TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Comments made on social media about Charlie Kirk have the leader of Florida's Republican Party calling for Leon County School Board member Daryl Jones to step down.
- Florida GOP Chairman is calling for Jones to apologize and resign.
- Jones has made no indication that he will resign. Governor Ron DeSantis does have constitutional authority to suspend a school board member from their position.
- Watch the video to find out why the GOP Chairman thinks Jones should step down.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Florida GOP looking for action to be taken after one Leon County school board member posted comments online about Charlie Kirk.
Leon County School Board member Daryl Jones is facing scrutiny by Florida GOP chairman Evan Power, that's over online comments in a Facebook group about conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
"He obviously cannot be in charge of educating children because he knows full well that Charlie Kirk was not a member of the Ku Klux Klan, which he claimed," said GOP Chairman, Evan Power. "If you're going to use that kind of rhetoric, you have no place in public office."
Power is calling on Jones to resign and apologize.
In a statement to ABC 27, Jones writes:
“My recent comments, first shared in a Facebook forum, have since drawn attention away from what matters most: our schools, our teachers, and our students. My lifelong focus remains ensuring that Title I schools in Leon County, and the families they serve, receive the strongest advocacy possible.
I abhor violence in all its forms and have always done so. Violence is never the answer. It is not words that kill—it is guns—and we must summon the will to address the laws that allow such tragedies to persist."
Power said Jones doesn't deserve to be in a place of public trust.
"If you're going to use this kind of hateful rhetoric, it's the rhetoric that led to the assassination of Charlie Kirk," said Power. "They obviously cannot be responsible for educating kids and not indoctrinating them."
While Jones is an elected school official, this all comes after Florida educators were sent a letter by Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas about professional conduct and ethical responsibilities.
The letter reads in part, "an educator's personal views that are made public may undermine the trust of the students and families that they serve." The letter adds that Florida law says the commissioner can discipline an educator who, "upon investigation, has been found guilty of personal conduct that seriously reduces that person's effectiveness as an employee of the district school board."
Jones has made no indication that he will resign.
Governor Ron DeSantis has the constitutional authority to suspend Jones from his position as a school board member.
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