Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A Florida school board called for the resignation of Bridget Ziegler amid a criminal sexual assault investigation against her husband that also brought to light details about their sex lives.
The Sarasota County School Board voted 4-1 in favor of a non-binding resolution to call for Ziegler to resign after she and her husband, state Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler admitted to having a sexual relationship spanning several years with another woman as he faces an investigation on for alleged rape and sexual assault against her.
During the hearing before the vote, Bridget Ziegler called the resolution "toothless."
"You know, I am disappointed. As people may know, I serve on another public board and this issue did not come up and we were able to forge ahead with the business of the board," she said, referring to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, to which Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her.
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Patrick Duggan, the board's legal counsel, also said the resolution was "ceremonial in nature" when asked by Ziegler, as the board cannot force her to resign and only DeSantis can remove her.
Board member Tim Enos said, though, that his vote was meant to get beyond the distraction caused by the Ziegler scandal and concentrate on their work as school board members.
"Whether it's Democrat, Republican, whatever it is, it should be only about the kids," Enos said. "My decision tonight was only about the kids."
Details of the sexual relationship were revealed in an affidavit released earlier this month that alleged, Christian Ziegler arrived to meet the alleged female victim without his wife, who was unable to join the previously arranged rendezvous.
The woman told Christian Ziegler that she was not interested in meeting him without his wife, but Ziegler went to sexually assault her.
Police said the couple had known the woman for years and had a previous sexual encounter with her. Christian Ziegler said the sex with the woman was consensual. Police first received information about the complaint on Oct. 4.
Bridget Ziegler is the co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a conservative organization that pushes for conservative policies in schools while calling for the ban of books with LGBTQ and racial themes.
