A Florida school district has temporarily barred students from viewing a historical film about real-life civil rights pioneer Ruby Bridges at an elementary school after a parent filed a complaint this month.
The film “Ruby Bridges,” a historical drama about 6-year-old Bridges integrating a New Orleans elementary school in 1960, was shown at North Shore Elementary in St. Petersburg, Florida, to approximately 60 second grade students on March 2. Each child required a signed permission slip to view the film, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The parents of two students declined to allow their children to watch the film, and one of those parents filed a complaint on March 6, after watching the first 50 minutes of the film. The parent alleged that the film teaches students about racial slurs and how “white people hate black people,” according to the complaint, which was acquired by NBC News.
After the parent requested that the school district remove the movie from the school’s list of approved films, Pinellas County Schools officials temporarily banned “Ruby Bridges” from the elementary school until it’s assessed by a committee. A link to the trailer was provided in the permission slips for all parents to review, Pinellas County Schools public information officer Isabel Mascareñas told NBC News.
After the complaint was filed, Mascareñas said in a statement to NBC News, “it was communicated with the parent that the school would not have any future showings during this school year as the movie had already been shown.” She also said the movie, which is not rated, remains available through the district’s licensed movie library.
The 1998 Disney film portrays Bridges experiencing racist encounters while seeking an education. Directed by Euzhan Palcy and written by Toni Ann Johnson, “Ruby Bridges” earned several accolades, including a Christopher Award and a Gold Apple from the National Educational Media Network. The film was also a 1999 NAACP…
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