Critics warn Florida’s new teaching standards rehabilitate aspects of the anti-communist Red Scare
November 14, 2025
Critics are warning that Florida’s new social studies standards rehabilitate aspects of McCarthyism and the anti-communist Red Scare. Mitzi Trumbo, whose Hollywood screenwriter father was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, finds the standards appalling. Approved Thursday, the standards say using terms like “McCarthyism” and “Red Scare” is slander against anti-communists. The standards soften criticism of Senator Joseph McCarthy, who led efforts to root out communists in various communities during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Many accused, including Dalton Trumbo, faced career bans. Mitzi Trumbo emphasizes that history should not be rewritten to fit current politics.