Florida Deputy Mistakes Acorn for Shots Fired ... Overreaction on Body Cam

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EXTREME OVERREACTION

A Florida sheriff's deputy is looking more like a cartoonish cop from "Reno 911!" on body cam footage of him mistaking an acorn hitting his patrol car for bullets ... prompting him to open fire on the vehicle.

The video, which was just released, shows Okaloosa County deputy Jesse Hernandez on the job, detaining a guy back in November for allegedly sending threatening texts. Hernandez and his partner cuffed the man and put him in the back of their patrol car.

All seemed to be going well, until Hernandez appeared to hear what he perceived as a shot being fired -- which catapulted him into a frantic drop and roll as he drew his weapon and started firing multiple shots at his car.

Hernandez seems to unload his entire clip ... and, remember, 22-year-old Marquis Jackson was helplessly sitting inside the patrol car, unarmed and completely restrained -- yet, Hernandez clearly thought Jackson had shot at him from inside the car.

Amid the panic, his partner -- who didn't hear anything like a gunshot -- seemed confused as to why he was freaking out, and also started shooting at their car.

Miraculously, both of them missed Jackson, but Hernandez's body cam video shows he completely overreacted ... which was the finding of the Sheriff's Office investigation. Okaloosa officials determined his use of deadly force wasn't reasonable, and his partner got a pass ... since she only fired based on his actions.

Over the course of the investigation ... Hernandez was made aware that what he thought he heard was literally just an acorn falling on his car's hood. Hernandez ended up resigning in the aftermath of all this ... and was not criminally charged.

From what we can tell, Jackson hasn't sued, yet, but has told local media outlets he was "damaged" from what he went through.

Once the dust settled, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said this ... "We are very thankful Mr. Jackson wasn’t injured and we have no reason to think former Deputy Hernandez acted with any malice. We are limited in further response due to pending litigation. But let this be clear, we understand this situation was traumatic for Mr. Jackson and all involved and have incorporated this officer-involved shooting into our training to try to ensure nothing similar happens again."

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They finished with ... "Though his actions were ultimately not warranted, we do believe he felt his life was in immediate peril and his response was based off the totality of circumstances surrounding this fear."

Ben Affleck Spirited Convo with J Lo at Premiere ... During 'This Is Me... Now'

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Emotions Flare At Premiere
TMZ.com

Ben Affleck tends to wear his emotions on his sleeves -- and he seemed to be doing exactly that at Jennifer Lopez's premiere ... where he looked a bit fired up while talking to his wifey.

The famous couple showed up in their designer duds to the Dolby Theater Tuesday night for J Lo's "This Is Me ... Now" flick/music video -- and everything seemed pretty hunky-dory at first. They posed for pics, smiled and went about their business like normal ... all smiles.

However, at some point while inside ... the mood appeared to change, and so did Ben's.

Check out this video, obtained by TMZ ... J Lo and Ben were having a private convo in the lobby of the large, crowded auditorium -- and it looks like the two of them were engaged in a pretty engrossing chat, at least from Ben's side anyway ... dude had a lot to say.

Hard to say what exactly he might've been communicating here -- you could say he looks a little annoyed, but he also just comes across as spirited. Jen, meanwhile, is totally chillin'.

Eventually, she turns away and talks with others ... while Ben continues to speak with a guy.

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This is Me Now
TMZ.com

As for the movie experience itself ... everyone seemed to love it and was really into seeing J Lo's life story on the silver screen. The leading lady herself even got onstage and gave a speech, bringing herself to tears as she talked about producing the biopic, of sorts.

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"This Is Me ... Now: A Love Story" will be released Friday on Amazon Prime, along with her new album by the same name.

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INTENSE CONVO
TMZ.com

V-Day Drug Bust Cop Dresses as Teddy Bear ... Lures Suspect for Arrest!!!

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Teddy Bear Bust
MEGA

A cop in Peru got creative this week to lure out a suspected drug dealer -- and it seems their holiday-themed scheme worked to a T ... teddy bear costumes usually do the trick, right?

Check out this wild video out of Lima ... which shows police officers going undercover and committing to the bit, full stop -- with one cop getting into a whole ass bear costume, complete with props and everything.

It's pretty clear what's happening -- ahead of Valentine's Day, they wanted to attempt to arrest a woman they suspected of drug dealing ... and figured an in-person telegram would do it.

As it turns out -- they were right. The lady they were after did, indeed, come outside to see what the deal was ... and once she was in their sights, the officers moved and pinned her to the ground.

You can hear the lady say she hasn't done anything and didn't have anything on her -- but they cuffed her anyway and searched her apartment after.

Unclear if they ended up finding any drugs on her -- but they dragged her to the station for booking, it seems. Operation V-Day can be considered a success ... con amor, por supuesto.

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Happy Valentine's Day!

MATT DAMON THE DUNKINGS DEF WASN'T MY IDEA!!! Adds Deets from the Set

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WASN'T MY IDEA ...
CBS

Matt Damon is disavowing the most talked about Super Bowl ad -- at least creatively, and instead he's laying blame/giving credit to his BFF Ben Affleck.

Of course, Matt and Ben teamed up with Tom Brady to hilariously debut their boyband, The DunKings, for the splashy Dunkin ad -- which cost $15 mil just for the airtime -- all sporting bright orange tracksuits.

The spot was the standout Super Bowl Sunday commercial, but Tuesday night, when 'Late Show' host Stephen Colbert showed Matt a pic of him in the DunKing getup ... he immediately made it crystal clear he wasn't the brains behind it!

TBF, it does have "Ben Affleck" written all over it.

MD did own this detail ... at the end of the commercial he tells Ben, '"Remember how I said I would do anything for you? This is anything" -- a line he actually said IRL to his pal.

He says Ben just decided to put it in the ad.

Matt jokingly acknowledged being in The DunKings wasn't exclusive to the Boston trio ... 'cause the only qualification needed to be in the band was the willingness to slide into those visually loud tracksuits.

Though, it seems like dressing the part ain't an issue for lots of coffee and donut lovers ... as Dunkin' sold out of the tracksuits in just 19 minutes after going up for sale on their site.

In fact, demand's so high that new stock is on the way ... with the track pants listed for pre-sale.

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Dunkin's SB spot certainly seemed to sweeten the deal for them -- with staff from various DD locations telling us they've busy as hell since Sunday.

Bottom line: Donut underestimate the power of baked goods.

Taylor Swift's Ex Joe Alwyn Looking Snazzy As He Gets Into Car with Hot Actresses

Taylor Swift seems totally in love with Travis Kelce these days -- but her ex-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, is looking pretty damn happy too ... including last night, in the company of hotties.

The British actor was attending a pre-BAFTAs dinner in London Tuesday -- where, upon exiting, the dude came across as sharp and ready to mingle ... dressed to the nines in a tux and rocking a sly smile that telegraphed pure confidence.

More interesting than his dapper appearance was who he eventually left the event with ... namely, actresses Ellie Bamber and Saffron Hocking -- who were in the same van he hopped into as they all made an exit.

As Joe piled into the vehicle ... paps fired away, and they happened to catch Saffron grinning wide and eyeing the homeboy here with a good old-fashioned once-over. Indeed ... she seems happy to see him.

From what we can gather ... he's fully moved on from T-Swift and enjoying his life across the pond with other lovely ladies, who just so happen to be in the same line of work as him.

Of course, it's interesting to see JA in such high spirits lately -- especially since Tay Tay is dropping a new album soon that just about everyone suspects will take aim at him and their relationship ... that's what the Swifties are anticipating anyway.

By most accounts, their relationship didn't end all that well ... and considering that Taylor's very much so living out loud -- especially in her new relationship with Travis -- many suspect she's happier and freer than she's ever been ... including when she was with Joe.

In any case ... Joe doesn't seem to be sweating it very much -- he's a man about town!

Taylor, meanwhile, appears all set to dredge up their past anew with another breakup album -- that's what looks to be promised, at least. Her fans eat that stuff up -- but it's a little weird ... especially since she's knee-deep with a whole new boyfriend now.

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Whatever pays the bills, we suppose!

Southwest Flight Fight Passenger Pummels Man ... Crew Saves The Day

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THROWING PUNCHES
Storyful

Two passengers went toe-to-toe on a mid-air flight, with one pummeling the other as the crew finally stepped in to break up the confrontation.

The violence erupted Monday on a Southwest commercial jet heading from Oakland to Hawaii. As soon as the fists started flying the camera started rolling.

Check out this video posted by a witness to Instagram … both men were arguing over some nonsense when one of them turned into Floyd Mayweather, connecting with a series of punches to the other dude’s face.

Fellow passengers and flight attendants quickly jumped in, pulling the two guys apart. When the plane landed on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the troublemakers were detained by local authorities, but it was unclear if they were arrested or charged. As for any injuries, the guy whose head was used as a punching bag looked okay ... or seemed so anyway.

A rep for Southwest issued the following statement to Hawaii News Now … "The flight landed safely at its scheduled destination, and local authorities met the flight upon arrival."

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The U.S. Department of Transportation posted its own message on X, "Our department has zero tolerance for violent or unruly behavior aboard an aircraft. If you act out on an airplane, you can face criminal prosecution and fines up to $37,000."

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Hang With MGK, Megan Fox In Vegas ... Power Couples Unite!!!

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce linked up with another famous couple while celebrating his Super Bowl win ... none other than Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly!!!

The big four posed for a photo together during the Kansas City Chiefs' after-party at Zouk Nightclub in Resorts World Las Vegas.

As you can see, Taylor is resting on Travis' shoulder while Megan and MGK throw up peace signs for the camera ... and it seems everyone got the memo, because they're all wearing black.

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Taylor and Travis weren't the only stars Megan and MGK visited in Sin City over Super Bowl weekend ... they also went to see Christina Aguilera perform.

Christina has a residency at The Venetian on The Strip and she took some snaps with Megan and MGK after they took in her show.

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AN AFTER-PARTY FOR THE AGES
TMZ.com

But the big thing here is the Taylor, Travis, Megan, MGK meeting.

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It's the first time we've seen these two Hollywood couples cross paths ... so it will be interesting to see if a double date is in their future.

TODD & JULIE CHRISLEY LOVE ON LOCKDOWN!! No Contact On V-Day

update

8:13 AM PT -- BOP tells TMZ that Todd and Julie actually could've communicated on Valentine's Day -- but they just had to get it approved and planned out beforehand. They also tell us inmates get their mail in a prompt timeframe, despite Todd's claims.

Todd and Julie Chrisley won't be sending their love to each other on Valentine's Day ... which their attorney says is coming as a huge drag.

The couple's attorney, Jay Surgent, tells TMZ the duo won't be able to communicate with one another on Valentine's Day 'cause inmates aren't permitted to get in touch while in different federal prisons.

You'll recall ... Todd was given a 12-year sentence at FPC Pensacola for a slew of fraud charges, while Julie was sent to FMC Lexington in Kentucky for 7 years -- so not only are they in separate prisons, but they're also in different states.

Their attorney tells us the Federal Bureau of Prisons has a no-crossover/contact policy... but Jay doesn't quite understand it, telling us it creates zero security problems or cause for concern.

Jay says the Chrisleys being unable to communicate during V-Day will be a real bummer ... especially cause their love for each other is unwavering and distance has only made the heart grow fonder.

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Meanwhile, Jay says when he last spoke with Todd last week, TC said he wanted to pursue an investigation against FPC Pensacola prison administration for mail theft and general corruption ... among other things. He also claims he still hasn't received the mail he's been expecting, which raises further concerns with him.

As we all know by now, Todd's been vocal about the living conditions at his new digs ... ripping them apart for their disgusting food, possible mold, and bad plumbing.

But as it relates to the heart ... it seems like Todd and Julie's love is under lock and key for the time being.

Originally Published -- 1:00 AM PT

Selena Traveled with Yolanda After She Allegedly Stole $$$ ... Saldívar Family Claims

Selena Quintanilla didn't cut Yolanda Saldívar out of her life after her father accused Yolanda of embezzling from Selena's clothing boutique ... because they jetted to Mexico together.

That's what Yolanda's family is claiming, saying they have airplane tickets showing Selena and the woman who would later kill her flew first class to Monterrey only a week after Abraham Quintanilla confronted Yolanda about missing funds.

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Why Continue???
Oxygen True Crime

The shocking allegation is featured in the upcoming Oxygen docuseries, "Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them."

In a clip from the series, obtained by TMZ, Yolanda's family discovers first-class United Airlines tickets for Selena and Yolanda on March 17, 1995 ... only 8 days after Yolanda was accused of embezzlement.

Yolanda's family says the previously unknown trip raises new questions -- like, why would Selena continue her business relationship with Yolanda after her pops made serious allegations?

Selena's dad fired Yolanda on March 9, 1995, after accusing her of embezzling money from the Tejano star's clothing company, which was planning to open a boutique in Monterrey.

Yolanda ended up shooting and killing Selena 2 weeks after their flight to Mexico ... and now she's serving a life sentence, though she's eligible for parole on March 30, 2025.

In an interview from prison, Yolanda claims Selena would not accept her resignation and wanted to keep her around to run the clothing line and oversee things down in Mexico.

Selena's father has blasted the doc, telling us it's a slap in the face to his family. He also says Yolanda's story is packed with lies.

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The first part of the docuseries drops on February 17, and this clip is from the second part, which airs on February 18.

Rob Gronkowski Belichick Will Be Back W/ A Vengeance ... Next NFL Season!

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I'd Come Back For Belichick

Bill Belichick will be back on an NFL sideline -- after he gets some much-deserved R&R -- according to one of the best players to ever suit up for the legendary Patriots coach, Rob Gronkowski!

TMZ Sports caught up with the future Hall of Fame tight end at his epic Gronk Beach Super Bowl party at Encore Beach Club at the Wynn in Las Vegas, and we asked Rob about BB's future.

"I think it's great he's going to take a year off," Rob told us, adding, "He needs it. he deserves it. And I think he's going to come back next year with some vengeance!"

Of course, after winning 6 SBs in New England, Bill mutually parted ways with the Pats this off-season, and while many around the league expected he'd get a job straight away, it didn't happen.

It's clear Gronk believes his former coach ain't done yet -- he will be back -- and he may be reunited with the superstar TE ... err, WR?

"I'm gonna play for him. I'm gonna be a wide receiver," Gronk JOKED ... "I don't know who he's gonna coach for, but I'm gonna play wideout."

That part's a pipe dream ... Bill coaching a team isn't.

Adding to the likelihood of a return, Belichick's only 15 wins away from becoming the all-time NFL total wins leader as a coach ... which counts regular season and playoff games.

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There's much more with Gronk ... who alongside TMZ Sports' own Mojo Muhtadi went absolutely WILD at the party Saturday afternoon.

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Super Ball!
TMZSports.com

Don't believe us?! Watch the footage!

Red-Hot Ladies In Lingerie Guess Who!

It's Valentine's Day and really all you need is some love n' sugar from these red-hot baes in red lingerie! Take a peek and see if you can uncover the ladies lookin' oh so fine ...

While low-key duos might be tapping into a Netflix N' Chill kind of V Day -- or perhaps a romantic night out on the town -- YOU are being blessed by Hollywood's finest lacey ladies!

Slip into this smokin' gallery of red-hot babes in some intimate undies and see if you can guess who is in the mood to take things to the next level!

😍

TMZ TV Recap Kanye West Doubles Down ... Usher's Wedding, Super Bowl Streaker

We're about halfway through the week now, but we're just getting started with our TV coverage at TMZ ... and on Tuesday, there was no shortage of good topics to dish on.

TMZ Live

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NOT BACKING DOWN
TMZ.com

Kanye West is digging his heels on his troubling remarks about Jewish people -- something he made clear to us in a new interview, and which we dove into head first on 'TMZ Live.'

Our photog got Ye at the airport, and he opened up about A LOT of things -- including the fact the he's not really sorry about his antisemitic remarks ... at least not all them anyway. He also seems to be cozying up to Adidas once again ... which is, well, quite surprising.

TMZ on TV

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USHER'S WILD SUNDAY
TMZ.com

Over at 'TMZ on TV,' we talked about Usher's wedding in Vegas this weekend, where he and his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer, tied the knot right on the heels of his SB performance.

Of course, right after that ... he skated the night away, next to other lovely ladies. 😅

TMZ Sports

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OPERATION: SUPER BOWL STREAK
TMZSports.com

Finally on 'TMZ Sports,' we talked to the Super Bowl streaker, and it was ... interesting.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Vivian Wood In 'Charlies Angels' 'Memba Her?!

American actress Kelly Lynch was in her early 40's when she played the manipulative detective with the freshly tossed hair, Vivian Wood, who attempts to set up the 'Angels' in the action/comedy film "Charlie's Angels" back in 2000.

Lynch shared the big screen with Drew Barrymore as the reckless but extremely savvy angel, Dylan Sanders, Cameron Diaz as the blue-eyed blondie Angel who dances in Spiderman underwear, Natalie Cook, and Lucy Liu as the martial artist who's well versed with explosives, Alex Munday.

Kelly's first major starring role was in the 1988 comedy/romance film "Cocktail" with Tom Cruise.

Guess what she looks like now!

Selma Blair Sorry For My Islamophobic Comment ... I'll Do Better Next Time!!!

Selma Blair is apologizing for an Islamophobic comment she made on social media ... and she's promising to do better.

Here's the deal ... Selma went viral last week and started catching tons of flak after commenting on an Instagram post about Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush voting against a measure banning Hamas terrorists from immigrating to the U.S.

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In her since-deleted comment, Selma wrote ... "Deport all these terrorist supporting goons. Islam has destroyed Muslim countries and then they come here and destroy minds. They know they are liars. Twisted justifications. May they meet their fate."

Selma took a ton of heat from folks who said she was a raging, Islamophobic bigot.

In an apology shared Tuesday on IG, Selma says ... "I mistakenly and inadvertently conflated Muslims with Radical Islamists and fundamentalists, a terrible err in my words, and resulted in hurting countless people I never meant to, and I deeply regret this."

Selma says she deleted her comment after she realized she was amplifying hate and misinformation ... and says she now understands why she upset the Muslim community.

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Despite the poor choice of words, Selma says she's "dedicated to tolerance and peace for all who want it -- not hate."

Kanye West Denies Claim Taylor Booted Him at SB ... Despite Ex-NFLer's Claim

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SUPER BOWL TEA
Paper Route

UPDATE

4:02 PM PT -- Kanye West is denying Brandon Marshall's claims about Yeezy and Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl.

A rep for Kanye tells TMZ ... "This is a completely fabricated rumor. It is not true."

Kanye West apparently intended to upstage Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl -- but the pop superstar torpedoed his plan -- at least, that's what one former NFL star is claiming.

Brandon Marshall -- who played in the league from 2006-2018 for a number of teams -- made the shocking allegation on his "Paper Route" podcast this week ... explaining that he'd heard Ye purposely purchased seats right in front of Tay Tay's suite for the Big Game.

According to this purported tea ... the idea, it seems, was an attempt to photobomb all her inevitable TV appearances. On its face, it comes across as a good old-fashioned spite effort.

However, the ex-All-Pro receiver explained the alleged scheme never came to fruition ... as Swift made "a call or two" to have Ye kicked out of Allegiant Stadium entirely -- that's what Brandon's claiming anyway.

Take it all with a grain of salt, but considering how polarizing Ye has been recently -- and Swift being the non-athlete face of the SB champs this season -- it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility the league may have nudged KW to somewhere a little more low-key.

It's also hard to say with any certainty whether she actually got him fully kicked out or not, as Brandon suggests here ... especially if he bought a ticket lawfully and by the book.

In any case ... BM sounds 100% confident that he's breaking news with the world here.

Also worth noting -- TMZ spoke with Ye for several minutes on Monday ... and he only mentioned Swift in a pretty lukewarm manner.

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SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
TMZ.com

You'd think Ye would pounce at the opportunity to trash Travis Kelce's girlfriend if it really went down as Marshall claims ... but perhaps he got some details fudged up (after all, he did initially confuse Swift with Katy Perry, FWIW).

Either way ... Ye and his wife, Bianca Censori, were definitely at the venue ... with the former rocking a face covering featuring a white crucifix. There are photos of Kanye in the building -- and in the one pic that's going around, he does appear to be next to a stadium worker.

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We've made some calls to try and clear the air ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 9:27 AM PT

Miami Grade School Clarifies Permission Slip Re: 'African American' Book Assembly

A Miami elementary school parent is outraged about a permission slip his daughter's school sent seeking his sign-off on a book listening event featuring a Black author -- something the school is now clarifying by blaming FL state law.

Chuck Walters -- who has a kid at the Coral Way K-8 Bilingual Center -- posted a photo of the school form referring to the school-related activity going down Tuesday where a book would be read aloud to students.

The document describes the nature and activity of the event -- "Students will participate & listen to a book written by an African American." It goes on to note the types of guests for this activity would include a fireman, doctor and artist.

If that language sounds problematic to you, Chuck definitely felt the same way. He wrote on X ... "I had to give permission for this or else my child would not participate???" He tagged the superintendent of Miami-Dade Schools and included the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth.

We contacted Miami-Dade County Public Schools -- which oversees Coral Way K-8 -- and they told TMZ ... "We realize that the description of the event may have caused confusion, and we are working with our schools to reemphasize the importance of clarity for parents in describing activities/events that would require parental permission."

MDCPS adds, "However, in compliance with State Law, permission slips were sent home because guest speakers would participate during a school-authorized education-related activity."

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WE NEED CLARITY
School Board of Miami Dade

Now, on the question of whether this activity where an "African American" would be reading a book to kids was tied to Black History Month -- the answer is yes. Concerns over these permission slips relating to BHM have recently been raised by other parents and educators.

In fact, last week ... a school board member said he didn't understand why permission slips to basically sign off on Black History Month lessons needed to be sent out to parents in the first place -- but he was told this is something FL legislators and Gov. Ron DeSantis passed as law back in November.

As a result, anything outside the immediate curriculum needs parental permission.

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Some have expressed outrage over this nonetheless, and have suggested Gov. DeSantis' railing against CRT in public schools might be to blame.

BTW ... Walters tells us he signed this form for his daughter and submitted it to the school.