SARASOTA, Fla. — The Sarasota School Board meeting is yet another stage for more controversy, this time over anti-LGBTQ comments made by some parents during the public comments session. One such incident played out on Tuesday and it caused one board member to walk out.
The comments were directed at board member Tom Edwards who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community. He shared his perspective about what happened and said he stood up against hateful language that doesn't represent the community.
The video feed of the March 21 meeting, which is posted online, showed Edwards walking out of the meeting while one of the commenters was in the middle of her remarks.
"What Tom stands for and what Tom wants to do to our children in the school district isn't what a majority support," said Sally Nista, one of the public commenters in part of her 3-minute allotment before audience members interrupted her with boos.
Nista was speaking in support of another mom who had taken to the podium earlier on March 7 to make remarks many deemed homophobic.
"It is perfectly acceptable that Mr. Edwards, a gay liquor salesman and supporter of LGBTQ grooming events, like QueerCon, going to schools to read to our children and post pictures on his Facebook page. Mr. Edwards appears to be a lawbreaker and an LGBTQ groomer," said Melissa Bakondy, a mom with children at Sarasota Schools said in part of her speech.
"It was quite shocking and emotionally violent and it caught everybody by surprise," Tom Edwards said of Bakondy's comments.
Bakondy is a former member of the conservative group, Moms for Liberty, which was co-founded by Sarasota School Board chair Bridget Zeigler. Zeigler, too, is no longer a member of the organization.
Bakondy is not new to controversies at school board meetings. Nearly a year ago she was removed by then-Sarasota County School Board Chair Jane Goodwin for directing a comment at a school board member which went against the guidelines for public comments. Goodwin said Bakondy's preamble to her comment was intended to be disruptive and abusive while Bakondy said her first amendment rights were trampled upon.
At the end of the March 7 public comments session, more than half an hour later, board chair Bridget Zeigler apologized for Bakondy's comments.
"I feel compelled to make a statement because that was wildly uncomfortable and inappropriate, and I apologize to Mr. Edwards because just as much as I do not believe anyone's sexual orientation should be discussed in a classroom or an office, I do not believe it's relevant or should be discussed at this meeting here in this chamber so my apologies for that," said Bridget Ziegler.
Edwards said he had given the board chair the benefit of the doubt, but after Zeigler's inaction to cut the speaker off or call the mom with the anti-gay remarks to order on Tuesday, he said her apology for the first incident became hollow and half-hearted.
"The second night that it happened, I looked over at her and asked her to stop the meeting and she refused," Edwards said.
Edwards said that's what prompted him to get up and walk out.
"The only way I could stop the meeting was by getting up, refusing to hear that angry rhetoric," he said. "I did so on behalf of our students because that kind of language, and that kind of accusation is harmful to all students."
Edwards called the narrative, that members of the LGBTQ community are automatically groomers and pedophiles, unfortunate and a tool of division.
He said he has now picked up his 2024 re-election form because it is important to have diversity on the School board.
"To show the community that I am here for the long haul, that hate will not win," Edwards said. "That good governance and caring for our students and their families is what we all want and I intend to be here for that journey."
Zeigler was unavailable for further comments due to prior engagements and scheduling conflicts.
This story will be updated as more information is made available.