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Sarasota School Board Member Dismisses Resignation Demands Linked to LGBTQ+ Advocacy Position

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Edwards has stated that he does not intend to resign, despite the Republican Party of Sarasota County urging his departure.

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — Sarasota County School Board member Tom Edwards asserts he has no plans to step down, despite calls for his resignation from the Republican Party of Sarasota County (RPOSC) after he was appointed Executive Director of Project Pride SRQ, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

In fact, when asked by 10 Tampa Bay News if he was considering resigning, Edwards responded, “Hell no.”

This week, the RPOSC released a statement alleging that Edwards has a “clear conflict of interest” between his elected position and his new role. The statement included:

“Tom Edwards can do whatever he wishes in his private life. However, this position uses his influence as a School Board member to advocate for programs within public, taxpayer-funded schools. He cannot simultaneously hold this position and prioritize the interests of all students.

“We urge Tom Edwards to resign from the School Board if he intends to be the Executive Director of this organization. Holding both roles is incompatible with ethical standards and detrimental to public school students.”

Edwards, however, contends that the calls for his resignation stem from discrimination.

“The only reason I see them wanting my resignation is because I’m gay and leading an organization that advocates for LGBTQ individuals and their allies,” he stated, describing the criticism as both unjust and bullying.

“They lack understanding of the direction Project Pride is headed. They don’t know the specifics of my appointment,” Edwards added.

Conversely, RPOSC spokesperson Rod Thomson emphasizes that the issue at hand is about ethics, not sexual orientation.

“This represents a clear conflict of interest. He has been elected by the people of Sarasota County to represent all students, which he claims he will do, yet he has been employed by an organization to advocate for a specific subset of students — and he is being compensated for that. That constitutes a conflict of interest,” Thomson asserted.

“He has also claimed this is simply Republicans hating gay people. While he is a gay man, it’s not about that. He has served on the school board for years, and we never called for his resignation before,” Thomson elaborated.

Edwards affirms his commitment to remain in his position and resist what he describes as political intimidation.

“We will not accept this,” he stated.

For the time being, Edwards will continue to serve on the Sarasota County School Board — and he intends to maintain that role.

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