Florida is investigating a teacher who showed Disney movie with a gay character

Strange World tells the story of a family of explorers.

Disney

A Florida teacher is under investigation by the state’s Department of Education after she showed her students a Disney movie that features a gay character.

Jenna Barbee, who teaches fifth grade in the Hernando County School District, says a student’s mother lodged a complaint with education officials after Barbee showed the film Strange World in her classroom.

Barbee said the movie focuses on humans’ relationship to the environment, which was why she chose to show it to her class after a section on ecosystems, plants and animals. She said a subplot about a boy having a crush on another boy never crossed her mind before screening the film.

“It talks about love to all things, and that’s literally what this movie represents,” Barbee told NPR. “I find it interesting that now I’m getting in trouble for a similar topic.”

Strange World, a PG-rated Disney movie released last year, features actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Gabrielle Union among others and tells the story of three generations of a family exploring a dangerous land beneath their world.

Karen Jordan, a spokesperson for the Hernando County School District, confirmed to NPR in an email that both the district and the state are investigating the matter.

She said the Hernando County School District sent a note to the parents of children in the class informing them that their children had been shown the film.

“While not the main plot of the movie, parts of the story involves a male character having and expressing feelings for another…