Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary has defended the rejection of dozens of math textbooks over alleged references to essential race idea.

On Friday, the Florida Division of Training stated it had rejected 54 out of 132 math textbooks that it described as publishers' "makes an attempt to indoctrinate college students."

The division stated the rejected textbooks have been discovered to be "impermissible with both Florida's new requirements or contained prohibited matters," together with essential race idea.

The information sparked a social media backlash, with State Rep. Carlos Smith, a Democrat, tweeting that DeSantis was "hysterically pulling math books outta FL colleges claiming they 'indoctrinate' youngsters with CRT."

Smith added: "This is not simply loopy right-wing pandering— subsequent they will spend MILLIONS of tax dollars forcing colleges to purchase math books from GOP marketing campaign donors."

Florida officers didn't present an inventory of the rejected textbooks or present examples of how they contained references to CRT, a tutorial framework developed by authorized students that examines historical past via the lens of racism which conservatives have appropriated as a catch-all to explain any dialogue of America's historical past of race and racism.

However DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw on Saturday hit again on the criticism by tweeting a photograph of a math project that had been handed out to college students in a Missouri public faculty district earlier this 12 months.

The project included a query that requested if the late poet Maya Angelou had been "sexually abused by her mom's" boyfriend, brother or father.

One other query requested if she had "labored as a pimp, prostitute" and bookie, drug seller or night time membership dancer to assist her son as a single mom.

"How does this assist youngsters study algebra, precisely?" Pushaw wrote. "No marvel China is successful..."

In one other tweet, she added: "So as an alternative of getting a hissy match as a result of @GovRonDeSantis banned CRT math textbooks, ask your self why CRT is being injected in math instruction to start with? I promise you, in China youngsters aren't studying about pimping in math class."

Some Twitter customers questioned how studying about Angelou was essential race idea.

One wrote: "Are you severely saying that studying about Maya Angelou falls beneath the class of essential race idea?!!???!!"

One other stated: "This isn't CRT. That is African American historical past."

Pushaw has been contacted for additional remark.

DeSantis has welcomed the rejection of the maths textbooks.

"Evidently some publishers tried to slap a coat of paint on an previous home constructed on the inspiration of Widespread Core, and indoctrinating ideas like race essentialism, particularly, bizarrely, for elementary faculty college students," he stated in a press release.

"I am grateful that Commissioner Corcoran and his group on the Division have carried out such a radical vetting of those textbooks to make sure they adjust to the legislation."

Florida's Board of Training introduced final 12 months that it will ban the educating of CRT in public colleges—despite the fact that it had not been a part of the state's curriculum earlier than.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis
Florida governor Ron DeSantis is seen in attendance through the UFC 273 occasion at VyStar Veterans Memorial Area on April 09, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. James Gilbert/Getty Photos