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Principal Forced Into Resignation After Michelangelo’s ‘David’ Was Shown to Students Gets To See The Real Thing

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The elementary school principal who was forced to quit after she showed a class of sixth grade children photos of Michelangelo’s David has now had the opportunity to visit Italy and see the original monument.

Hope Carrasquilla was left ‘saddened’ when she was dismissed from her employment at Tallahassee Classical School in Florida in March. Her dismissal came after an emergency board meeting in response to complaints voiced by parents over the art class lesson.

Michelangelo’s David. Credit: Pixabay/Christian Hardi

Students in the sixth grade, who are typically between the ages of 11 and 12, are instructed on the art of the Renaissance. Some of the works that were covered in this topic were Michelangelo’s sculpture “David,” the fresco painting “Creation of Adam,” and Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.”

Carrasquilla said that she, the director of operations, and the art instructor were unable to effectively communicate with one another, which resulted in the parents of the kids not being informed about the content that their children would be studying.

One of the parents who complained about the monument was one who believed it was obscene, while other parents felt the statue was inappropriate for their children’s ages since they claim it was overly sexual.

The news of the scandal went all over the globe once the Principal was removed from her position, including Florence, Italy, where Cecilie Hollberg, the director of the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, makes her home. Carrasquilla was invited to Florence by the director of the galleria and the mayor of the city when she lost her job to see the sculpture of David by Michelangelo in person. The sculpture is on display in Florence.

Director Cecilie Hollberg (left) and Hope Carrasquilla (right) Credit: galleriaaccademiafirenze/Instagram

In a stunning turn of events that nobody anticipated coming, Carrasquilla showed up at the galleria on the 30th of April. Hollberg expressed her excitement at the opportunity to put ‘David’ in contact with the previous Principal.

The statue known as ‘David’ was sculpted by Michelangelo between the years 1501 and 1504, and the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze museum considers it to be a representation of the power and autonomy of the Florentines.

Carrasquilla stated in a statement that was issued after she resigned that the president of the school board, 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.

The frmr principal was invited to Florence by the galleria director and the city mayor. Credit: galleriaaccademiafirenze/Instagram

Bishop has referred to the right of parents as “supreme,” and he has added, “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.

Carrasquilla, on the other hand, lauded the work of Michelangelo once again after returning from a trip to Florence over the weekend.

“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.”

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