SARASOTA, Flórida – Apesar de seus colegas membros do parecer escolar terem votado em prol de sua repúdio e de mais de três horas de comentários públicos, a maioria deles pressionando para que ela fosse, a defensora dos direitos dos pais Bridget Ziegler não parece estar desistindo de seu assento no parecer escolar do condado de Sarasota em breve.
“O que isso diz sobre a Sra. Ziegler se ela não renunciar?” A repórter Katie LaGrone perguntou ao membro do parecer Tom Edwards um dia em seguida a votação.
“Se você voltar às redes sociais dela depois que a votação em Vermillion caiu, ela disse e cito: ‘Não vou voltar detrás para a plebe acordada’”, disse Edwards, referindo-se a uma proposta apresentada por Ziegler no início deste ano que iria contrataram a Vermillion Education, consultora associada ao Hillsdale College, para revisar as políticas e o currículo do região. [The board voted against hiring Vermillion).
Edwards, who’s openly gay and the sole Democrat on the board, has been a leading critic of Ziegler’s who has pushed anti-LGBTQ and politically driven Christian policies in the district.
“The pain she felt last night is the pain that she inflicted on LGBTQ plus students, trans students, and black students with her rule policies that were conjured up in Tallahassee,” Edwards said.
Ziegler, an original Moms for Liberty co-founder who’s credited for helping to craft what critics call Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, is currently at the center of a highly publicized sex scandal.
Her husband, Christian Ziegler, is head of Florida’s Republican party and was recently accused of rape by a woman Bridget admitted she and her husband had a consensual three-way sexual encounter with.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, Ziegler listened to the criticism and some support but, ultimately, seemed unphased. At one point she sought clarification over a resignation vote that doesn’t actually do anything.
“This does not have any teeth, correct?” Ziegler asked the board’s attorney.
Edwards believes moving forward with Ziegler still on the board will be tough.
“Every word that comes out of her mouth will be questioned: is it hypocrisy, is a truth, or is it political? She cannot function as a school board school board member,” he said.
Ziegler has not responded to our requests for comment, nor has she said if she will resign or not. Governor Ron DeSantis has asked her husband to resign. So far, he hasn’t, but this Sunday, the GOP Party of Florida will hold a special meeting to determine his fate.
While the Governor has the power to remove Bridget Ziegler from office, Governor DeSantis has not said if he thinks she should resign from the board. The Governor endorsed Bridget Ziegler during the most recent school board election last year.
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