Florida GOPโฃ Callsโข for Leon County School Board Member’s โResignation After Remarks Suggesting Violence
Tallahassee, FL – โคThe Leon county Republican Partyโ is demanding theโข resignation ofโ School Board member Darryl Jones following a social media post interpreted as suggesting violence โฃagainst political opponents.โฃ the controversy stems โคfrom a recent โpost by Jones referencing comments made by conservative speaker Charlie Kirk,and has sparked condemnation from both sidesโค of the political aisle.
Leon County Republican Party Chair Evan power calledโ for Jones’ โresignation,stating,”I think,beyond just an apology,Darryl needs to resign.” โPower further emphasized the need to avoid personal attacks based on โpolitical 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. โค”we reject political violence of any kind and lament the commonplaceโ gun violence in American lifeโ today. We all deserve better,” Ray told the Tallahasseeโ Democrat on September 23rd. He added, “we allโ share a โduty to โฃencourage โhealing, not stroke the flamesโค of division.” Ray, whoโข hasโ 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 Schoolsโ Superintendentโฃ Rocky Hanna declined to comment, stating he isn’t regularly active onโค social media โand hadn’t been following the situation.
While Jones is an โelected โofficial,the state Department of Education lacks the authority toโ discipline or remove โhim. onlyโ Florida’s Governor,with Senate approval,possesses that power. However, observers note Governorโ Ron DeSantis has successfully secured Senate support for suspensions of independently-elected Democratic โofficials in the past, including state attorneys โAndrew Warren of tampa and Monique Worrell of orlando.
Jones โฃhimself issued a statement, saying, “I abhor violenceโข in all its forms and have always done so. Violence is never the answer especially in โคour โschools. It is notโ words that kill – it is guns – and weโค must summon the will to address the laws that allowโ such tragedies to persist.”
The incident underscores growing concerns about โthe tone of political discourse and the potential for rhetoric to incite violence.โ The callโ for Jones’ resignation marks a notable escalation in the fallout from the controversial social media post.