As Ziegler scandal looms large, Sarasota School Board approves new jobs, purchases land

A middle school student's minor-key orchestral performance ahead of Tuesday's Sarasota County School Board meeting set the tonal backdrop for an equally gloomy board meeting that followed.

For a third-straight meeting, Bridget Ziegler dominated the atmosphere inside and outside of the School Board chambers, as the subject of the sex scandal that has engulfed her and her husband Christian prompted another stream of people calling for Ziegler to resign.

Investigators declined to pursue sexual assault charges against Christian Ziegler after a complaint late last year, but the State Attorney's Office is considering whether to file video voyeurism charges. Details of Christian and Bridget's sexual relationship with another woman came to light through sworn testimony given by Bridget Ziegler to investigators. Bridget Ziegler is not accused of any wrongdoing nor being investigated on any charges.

Protesters gathered before the meeting again demanding that Ziegler step down, calling her a hypocrite in light of a sexual relationship she told police about with a woman while she has advocated for legislation that some deem hostile to the LGBTQ+ community, such as the Parental Rights in Education Act.

More than 50 people spoke during the public comment period at Tuesday's meeting, with most speaking against Ziegler, though more spoke in her favor than at the previous two board meetings last month. Several speakers who supported Ziegler urged her to continue resisting demands that she resign.

Following the public comments, Ziegler reaffirmed her intention to stay on the board, saying she would never address issues of her personal life in the board chambers.

"For many reasons and much of the conversations has come up with public comment, I will never address in these chambers because they have absolutely nothing to do with my role as a board member," Ziegler said.

While the school board voted 4-1 in December in favor of a resolution asking for Ziegler's resignation, the board cannot remove one of its own members. The only way Ziegler would leave the Sarasota School Board would be to resign herself or if Gov. Ron DeSantis removed her and appointed a replacement.

Speakers accuse Bridget Ziegler of hypocrisy

William Harless, a 20-year-old University of Miami student and Venice High School alumnus, participated in the rally and brought a sign that read "Bring it on."

"There is hypocrisy everywhere," Harless said. "There is immeasurable amounts of damage that she's doing to our reputation, but most importantly to students that are currently actively enrolled in Sarasota County Schools."

He also spoke to the board during the public comment period, urging Ziegler to step down and the board to take action, adding that the public is taking note of any inaction.

Sally Sells, the parent of a student in Sarasota School District who has previously spoken at board meetings, reemphasized her desire for Ziegler to resign. She also echoed a sentiment expressed by others at the meeting: exhaustion.

"I'm sick and tired of taking time away from my family," Sells said. "But most of all, Mrs. Ziegler, I'm sick of hearing and seeing your name."

Zander Moricz, a graduate of Pine View School and noted activist, said that Ziegler's continued presence on the board will hurt LGBTQ+ students in Sarasota and beyond. Moricz's previous comments calling on Ziegler to resign gained hundreds of thousands of views on social media.

He urged her to step down and "do the right thing."

"You could put us all out of our misery right now," Moricz said. "I genuinely mean it when I say it is not too late and it is literally never too late to do the right thing. Bridget, please."

He mentioned the activist group Moms for Liberty, which Ziegler helped co-found in 2021, and how it has begun to distance itself from Ziegler.

Board Chairwoman Karen Rose periodically intervened during some public commenters' time, urging speakers to keep their comments to matters of the board and away from board members' personal lives. Her interjections tended to follow when a speaker would mention the details of Ziegler's and her husband's sex life.

Paulina Testerman, a local activist with the group Support Our Schools, mentioned Ziegler's sex life and Rose interjected, asking her to stop. Testerman refused to yield, prompting Rose to recess the meeting for five minutes.

Barbara Vaughn, a regular School Board meeting attendee, urged Ziegler not to give in to calls for her resignation. She added that if Ziegler wanted to run for reelection, she would support her and volunteer on her behalf.

"Please don't leave. Please stay where you are. We need you where you are," she said.

William DeBrou, who wore an Alex Jones Infowars shirt that read "Baby lives matter," said he hopes the board moves forward and "puts this matter to rest." He also suggested that the board require a photo ID proving Sarasota residency before someone can sign up to speak at board meetings.

Clayton Taylor, who has spoken at Sarasota County Commission meetings about ending its affiliation with the American Library Association, said the board needed to stay the course despite vocal protest. He addressed the audience that included people waving yellow paper signs in the air that read "Ziegler resign.'

"I want you to stand strong. I want you to keep the girls out of the boys' bathrooms, the boys out of the girls' bathrooms. Protects women's sports, keep the boys out of the women's sports," he said. "I want you to eject the evil yellow flag wavers and I think that we should be focusing in on sticking to the laws so that parental rights are upheld."

Board member Tom Edwards, the first board member to call for Ziegler's resignation last year, reiterated his call for her to step aside, calling her a "distraction" and adding that hypocrisy was bleeding into the board.

"Back in December, when we asked for Mrs. Ziegler's resignation, I foresaw that this was going to be a distraction that would not go away," Edwards said.

Sarasota County School Board business

Following the public comments, the board approved the purchase of a more than 20-acre property for a future school in Lakewood Ranch. The district is planning for two schools: a K-5 on the purchased property and a high school on another site, in part to address growth at Tatum Ridge Elementary School. The purchase price is $700,000.

The board also approved an agreement with Grand Canyon University and the University of Phoenix to hire classroom interns at $15 per hour.

Under new business, the board approved job descriptions for an Aquaculture Farm Hatchery Technician at Riverview High School and a Speech/Language Assistant Pathologist.

Follow Herald-Tribune Education Reporter Steven Walker on Twitter at @swalker_7. He can be reached at sbwalker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Bridget Ziegler scandal still dominates Sarasota School Board meeting