WaPo Asks DeSantis’ Office for Comment at 5:20AM, Claims They “Did Not Respond”

February 9, 2022 Updated 2:00 P.M. ET

LONDON (FCV) – London-based Washington Post reporter Adela Suliman penned an article in the Washington Post Wednesday reporting on President Joe Biden (D) calling a Florida bill restricting schools’ discussion of sexual encounters to children as “hateful.”

In the story, Suliman outlines what Democrats are saying about a bill pending Florida Legislature approval titled “Parental Rights in Education,” (SB 1834 / HB 1557). According to an email chain reviewed by FCV, Suliman contacted Governor Ron DeSantis’ Press Secretary Christina Pushaw at 5:20 A.M. EST and published the story shortly thereafter at 7:44 A.M.

The article claims that “DeSantis’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the bill.” However, after business hours began, Pushaw provided an in-depth response at 11:12 A.M. Pushaw went on to expose the story more than an hour after she responded on Twitter:

Only after Pushaw’s fiery tweets did Suliman acknowledge her comments and said that the Washington Post would update the article:

On the bill that leftists have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Pushaw explained that it will prohibit school districts from “adopting procedures to withhold information from a parent regarding their student’s well-being or change in services, unless disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect.”

“Additionally, the bill prohibits encouraging classroom discussion in primary grades regarding sexual orientation or gender identity in or in a manner that is not age appropriate.”

DeSantis said “I haven’t seen any bill” on the topic. Pushaw said that DeSantis “would need to read the full bill before rendering an opinion,” but that DeSantis did reiterate his support for parents’ “rights and transparency” in education.

The bill is meant to provide parents with more information on the processes and procedures children undergo in schools. For example, a couple is suing Leon County Schools for excluding parents from conversations about their children’s gender identity.

“These policies should cause serious concerns for anyone who cares about parents’ rights and child safeguarding. Parents play the most important role in their children’s education, and great educators work in partnership with parents to ensure their kids are learning and flourishing in every way. Normalizing the practice of school staff hiding information about a child from that child’s parents would endanger all children,” Pushaw concluded.

DeSantis has not given explicit support of the bill, contrary to left-wing claims.

The bill is awaiting further approval from committee.