Sarasota County School Board votes to recommend Bridget Ziegler's resignation
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Sarasota County School Board voted 4-1 to pass a resolution requesting the resignation of Bridget Ziegler. The only dissenting vote was Ziegler.
According to the board's attorney, the board doesn't have the authority to remove Ziegler, only to call for her resignation.
The move comes following an investigation into her husband Christian Ziegler, who’s been accused of raping a woman.
Christian Ziegler has not been charged, and denies the claims, but has admitted to having what he said was a consensual sexual relationship with the woman. According to a police search warrant, both the woman accusing Christian of assault and Bridget Ziegler, admitted she was also involved in the sexual relationship prior to the encounter in question.
"My position has been regarding this topic that it is the distraction de jure in a long list of distractions that has kept the board drama-focused, instead of student-centric focused," board member Tom Edwards said.
While Bridget Ziegler isn’t accused of any criminal wrongdoing, her fellow board members say that she’s become an "irreparably harmful distraction."
Pictured: Bridget Ziegler
Many people also call her a hypocrite.
RELATED: Christian Ziegler remains Florida GOP chair as investigation into rape allegation continues
"There's the hypocrisy that she has done nothing but attack the LGBTQ population for the last three years or more while herself, you know, living an alternative lifestyle," said Lisa Schurr, co-founder of Support Our Schools, one of more than a dozen organizations planning to rally ahead of tonight’s school board meeting to echo calls for Bridget Ziegler's resignation.
Pictured: Bridget and Christian Ziegler
The Mom’s For Liberty co-founder has been an especially vocal advocate for laws that place restrictions on teaching sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Some accuse her of demonizing the LGBTQ community to score political points while leading a different life behind closed doors.
READ: Moms for Liberty's Florida roots have spread across country, influenced local school politics
"Attacking others for what she personally practices, that should disqualify her for a position of public trust," said one community member during public comment at a recent meeting.
Pictured: Christian Ziegler
Christian Ziegler is under even more intense pressure to resign his role as chairman of Florida’s Republican Party.
Governor Ron DeSantis was one of the first to call for his resignation. Senator Rick Scott and other Florida Republicans have since joined in.
State Republicans will hold a meeting later this month to consider disciplining or removing him.