A Florida school board has passed a resolution demanding the resignation of Moms for Liberty co-founder whose GOP chairman husband has been accused of rape of a woman who said she was in a three-way relationship with the couple.
The Sarasota County School Board voted 4-1 during Tuesday’s meeting asking Bridget Ziegler to voluntarily step down from the panel.
Ziegler voted against the measure.
The board can not force her to resign and Zeigler has given no indication she plans to leave her post.
The resolution was drafted in the wake of a criminal investigation into Ziegler’s husband Christian Ziegler who has not been charged.
The Sarasota County School Board passed a motion demanding the resignation of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler in the wake of rape allegations against her Republican chair husband
Ziegler’s husband Christian has been accused of rape of a woman who said she was in a three-way relationship with the couple
Christian Ziegler has not been charged but was subjected to a criminal investigation
The resolution was drafted by the board’s chair Karen Rose and stated that Ziegler’s continued presence would cause, ‘an irreparably harmful distraction to the school board’s ability to fulfil its critical, constitutional mission of operating’.
‘It’s not about the left, it’s not about the right it’s about students,’ Rose said introducing the motion.
‘Any proposal I put forward is based on instruction, learning and what is in the best interest of our students. Safety and security is foremost.’
Her motion, which is not legally binding, was seconded by fellow board member Robyn Marinelli who received a round of applause for her support.
Ziegler said she was ‘disappointed’ the vote would be going ahead and pointed out she sits on other public boards where her presence was not considered a problem.
She did not respond at length to the motion, but asked the board’s lawyer Patrick Duggan to reiterate that that it ‘does not have any teeth’.
Only the the governor has the power to remove Ziegler and the board declined to move to write a letter to him.
‘BZ must resign now, like the Wizard of Oz the curtain has been pulled back on Bridget Ziegler,’ local woman Joyce Peralta told the board.
‘While claiming she was fighting for family values, it is now evident that Bridget and her husband Christian were fighting culture wars for the couple to gain power money.
‘How many parents delighted this week in having to answer the question from their children “what is a three way”?’
She added that she did not care about ‘what consenting adults do privately’ but was troubled by the ‘campaign of hate’ Ziegler was allegedly leading due to her views on LGBTQ+ and race issues.
‘Your children deserve privacy that will only be obtained when you and your husband remove yourself from the public positions that amplify you hypocrisy.’
Ziegler was a key player in the passage of Ron DeSantis’ ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill and founded the right wing conservative Moms for Liberty chapter.
The Florida governor has subsequently called for Christian Ziegler to step down as Republican chair.