school career with a state crown. Miles has caught 88 passes for 1,111 and 10 touchdowns.
OL Xavier Payne: The 6-foot-7, 275-pound Colorado offensive tackle signee will have the job of making sure Coleman stands upright throughout the afternoon against American Heritage’s pass rush.
EDGE Frederick Ards: The 2027 four-star EDGE rusher for the Tigers has been superb, racking up 73 tackles, 13 for loss and 11 sacks.
You can watch the American Heritage Patriots take on the Jones Tigers starting at 12:30 p.m. ET on NFHS Network.
For Florida high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Sunshine State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Florida.
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The Florida Attorney General’s Office on Thursday, Dec. 11, filed a lawsuit against popular online gaming platform Roblox, accusing the company of failing to protect its millions of underage users from predatory adults who would “find, groom, and abuse children.”
“Roblox aggressively markets to young children, but fails to protect them from sexual predators,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a post to X. “As a father of three little ones and as Florida’s attorney general, my number one priority is simple: to protect our kids.”
The lawsuit claims Florida children have been talked into taking and sending sexual images of themselves and lists several recent incidences, including a 20-year-old California man arrested last month for having sexually explicit conversations with a Palm Coast child and asking for nude photos.
A Roblox spokesperson said the lawsuit “fundamentally misrepresents how Roblox works.”
“We have advanced safeguards that monitor our platform for harmful content and communications,” Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said in a statement, adding that the company — currently the most downloaded game in the world — will be rolling out additional safeguards “beyond what is required by law and what other platforms do.”
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San Mateo, California-based Roblox, released in 2006, hosts millions of user-created games (or “experiences”) constructed with the platform’s built-in game engine. Any user can create a game and share it with others, and there are millions of games available of all types.
The game platform and most games are free to use, but some cost to play. There is also a thriving economy based on Robux, an in-game virtual currency used to purchase virtual items. Roblox offers a subscription service called Roblox Premium that provides access to more features and a monthly allowance of Roblox.
Voice chat is available, but only for users aged 13 or older with verified ages. Age ratings were introduced for games in 2022, and in 2023, 17+ games were permitted to include more graphic violence, romance, and drinking.
According to Roblox, as of 2020, the monthly playerbase included half of all American children under the age of 16.
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