Florida GOP Calls for Leon County School Board Member’s Resignation After Remarks Suggesting Violence
Tallahassee, FL – The Leon county Republican Party is demanding the resignation of School Board member Darryl Jones following a social media post interpreted as suggesting violence against political opponents. the controversy stems from a recent post by Jones referencing comments made by conservative speaker Charlie Kirk,and has sparked condemnation from both sides of the political aisle.
Leon County Republican Party Chair Evan power called for Jones’ resignation,stating,”I think,beyond just an apology,Darryl needs to resign.” Power further emphasized the need to avoid personal attacks based on political disagreement, adding, “critics shouldn’t smear their opponents as (they) don’t agree with their political beliefs.”
The initial post, which has drawn criticism, prompted a response from Leon County Democratic Chair Ryan Ray, who stressed the importance of rejecting political violence. ”we reject political violence of any kind and lament the commonplace gun violence in American life today. We all deserve better,” Ray told the Tallahassee Democrat on September 23rd. He added, “we all share a duty to encourage healing, not stroke the flames of division.” Ray, who has personally experienced online attacks, affirmed his commitment to nonviolence and urged productive civic discourse.
Jones and Power confirmed they have not directly communicated with each other regarding the matter. Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna declined to comment, stating he isn’t regularly active on social media and hadn’t been following the situation.
While Jones is an elected official,the state Department of Education lacks the authority to discipline or remove him. only Florida’s Governor,with Senate approval,possesses that power. However, observers note Governor Ron DeSantis has successfully secured Senate support for suspensions of independently-elected Democratic officials in the past, including state attorneys Andrew Warren of tampa and Monique Worrell of orlando.
Jones himself issued a statement, saying, “I abhor violence in all its forms and have always done so. Violence is never the answer especially in our schools. 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.”
The incident underscores growing concerns about the tone of political discourse and the potential for rhetoric to incite violence. The call for Jones’ resignation marks a notable escalation in the fallout from the controversial social media post.
