MSNBC hack Joy Reid has accused Florida Governor Ron DeSantis of “child abuse” over black kids holding up anti-Critical Race Theory signs during an event on Friday.
DeSantis was at an event to sign several bills, one of which further restricted Critical Race Theory teachings.
“This mis-use of Black boys is tantamount to child abuse. I would really like to hear the back-story on who these kids were and how they wound up at a DeSantis event. Given how anti-Black DeSantis is, using Black children this way is extra sick,” Reid tweeted.
DeSantis’ office maintains that the children were informed on the issue and freely chose to stand on the stage.
“I was working at this event and helped with the set up. My colleague talked to all the kids beforehand & told them what the issue was & what bills @GovRonDeSantis was signing. Hundreds of people attended this event; those ~50 who ended up on stage freely chose to stand on stage,” Christina Pushaw, DeSantis’ press secretary, tweeted about the signs.
DeSantis was signing HB 7 – known as the “Individual Freedom” bill, which prohibits any teachings or workplace trainings that “espouses, promotes, advances, inculcates, or compels” someone to believe a particular race or sex is morally superior, or individuals can be inherently racist or sexist.
“We’re here today because we believe in education, not indoctrination,” DeSantis said. “We believe an important component of freedom in the state of Florida is the freedom from having oppressive ideologies opposed upon you without your consent whether it be in the classroom or whether it be in the workplace.”
“We are not going to use your tax dollars to teach our kids to hate this country or to hate each other,” DeSantis added.
WATCH THE SIGNING HERE: