Anti-Gay Comments Prompt Edwards To Walk Out Of School Board Meeting

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — Sarasota County School Board member Tom Edwards walked out of Tuesday evening’s board meeting over homophobic public comments.

It was the second meeting in a row where anti-gay comments were aimed at him during the public comment period. Edwards is openly gay.

At the March 7 meeting, resident Melissa Bakondy said Edwards “appears to be a lawbreaker and an LGBTQ groomer.” (Watch a full video of her comments here.)

The term “grooming” is a buzzword used by right-wing activists to challenge materials presented in schools, according to NPR. It’s generally used when referencing LGBTQ topics and has become a conservative rallying cry during Florida’s passage of the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which limits how gender and sexuality are discussed in public school classrooms.

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Bakondy questioned Edwards’ reading to elementary school students in district classrooms, his posting photos from these readings on social media and his attendance at QueerCon, an LGBTQ+ event hosted by ALSO Youth at Sarasota School of Arts & Sciences last fall.

She also requested an investigation of “his woke agenda” and called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to remove him from the board.

Following her comments, one person in the audience called out, “Bigot. You are a homophobic bigot.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, dozens in attendance spoke favorably of Edwards and decried Bakondy’s accusations.

But one speaker supported Bakondy’s comments against the board member.

“It’s interesting that up until 45 minutes ago, no one had stated that what Melissa Bakondy said at the last board meeting was a lie or false,” Sally Nista said. “Tom Edwards is who he is. The fact that Melissa points (it) out is what seems to be so upsetting.” (Watch a full video of her comments here.)

The audience at the meeting erupted in outrage, booing Nista, as she continued her comments about “what Tom stands for” and “what Tom wants to do to children in our district.”

Board chair Bridget Ziegler tried to quiet the crowd.

“Everyone, calm down. There have been multiple comments about lots of different people,” she said.

Edwards got up and walked out of the meeting as she spoke.

“I’m sorry. I’m not gonna sit here,” he said as he left the room.

The remainder of his comment was muffled in the video of the meeting.

Patch has reached out to Edwards for a comment about the meeting. This story will be updated when he responds.

After he walked out, Ziegler called a recess. When the meeting later reconvened, she told the crowd to “refrain from communicating with each other.”

Nista was also permitted to continue her comments about Edwards.

“Why (are Bakondy’s comments) upsetting? Because what Tom stands for and what he wants to do to our children isn’t what a majority of Sarasota parents, voters and the community supports,” she said.

Referencing Bakondy's comments, Ziegler apologized to Edwards at the March 7 meeting.

“That was wildly uncomfortable and inappropriate, and I apologize to Mr. Edwards,” she said. “Just as much as I do not believe anyone’s sexual orientation should be discussed in a classroom or office, I do not believe it’s relevant or should be discussed at this dais or in these chambers.”

At that meeting, Edwards called on Ziegler, as chair, to shut down such “personal attacks" in the future.

“The chair should shut it down, but not for me. I can take it. I’m used to it. I’ve been doing it for two years at almost every school board meeting, probably worse than what they did today,” he said. “It’s not for me that the chair should learn to shut it down. It’s our fellow colleagues. It’s our educators. It’s our superintendent. It’s unacceptable and here’s where it starts.”

While she didn’t apologize to Edwards again at Tuesday’s meeting, Ziegler said later in the evening, “I hope we don’t have to block everything because of an unfortunate circumstance.”

She also called on the board to “align and focus on the good or what we need to improve on academically, which is what our mission is.”

Ziegler added, “That may be the only way to unify us, but I think it’s worth trying.”

School board member Robyn Marinelli said, “I find it interesting that it’s OK for some people to make comments and others not.”

Of the 34 people who spoke during public comment segment Tuesday night, only one mentioned student achievement, she added.

“The whole night was spent on what we’ve done or not done or how horrible we are or whatever, but one comment on student achievement and that is what our job is, student achievement,” Marinelli said. “Under student achievement we do have a responsibility of modeling civility and teaching kids civility, so I would like to see that from everybody at our next meeting.”

Watch Tuesday's full Sarasota County School Board meeting: