Part One: How Did We Get Here?

A Chilling Bridget Ziegler Recap

Let’s cut to the chase. Board Member Bridget Ziegler was a no-show at the May 21 Sarasota School Board Meeting. She phoned in to a board workshop earlier in the day, with Chair Karen Rose explaining that Ziegler was attending her child’s field trip.

The timing of this absence coincided with more salacious information coming out within the last two weeks revealing a darker, more predatory side to the Ziegler’s lifestyle.

Embroiled in an alleged criminal controversy since November 2023, a Sarasota Police Department (SPD) investigation was launched regarding Ziegler’s husband Christian, after he was accused of rape. Additional charges were being considered for video voyeurism, upon the victim stating that she wasn’t aware that the incident was being taped. The woman said Christian had been ‘brutalizing” her for years, but she was afraid that due to his clout, she wouldn’t be believed. With probable cause, the cases landed on the attorney general’s desk of the 12th circuit.

In a video discovered on Christian’s phone (that he attempted to delete), investigators found one of a threesome with the alleged victim and Bridget.

This has been widely reported nationally and internationally, not due to the possible criminality, but the hypocrisy of Bridget, who had led and efficiently promoted anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and hateful conspiracy theories. She was one of the founders of Moms for Liberty, which has been deemed an anti-government extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Ziegler, who can now be described herself as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, et al. had helped to enact backward laws that harmed Florida’s LGBTQ+ students, teachers and families.

In Sarasota, she’s also known for allowing hate speech during school board meetings from bigoted members of the far-right ilk. Slandering words, such as “indoctrination” and “grooming” were hurled at board member Tom Edwards, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, while she served as chair.

Ziegler’s holier-than-thou facade crackled to the surface as more details came out about her husband. Yet Ziegler (no longer board chair) sat stoically and somewhat quietly, at the dais during the meetings, dismissing her own subject matter as a “hot button topic”. At one point, she said firmly that she would never apologize, because she had nothing to apologize for. This viewpoint is shared with Christian, who believed that apologizing makes one appear weak. (This was heard before he was booted from his position as Chair of the Republican Party of Florida amid the allegations.)

When no actual steps were taken from the board calling for her to step down, Ziegler became emboldened. Only the Governor can fire an elected official or she can resign. Ziegler resumed her role as the distractor: A narcissistic, hypocritical, bigoted hater, exerting influence over the board and creating turmoil and chaos in the community.

Photo: Mike Lang, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

The prime example was a set-up that advocates saw coming miles away, during a workshop session. Ziegler stammered and stuttered her way through a topic Gov. DeSantis had become well-known for: Immigrants. She asked the Superintendent, Terry Connor, if he could look into tracking immigrant students.

Public School Advocate Jessica Thomason put the kibosh on that, speaking out at a meeting that taking such action was illegal “. . because of The Supreme Court ruling Plyler v Doe from 1982.”

Christian’s wife still expressed joy at the “fodder” her initial comment inspired. She stated that “people are in a flurry” and admitted that she was glad this was being discussed. This gave Ziegler an opportunity to talk about immigration. “On the Global level, it is impacting our communities, our country and our schools.” Ziegler then incorporated President Joe Biden not closing the borders.

In response to public outcry on Ziegler’s political maneuver, Edwards presented the following motion at the next board workshop entitled:

A RESOLUTION OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, FLORIDA ACKNOWLEDGING AND CONFIRMING THE SCHOOL BOARD’S OBLIGATION AND COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING EDUCATION TO ALL K-12 STUDENTS REGISTERED IN SCHOOLS OPERATED BY THE SARASOTA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSISTENT WITH THE OBLIGATIONS IMPOSED BY STATE AND FEDERAL LAW.

To the dismay of the public, Robyn Marinelli called the resolution a ‘political ploy’. “There needs to be an apology to the citizens of this county if you have to bring this kind of thing. . .” she said, before dramatically ripping the paper in half. She also stated that Edwards should “maybe resign”.

At the next board meeting, many of the speakers called out former school counselor Marinelli’s errant behavior. Educator Mary Holmes described Marinelli’s action those of “a child throwing a tantrum and would be placed in a time-out.” An April 22 editorial in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, mentioned Ziegler as stating: "If I get blamed for bringing in politics, then game on.”

With the public demanding Academics Over Politics, Ziegler brought in a resolution at the May 7 board meeting that she wrote, despite having only a high school diploma and no legal experience. This one involved the changes in Federal Law on Title IX that takes place on August 1. The new rule adds / includes the protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy.

Twenty-six GOP-led states, including Florida, are suing the Biden administration over changes to Title IX aiming to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination in schools.

With Ziegler, following the course of the Governor, her motion included:

With over 60 speakers appearing at the May 7 meeting and over 1,000 emails received, the board members voted 4 - 1 to approve this poorly written resolution that Dr. Sonia Howman described as having “no scientific merit and contained verifiable untruths”.

The Board’s attorney advised against approving the resolution stating: “Regulations need to withstand scrutiny.” The resolution needed to be tweaked and the six topics could stand to be debated, he concluded. He suggested waiting until the results of the lawsuit were decided, which would occur before August 1.

August Rey, who is taking an AP Government Class spoke of the Supremacy Law - where Federal laws supersede those of state laws. “We will now be vulnerable to lawsuits we will lose.” Stating that he graduates this year, he’d be ashamed to have the stigma of this resolution on his diploma.

Speaking in circles and gibberish, an inarticulate Ziegler attempted to explain that the resolution was written on behalf of “safety for girls”. Yet in Sarasota County, there has never been a reported attack by a transgender student.

Then the bomb dropped.

“Numerous sexual videos were found on Ziegler’s phone involving the couple and other women.”

In an article titled Sex, Barflies and Videotape, it turns out that a girl’s safety could be more in jeopardy by the Ziegler’s own exposed predatory actions. Published by the Florida Center for Government Accountability, the information comes from the public records of the police department that were obtained during the investigation of Christian Ziegler.

SPD Detective Angela Cox recounted the following:

Christian Ziegler went “on the prowl” in bars for women to bring home to Bridget for participation in threesomes. While at the bars, Christian would photograph unknowing prospective women and text the photos to Bridget for approval.

Numerous sexual videos were found on Ziegler’s phone involving the couple and other women. It wasn’t clear if the women in the videos knew they were being recorded or not. 

“There were numerous text messages between Bridget and Christian where they are on the prowl for a female and Bridget is directing him to numerous different bars in search of a female that they are both interested in. During these conversations Christian is secretly taking photographs of women in the bars and sending them to Bridget asking her if she wants this one or that one. Bridget is telling him to pretend to take pictures of his beer, so they don’t see him taking pictures of them. She tells him ‘Don’t come home until your dick is wet.’” 

---

At the May 21 Workshop, Karen Rose attempted to gaslight the public once again with statements that commentary by the public was political. However, without her no-show partner-in-crime at her side, it was said with the less-than-customary bravado. Edwards had previously defended the public by stating that they are simply responding to the distractions that the board members create.

The responses at the 3:00 meeting following the workshop were directed at the board members who went against legal advice and hurriedly signed a flawed resolution - one that was written by a damaged predator, whose own kids don’t attend the public schools.

While the Ziegler’s reputation is beyond repair, they are currently in a lawsuit asking that damaging phone records not to be released that were obtained during Ziegler’s criminal investigation. Michael Barfield, of the Florida Center for Government accountability tweeted that a decision could come down next week.

In the past, supporters of Bridget spoke of her making “one mistake” upon learning of the threesome with the alleged victim. Upon news of there being many incidences, there was not one supporter at the May 21 board meeting.

Advocate Robin Williams fit the following words into her allotted three minutes:

“Ms. Ziegler's conduct has been a continuous distraction from the business of the Board — the education of our students, and the Board's stated commitment of "Every student every day." At the May 7, 2024 School Board meeting she proposed a resolution defying constitutional officer responsibilities by refusing to uphold changes to Title IX. She claims she was protecting "our girls" while openly discriminating against certain students. This makes our students unsafe. Ms. Ziegler has damaged countless students' lives and is an embarrassment to the Sarasota County School District. She needs to resign or be removed.”

As Ziegler commands her husband “not to come home until . .”, we hope Bridget Ziegler won’t come back at all.

---

Part TWO features public thoughts on the board’s duties, as well as board member Tim Enos’ defense of signing the Title IX resolution. Chair Karen Rose allegedly threatens First Amendment protections attached to board meetings.