Dhanika Pineda and Davi Merchanhas been reached in the challenge against Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, HB1557, known by LGBTQ+ advocates as the "Don't Say Gay" bill. The settlement, announced Monday, clarifies the scope of the legislation, which prohibits any classroom curriculum about sexual orientation or gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade. It also restricts such lessons for older students.
Notably, the settlement includes clarification on library books, stating that library books with LGBTQ+ themes may not be banned under the legislation so long as they are not being used for instruction.maintains "As one of the many plaintiffs in this case, it is an exciting morning to wake up in Miami Dade County and know that my kids don't need to be afraid to show who they are and how they are with the family that they have," Amy Morrison told ABC News.
The 19 plaintiffs in the case included LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, parents, students and educators, who sued the state of Florida in 2022, the day after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law.