An Illegitimate Majority
Bridget Ziegler and Karen Rose sit on the Sarasota County School Board despite rejection from constituents. To do their damage, they need Robyn Marinelli's help.
Bridget Ziegler and Karen Rose sit on the Sarasota County School Board despite the verdicts against them by constituents, and in Bridget Ziegler’s case the verdict against her by her fellow board members. Robyn Marinelli rounds out a threesome conservative majority which approved a wholly unnecessary pro ICE resolution brought forward by Ziegler. These three politicos derisively rejected of the use of resolutions in 2024 when Tom Edwards proposed a resolution to reaffirm the board’s commitment to educate all children (including immigrant children). Yet the same three board members eagerly approved last week’s pro ICE resolution even though it met all their previously stated 2024 criteria for “political theater”. Their pro ICE votes showed their commitment to children is a distant second to political games. But Marinelli has demonstrated the capacity to reject ideological agitation in the past. When it comes to serving Sarasota’s students, the community needs Marinelli to rediscover her good sense.
The ICE resolution
Bridget Ziegler launched her ICE resolution offensive in a brief interview with Steve Bannon on January 17th.
Ziegler’s resolution is of unknown origin. The Sarasota County School Board’s legal team did not write it. She framed it as a pro law enforcement resolution. It mentions ICE multiple times. Funny - here we have a woman who is dubiously suing the Sarasota City Police and two detectives for allegedly violating her civil rights during their investigation into an accusation against her husband by a former threesome partner. At the same time, Ziegler is blind to how ICE violates Americans’ civil rights. Ziegler was unmoved by Renee Good’s death. Thanks to ignorant, extremist public officials like Ziegler, another American, Alex Pretti, is dead at the hands of ICE.
Ziegler was asked to resign by the community and her colleagues
Ziegler’s continued presence on the board is an affront to the Sarasota County residents who loudly and persistently called for her resignation in the wake of her 2023 threesome scandal. Ziegler’s presence on the board should be an affront to her fellow board members who unanimously - all four serving at the time - called for her resignation. The votes asking for her resignation included Rose and Marinelli. Clearly there was a wink-wink agreement between them - I’m voting to remove you, but I don’t really mean it. Public furor required Rose and Marinelli to call for Ziegler’s resignation. As is her way, Ziegler ignored the public and her colleagues resolution against her. She refused to resign. She is indifferent to the lack of trust her hypocritical behavior cultivates.
Because Sarasota County and Florida do not have offer a means to recall elected officials in such a situation, the community is stuck with Ziegler on the School Board unless she resigns.
Karen Rose lost her re-election race to Liz Barker
Karen Rose’s presence on the board is an affront to Sarasota County voters who voted her out in 2024. Despite Rose’s loss, Governor DeSantis chose to appoint Rose to fill Tim Enos’ seat when he resigned last year. In doing so, DeSantis chose a reliable acolyte rather than risk a appointing a conservative who might actually listen to constituents and think for themselves.
Sarasota residents must rely on Robyn Marinelli to act with independence and good judgment rather than fall in line behind Ziegler and Rose.
Her vote last week to approve Ziegler’s ICE resolution is a bad sign.
Ziegler seeks to remove Tom Edwards
Ziegler’s framed her ICE resolution as a pro-law enforcement measure. Ziegler did not have the School Board attorney write the resolution, nor did she reveal the author of the resolution. Ziegler made it clear that she brought her resolution forward in part because she considers Tom Edwards’ participation in a large Sarasota protest against Renee Good’s death improper.
In response to Ziegler announcing her ICE resolution, the local Republican party called for Governor DeSantis to remove Tom Edwards from office.
Ziegler and her fellow extremists ignore how ICE is trampling on civil rights. Extremists teamed up with Ziegler to engineer her grandstanding, fear-mongering resolution, and the call to the Governor to remove Edwards from office.
Karen Rose and Bridget Ziegler trade in these kind of political games. I thought Robyn Marinelli would do better.
Marinelli has found her backbone before
When the right-wing Vermillion Education was being considered for hire as a curriculum consultant for Sarasota County schools, Marinelli listened to the public, broke ranks with Team Ziegler and voted against hiring Vermillion.
It should have been easy for Marinelli to reject Ziegler’s ICE resolution, given her objection to a resolution brought forward by Tom Edwards in 2024.
Edwards’ 2024 Resolution
The resolution proposed by Tom Edwards in April 2024 was brought forward in response to Bridget Zeigler's prior inquiry to the Superintendent about how the school system keeps track of immigrant children. Given her extremism, Ziegler’s request for this information set off alarm bells in the community. When Edwards introduced his resolution reinforcing that the school district serves all children as federal laws require, Ziegler responds by acknowledging that her request for immigrant children data prompted Edwards resolution. In those comments, Ziegler refers to immigrant children as “outside children”.
Video from the April 16, 2024 school board work session: Edwards introduces his resolution and Ziegler responds with her “outside children” comments.
So let’s be clear. In 2024, Ziegler was asking for tracking data on immigrant children in an incendiary political climate that she was then, and is now, hard at work creating. Ziegler fails to appreciate that children are not responsible for their immigration status, and must not be punished for it by being put in an “outside” category that can set them up for being terrorized by ICE. Children must not be used by Team Ziegler as political pawns.
In Marinelli’s comments about Edwards’ 2024 resolution, she says she is offended by the 2024 resolution because it was unnecessary due to federal laws already being in place, because it targeted a fellow board member, and because she considered it political theater.
Video from the April 16, 2024 school board work session: Robyn Marinelli rips up Edwards’ resolution affirming the district commitment to educate ALL children.
If Marinelli were serious about her 2024 position regarding resolutions, she would have rejected Ziegler’s ICE resolution as well, for the same reasons. Ziegler’s resolution (which prompted the subsequent local GOP call to remove Edwards) 1)targeted Edwards, 2)reiterated existing federal laws and 3)was certainly political theater. Marinelli has trouble calling Ziegler’s hateful tactics political theater.
Marinelli voted for the 2023 resolution calling for Ziegler to resign
If Marinelli’s 2023 vote calling for Ziegler’s resignation were entirely genuine, Marinelli would not be susceptible to falling in line with Ziegler’s vicious political theatrics.
Marinelli claims she does not like resolutions. She conveniently forgets the resolution she did support: the resolution asking Ziegler to resign from the Sarasota County School Board.
The bigger picture with ICE
Of course, in the context of what’s happening nationally, there’s something far more disturbing about the illegitimate board majority’s ICE position.
Another American is dead in Minnesota at the hands of federal agents.
The vote to pass Ziegler’s ICE resolution, the decision to support Ziegler in her rebuke of Tom Edwards for protesting Renee Good’s death - those votes tell us a lot about the school board members who cast them. When they cast their votes, when they attempt to intimidate Edwards for engaging in protest, they demonstrate lack of respect for civil rights, selective regard for the rule of law, and failure to recognize lethal abuse of power.
Ziegler and Rose are lost causes.
But Robyn Marinelli can do better.
Mrs. Marinelli can breaks ranks with Team Bridget. She’s done it before.
So - Mrs. Marinelli - Stop. Stop falling in line with Team Bridget. You must do better, because the people of Sarasota County deserve better.
The Detail podcast:
Listen to my interview with Tom Edwards on the ICE resolution on Youtube
Listen to my interview with Tom Edwards on the ICE resolution on Spotify
Listen to my interview with Tom Edwards on the ICE resolution on Apple Podcasts
One of the most compelling moments of the last board meeting was when Ms. Marinelli was caught in the most obvious lie, saying: "I wasn't sure how I was going to vote. . ." Then when she was caught, she scolded the two people in the audience who responded with incredulous gasps. No one will play a fool to obvious lies. The worst part, Cathy, was the lie itself. If she made her vote (as she claimed) after "listening" to the voices of the people - then by voting against every single one (minus four) - she's presenting herself as stupid, confused, bubbleheaded. What a horrible legacy and look for someone who is so proud of her education career. Only dumb people lie, because smart people know you get caught up in a lie. So now in addition to following Ziegler, she's a liar.
What an asset Ms Antunes is to our community. I live in Manatee county, but I feel connected to Sarasota from 30+ years working there and still volunteering every day at a Sarasota animal shelter. This article is so spot on. Consider Ms Antunes writing: "Thanks to ignorant ... public officials like Ziegler, another American, Alex Pretti, is dead at the hands of ICE." That resonates with me because it can be said of so many of our local elected officials - in Manatee county as well. I think that after the next election, the haters in public office will see that they do not have the support they think they do.