Bridget Ziegler Dec. 12. Screenshot via Sarasota County Schools.
SARASOTA | The Sarasota School Board passed a resolution Dec. 12 calling for the voluntary resignation of Bridget Ziegler, former board chair and current representative for District 1.
Ziegler is also a co-founder of the anti-LGBTQ+ group Moms for Liberty and the wife of Christian Ziegler, the Florida GOP chairman currently accused of raping a female associate. She admitted to local authorities investigating the charges that the couple had previously had a sexual relationship with her.
Members of all parties have since called for the prominent Republicans to resign from their positions, prompting the vote from the school board amidst public pressure. The resolution was introduced by School Board Chair Karen Rose, who noted “it’s not about the left, it’s not about the right, it’s about students.”
The resolution was passed and adopted Dec. 12 but is nonbinding; the school board lacks the authority to remove her. The Florida Constitution requires that voluntary resignation aside, removal requires gubernatorial suspension via executive order followed by a majority vote in the state Senate.
The school board’s resolution outlines this, noting that the body “can resort to informally recommending that she voluntarily resign her position.” It further cites “recent occurrences that involve Bridget Ziegler that have become public as a result of a law enforcement investigation,” noting that her continued service “would cause an irreparably harmful distraction to the School Board’s ability to fulfill its critical Constitutional mission of operating, controlling and supervising the various Sarasota County public schools.”
“The School Board hereby recommends that Bridget Ziegler immediately take all steps necessary to voluntarily resign her position as School Board member representing District 1 for the School Board of Sarasota County, Florida,” it concludes. It passed on a 4-1 vote with Ziegler alone in opposition.
Read the resolution at this link and below:
Ziegler addressed the measure ahead of its passage, noting that it “does not have any teeth” in regard to the board’s inability to remove her. Her supporters and detractors also offered public commentary, with LGBTQ+ and ally voices echoing a protest and press conference held ahead of the meeting.
The gathering was organized in part by the nonprofit Support Our Schools, a “coalition of parents and community volunteers committed to safeguarding the future of our public education system.” They were joined by representatives from Equality Florida and more.
“On November 1, 2023 … Bridget Ziegler admitted to police, that last year she and her husband had a three-way consensual sexual encounter with a woman,” Support Our Schools shared in a press release ahead of time. “Her husband is now being investigated for the alleged sexual battery of this same woman in October of this year.
“Support Our Schools … denounces the hypocrisy displayed by the Zieglers, particularly their sense of moral superiority cloaked in ‘family values,’” they continued. “While most of us don’t care what consenting adults do in the privacy of their home, the disingenuousness of the Zieglers is deafening as they have spent years casting aspersions on the LGBTQ+ community.”
Equality Florida Deputy Director of Development Nicholas Machuca was among the speakers.
“Let me be clear: participation in same-sex activities is not shameful, however Bridget Ziegler has done this while simultaneously denigrating our community and working overtime to instill policies that directly marginalize us,” he said. “That hypocrisy is unacceptable … this board member and her husband have created wedge issues to pull us apart in an effort to enflame tensions around imagined issues while real problems persist.”
Project Pride was also in attendance, noting on social media that “it’s time to end the hypocrisy.” View photos below:
Following the vote, board member Tom Edwards, who has been targeted by conservatives because he is gay, called the meeting “political theater.”
“It’s time to refocus on what truly matters — the education and future of our students,” he shared. “Let’s demand accountability and advocate for a board that prioritizes our students’ well-being.”
Support Our Schools also noted that while “Bridget Ziegler has dug in her heels and from all appearances, is not planning to resign,” they will continue to advocate for her removal. Read more below:
Zieger’s current term is scheduled to end in 2026.
You must be logged in to post a comment.