ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Pinellas County school committee voted unanimously Monday to continue the use of the movie “Ruby Bridges” in classrooms after a parent filed a formal objection.

“Thrilled,” said Nancy Velardi, president of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, about the vote. “Thrilled and, actually, I expected them to do the right thing.”

All seven members of the North Shore Elementary School-Based Instructional and Media Review Committee voted in favor of keeping the film.

Parent Emily Conklin submitted the objection after the district says about 60 second-grade students watched “Ruby Bridges” on March 2 as part of a Black History Month lesson.

The 1998 Disney film follows the real-life story of six-year-old Ruby, the first Black student to attend an all-white New Orleans school as part of desegregation.

The complaint said Conklin was concerned the movie could teach students racial slurs and that “white people hate Black people.”

It noted the content might be better suited to eighth-grade students.

The committee made up of parents, teachers, school staff and community members heard from the team of second-grade teachers that chose the film.

They told members they purchased a biography research project that included 16 people to study, including Ruby Bridges.

Following the project, the classes watched the movie with the approval of administrators and parents, who have to fill out permission slips for all PG-rated movies.

The district said two families chose to opt their students out and there were no plans to show it again this school year.

“Ruby Bridges was selected because she’s relatable to our second grades, as she is a six-year-old.

And after the movie, we had a post-discussion. The forum was open to where students express themselves and how they could relate to Ruby Bridges from the movie,” one teacher told the committee.

Pinellas County Schools K-8 Social Studies Specialist Michelle Anderson also addressed members.

Anderson said “Ruby Bridges” lines up with state guidance on the required teaching of African American history in several areas.

They include helping students understand the effects of prejudice, racism and stereotyping on individual freedoms, celebrating inspirational stories of African Americans, and understanding how individual freedoms have been infringed by racial segregation.

Conklin also had the opportunity to address the committee, but did not.

“I, personally, found the Ruby Bridges film to be an inspiring story about Black people and also white advocates coming together to overcome challenges presented during the era of desegregation,” said committee member Kyandra Darling, a community member, during discussion of the complaint. “I don’t believe that the film teaches hate, as stated in the complaint as a concern by the parent. I think instead, it displays the ugliness of intolerance and hate, which is something that our students should learn from.”

“I watched the film with my children,” said committee member Molly Auld, a parent. “I think it provided a lot of opportunities to have conversations around just what it’s like to do things that are hard, what it’s like to stand up for something that you believe in.”

“I think the second grade team did a great job being very thorough and planning out how they did this,” said committee member Charlotte Suarez, a teacher. “I think the classroom is a very great place to hold these conversations that I’m sure they had after that.”

After members voted to keep the film with no additional considerations for factors like grade level, audience members applauded.

Terri Lipsey-Scott, executive director of the Woodson African American Museum, was among those in attendance.

“I’m ecstatic by the results — the fact that they were unanimous, the decision was unanimous, that individuals had the frame of thought and understand the significance and the importance of teaching American history all inclusive,” Lipsey-Scott said.

“Ruby Bridges” is the latest case of instructional material to be challenged statewide.

“A platform has been created for individuals who have a huge and wide disdain for truth in order to continue to suppress it,” said Lipsey-Scott. “Our American history is not pretty, but unless we review it, unless we study it, we will indeed repeat it. It’s grieving me beyond measure that it appears that we are in a space of repeating some very ugly history in our nation.”

According to district policy, Conklin can appeal the committee’s decision to the District Committee for Challenged Materials. The decision of that committee would be final. Conklin did not respond to requests for comment.