School board member compares DeSantis policies to ‘Germany’: He ‘hit-listed’ ‘woke’ school board members

A Sarasota, Florida, school board member claimed that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “hit-listed” who he saw as “woke” school members and compared his policies to “Germany.”

Sarasota County board Tom Edwards told Mother Jones that the governor “hit-listed those he sees as the few remaining ‘woke’ school board members” who do not “agree with his attempts to turn back the clock on public school education.” 

“Ironically, I appreciate the opportunity given to me by the governor…to be an upstander,” he continued. “I will never step away from what I believe is the right thing to do for Sarasota County’s students, teachers, parents, and citizens.”

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Edwards, a self-proclaimed “moderate” and a retired businessman who was elected for a four-year school board seat, was speaking with Mother Jones about the state of public education in Florida. Edwards is also a “registered Democrat” and ran on a platform to safely reopen schools and opposed school-choice measures. 

“He’s attacking me as a school board member because I disagree with his policies. I will tell you that the gauntlet was thrown down by being called the most woke school board member in America,” Edwards said. 

“If woke means developing programs that enhance the educational outcomes of our students and benefit my community, if woke means fostering critical thinking, if woke means creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, then I wear it as a badge of honor.”

Edwards’ comments came after DeSantis rolled out a list of more than a dozen school board members he plans to target in 2024 to protect Florida students and parents from “woke” ideologies seeping into classrooms across the Sunshine State, Fox News Digital has learned.

DeSantis met with Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, Moms for Liberty co-founders Tina Descovich and Tiffany Justice and key leaders in Florida’s school board reform movement in a Tuesday morning meeting.

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During that strategy session, DeSantis unveiled his initial 2024 school board target list, which features 14 school board members across the state who “do not protect parental rights and have failed to protect students from woke ideologies.”

The school board members DeSantis plans to target are from Brevard County, Duval County, Hillsborough County, Indian River County, Miami-Dade County, Pinellas County, Volusia County and Sarasota County.

Fox News Digital has learned that, ahead of 2024, DeSantis will work with key leaders in the state’s school board reform movement to identify the first round of opportunities to recruit new candidates to serve on boards across Florida.

Elected officials typically did not get involved in school board elections until the recent movement of parents protesting against COVID restrictions like school lock-downs and progressive curriculum. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives a victory speech after defeating Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Charlie Crist during his election night watch party at the Tampa Convention Center on November 8, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. ((Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images))

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Edwards called DeSantis a bully for revoking Disney’s self-governing power and putting the media giant under the control of a state board. Disney’s punishment came after the theme park went against the state’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which bars teachers from instructing students in kindergarten through third grade on sexual orientation and gender identity. 

“Frankly, it’s nothing more than bullying. It’s bullying he did to Disney. It’s bullying he’s doing to New College. It’s bullying he did to students wearing masks in his presence. It’s bullying he did to our LGBTQ+ students. And now he’s doing it to me. None of those people did anything wrong but disagree with him,” Edwards said.

Furthermore, when commenting on the state of Florida’s public education, Edwards compared DeSantis’ policies to “Germany.”

“Just like what happened in Germany, the intimidation and the bullying is happening here in Sarasota and around the state of Florida. My community comes up to me all the time privately and tells me how proud they are that I’m on the board and that I am the voice of reason, and that the other four board members are extreme.” 

Edwards declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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DeSantis’ policies underscore the phenomenon of parents across the country paying closer attention to school boards by challenging progressive curricula and contesting books they deemed inappropriate. 

For example, Fox News Digital previously reported on Tampa residents raising concern over a sex education curriculum at a school board meeting, claiming it violated state laws.

Video of the “special called” Hillsborough County Public Schools board meeting was organized to focus on the controversial sex education curriculum that was sought to be overthrown by petitioners.

Julie Gebhards sent Fox News Digital a photo of herself. Gebhards attended the specially called meeting, claiming the school district violated state laws due to the sex education curriculum.

The other speakers addressed topics such as sexuality, gender identity, and sexual activity. The speakers have been active in calling out the material in the district’s sex education curriculum since September 20, when the board initially voted to adopt the sex education curriculum. 

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Joshua Q. Nelson is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

Joshua focuses on politics, education policy ranging from the local to the federal level, and the parental uprising in education.

Joining Fox News Digital in 2019, he previously graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Political Science and is an alum of the National Journalism Center and the Heritage Foundation’s Young Leaders Program. 

Story tips can be sent to joshua.nelson@fox.com and Joshua can be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn.