Public speakers urge Sarasota School Board to not restrict public comment

More than 60 people spoke for over three hours at Tuesday's Sarasota School Board meeting as the board convened to vote on 21 revised district policies.

As has become a theme at meetings since December, speakers continued to urge board member Bridget Ziegler to resign amid a sexual assault scandal involving her husband'and another woman. Ziegler was not accused of any wrongdoing, but her involvement in a sexual relationship with a woman has caused a vocal group of the public to call Ziegler a "hypocrite" amid her support for legislation such as the Parental Rights in Education Act, or "Don't Say Gay" bill.

Speakers also vocally opposed the reduction of public comment time, a proposition raised at a previous board workshop amid several consecutive hours-long meetings running to 10 pm.

"Thank you for letting me speak — at least for now," said Louis Grossman at Tuesday's Sarasota School Board meeting.

Speakers are given three minutes to speak, and the majority of meetings since the December Ziegler report has seen upward of 50 speakers each — who all speak before the board conducts a single vote.

At March 19's board workshop, the board discussed the potential changes to the public comment time and appeared to move forward with an option that would limit public comment time to 90 minutes total and divide the time among the speakers with no one speaking more than three minutes.

"I'm at the point as chair where I asked for this based on tremendous community input on me to do something different," Rose said at the workshop. "I'm perfectly fine with my colleagues not agreeing with me and will respect that. I am under the onus that I'm expected to present something different. We're looking at that right now."

Board attorney Pat Duggan said with the need to publicly notice the policy change and further workshop it, any changes could not be implemented for at least two months.

Several board members expressed hesitation in restricting public comment time. However, Ziegler and Robyn Marinelli both said they would support the proposed option. Tom Edwards said he would not support reducing public comment time to 90 minutes.

Rose said the board rooms feel "off task" and that she bears some responsibility as chair, which is why she brought forward the suggestion to change the structure.

The potential move to restrict public comment represents an about-face from the board's previous stance on public comment. Following the 2022 school board election that brought about the current 4-1 conservative-leaning majority, the board expanded public comment time to three minutes compared to the previous two minutes each, separated between agenda-based comments before the vote and general comments after new business.

Conni Brunni, the chair of the Sarasota chapter of Moms for Liberty, said she finds it "hilarious" that people are calling on the board to reduce public comment time, pointing out an irony compared to the same group asking for masks in schools.

"It is funny for me — absolutely hilarious, frankly — for me to sit and listen to the very people who two years ago begged this board to muzzle and then mask our children," Brunni said.

Labeled an "anti-government extremist group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Moms for Liberty is a national conservative grassroots organization with roots in Florida and Sarasota County focused on education policy. Ziegler was one of the organization's co-founders.

Approval of updated policies

In its consent agenda, the board approved 21 updated district policies Tuesday evening. Some of the changes included adding guidance for artificial intelligence in schools and adding AIDS instruction to a policy that allows parents to opt out of sexual health instruction under Florida Statute.

In the revised policy on artificial intelligence usage in schools, the district states that "students shall not use artificial intelligence platforms to avoid doing their own work," and that AI, "should only be used as a supplement when authorized by a teacher."

School boards periodically update policies to comply with changes in law from the Florida Legislature. Board members discussed policy updates at past workshops, and policy updates were approved for advertisement at a March 5 board meeting.

The board also approved the advertisement of three new district policies: advertising and commercial activities, online educational agreements, and staff and student communication.

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: Sarasota School Board speakers urge no changes to public comment