Sarasota, Florida -- A Sarasota School Board race is heating up over emails. The Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association has filed complaints against School Board member and candidate Bridget Ziegler.
The teachers union says Ziegler sent more than 600 emails using the district's email system to teachers and staff soliciting campaign contributions during school hours. The emails were sent from Ziegler's personal email.
The filing with the Florida Elections Commission comes after Ziegler complained that the union emailed members asking to endorse her opponent Ken Marsh.
Barry Dubin, executive director for the SCTA says, "When a political candidate who is someone's boss does it asking for contributions our lawyer says that's illegal a violation of the code."
A press release from SCTA attorney Ronald Meyer, alleges Ziegler violated Chapter 106.15 (paragraphs 3 and 4) of the Florida Statues. According to Meyer and election law attorney the law prohibits people from soliciting political contributions in a building owned by a governmental entity.
LEARN MORE:Click here to read Fl. Statue Chapter 106.15
"These employees reasonably assumed that because these emails were coming from a sitting School Board member, they dealt with official School Board business," said Meyer. "They opened these emails on that premise, while at school and while on duty, and only then learned these emails were solicitations for contributions to the Ziegler campaign."
Dubin says Ziegler complained about the union asking union members by email to support Ziegler's opponent Ken Marsh. "It's hard to avoid the hypocrisy here. How can you make it an issue of using it when we have the right, the contractual right? We reimburse for all costs."
"The union is taking a typical political tactic being bullies as I like to say working with my opponent," says Ziegler, Sarasota School Board Member and candidate.
Sarasota attorney Andrea Mogensen says the union is misinterpreting the law saying the solicitation for campaign funds has to be "hand delivered" in person on government property. Mogensen says a solicitation by email is not against the law.
Ziegler spent Tuesday campaigning at early voting sites in Sarasota County. The 32-year-old school board member was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott in June to finish another board member's term who had resigned for family reasons.
"I'm constantly communicating with the community. I as a school board member want to continue to represent them. I'm continuing to do that. I know the union doesn't like it but I'm within the lines of the law. These are baseless allegations and they know it," says Ziegler.
Ziegler says her focus is on the campaign and the issues that matter to families not the "distractions" being launched by her opposition.
