"I'm sorry for what happened, which I never anticipated, it caused a lot of things to happen for the school which are not all positive, but I hope that some light is shed on this, and that Renaissance art teaching no longer be a problem for anyone".
This was stated by
Hope Carrasquilla
, former principal of the Tallahassee Classical School in Florida, today in Florence for an initiative at Palazzo Vecchio with the mayor Dario Nardella.
Carrasquilla was
fired after Michelangelo's David, considered pornographic by a student's parent, was shown during an art history class at Tallahassee Classical School
.
"There was nothing wrong with the she-she claimed she-she lesson: I didn't explain it, I was the principal, the art teacher explained the lesson and it was a beautiful lesson."
The difference from the past, said the former principal, "this time was only with the policies of the head of the school board, a different head than we had previously."
For the future, Carrasquilla added, "I hope to show more people the classical education and highlight it, so
I want something good to definitely come out of what happened
."
"Parents - he continued - have a say, but neither can they say what the curriculum is, and clearly Renaissance art shouldn't be something parents can change".
"Right now the choice of school - she said - is a very important issue in Florida and in America, and therefore it is necessary to find the right balance".
The teacher participated in a meeting with Nardella, Simonetta Brandolini D'Adda, president of Friends of Florence who collaborated in the organization of the initiative, and Cristina Acidini, president of the Academy of Design Arts.
Nardella
presented a recognition
to Hope Carrasquilla.
"I think it is a gesture - said the mayor - which serves to tell the whole world what the beauty of Florence is, what Michelangelo's David symbolizes, and that nudity in art can never, ever, ever be considered profanity or pornography".
Nardella explained to reporters: "When they started talking about Hope Carrasquilla all over the United States and then all over the world, I was in New York: thanks to the help of a journalist, I managed to get her number and I called first of all to thank her. She is an example for all teachers and for all students in the world, because
art can never be considered pornography
.
The first thing that spontaneously occurred to me was to tell you to come to Florence.
I thought she was going to say no, I'm busy.
Instead she said it would be a pleasure.
I have to thank Friends of Florence who helped us by sponsoring the trip and the hospitality."
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/S7ERVSCT4FUVX6R7TUVBDNTH5Y.jpg)
