Charlie Crist Says Teaching Kids About Sex is “Irrelevant”

April 21, 2022 Updated 1:15 P.M. ET

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – At a Florida State University Democrats “Cannabis Conversation” Wednesday, FLV intern reporter Ernie Sampera asked U.S. Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, D-Florida, whether he supports teachers instructing children as young as 5 years old about sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Would you support a just a ban on that specifically? On the teaching by public teachers of those explicit materials in K-3, like gender identity issues and sexual orientation for 1st graders and 2nd graders – would you support banning that specifically?,” Sampera asked.

Crist said, “It’s irrelevant right now ’cause that’s a choice I don’t have.”

“That’s not the bill they passed, they extended it further.”

Unsatisfied with Crist’s answer, Sampera restated the question: “Do you think teachers should be able to instruct 1st graders and 2nd graders on very sensitive topics like that [sexual orientation and gender identity]? Or do you think that’s more of a parental thing?”

Crist was unwilling to give his opinion: “It would depend on what the bill says, and I can’t give you an answer – that’s a hypothetical.”

Sampera said that immediately after the video, a Crist staffer cut the event short, saying Crist had somewhere to be.

According to Sampera, there were approximately 20 people in attendance for the candidate’s university campaign stop with very few students. He said that a woman was “whispering some nasty things” to him while questioning Crist.

The question was in reference to H.B. 1557, the Parental Rights in Education Act, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which bans sexual orientation and gender identity instruction for children in grades K-3.