Sarasota School Board to request resignation of Bridget Ziegler

A resolution to request the resignation of Sarasota County School Board member Bridget Ziegler is featured on an agenda for the school board meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday. 

Widely anticipated to be among the most attended school board meetings in the district, the meeting follows an accusation of sexual assault against Ziegler's husband, Christian Ziegler, who is chair of the Florida Republican Party.

According to a police affidavit, Ziegler admitted that she and her husband had had a three-way sexual encounter with woman who put forward the allegations, and that it took place over a year ago.

The information has led to accusations of hypocrisy against Ziegler, who co-founded the group Moms for Liberty, a conservative advocacy group which opposes certain school curricula, including those with LGBTQ+ content.

According to a police affidavit, the Oct. 2 assault was alleged to have taken place after Bridget Ziegler was unable to attend a planned tryst with her husband and the unnamed woman.

The woman alleges that after she resultantly requested to drop out of the encounter, Christian Ziegler, who was shown to be present at the scene through security camera footage, entered her apartment and raped her. 

School board member Tom Edwards and Board Chair Karen Rose have both called on Ziegler to resign. Ziegler and board members Robyn Marinelli and Tim Enos have not commented.