The Florida Department of Education has removed an anti-bullying portal from its website, including links to LGBTQ advocacy groups.
The removal comes following changes to the DOE webpage for the Office of Safe Schools, created under the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. According to the Florida Capital Star, DOE removed the anti-bullying page after the news site inquired about the LGBTQ resources listed on the site.
When pulling the bullying portal, the department removed links to state anti-bullying policy, LGBTQ advocacy groups and other bullying prevention resources.
The Capital Star on Friday reported that DOE officials said the content on the bullying page was under review. Officials did not immediately return Florida Politics’ request for comment.
Lawmakers this spring passed the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which states that public schools cannot infringe on the “fundamental rights” of parents to direct the upbringing of their child — extending to decisions about education, health care and mental health. Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ administration and DOE has used the legislation to ban blanket mask mandates in schools. But during the 2021 Session, debate centered around fears from LGBTQ advocacy groups and allies that the legislation could reveal to parents the sexual identity or orientation of children who came out at school before coming out at home.
The bullying portal included links to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ StopBullying.gov and its page addressing bullying in LGBTQIA+ Youth. Until this fall, the page instructed educators to protect children’s privacy, guidance that could run afoul of the Parents’ Bill of Rights.
“Be careful not to disclose or discuss sexual identity issues with parents or anyone else, without the young person’s prior permission, unless there is an immediate threat to their safety or wellbeing,” the page read.
Other links removed from the DOE website included the department’s model policy against bullying and harassment for school districts and a checklist for school districts when developing anti-bullying policy.
DOE’s Office of Safe Schools, which answers to the Education Commissioner, currently Richard Corcoran, was created following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to provide safe learning environments for students and educators.
This article first appeared at Florida Politics.
This article appears in Dec 2-8, 2021.
