A Trifecta of Problems

Elle Richardson and Logan Yarnell

December 14, 2023

Florida politicians are allegedly caught up in a scandal.

Last week, a sexual assault allegation was made against two very prominent Floridians.

Christian Ziegler, a Florida Republican chairman, and his wife, Sarasota school board member and Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, are under heavy fire. Reports of rape and a closed triad love affair have been made with a woman despite preaching against LGBTQ+ viewpoints in their book-banning support.

Moms for Liberty is a group that works to limit the amount of LGBTQ+ and minority representation in books allowed in public education. It was founded by three Florida women in January 2021 and is marked by their overall suspicion of the public education system. Their goals range from removing the critical race theory from schools to why alternative discipline methods are to blame for school shootings.

The highly conservative members have trademarked themselves as opponents of an inclusive educational system, yet the recent case has flipped the organization on its head. This is because the alleged actions of the Zieglers go directly against the founding ideals of Moms for Liberty, such as anti-LGBTQ+ and discriminatory views, and are a disgrace to Florida’s GOP.

To be members of organizations so against LGBTQ+ representation and then allegedly engage in said relations nonconsensually or consensually shows complete and total disregard for the ideals they represent and the people they are supposed to lead. Moms for Liberty is supposed to be a role model organization for children in schools. Moreover, the hypocrisy of the co-founder by allegedly committing a sexual act such as this her own organization advocated against students being educated about cripples the message of the organization and belittles the causes they advocate for.

Schools are diverse places with LGBTQ+ and minorities, meaning that they should be represented in books and other sources of media found in schools. To be banned for a more ‘traditional’ mindset in schools by the very people possibly involved in a threesome and a subsequent alleged rape by the husband seems more than a bit hypocritical. If these allegations are proven true, it would be a complete embarrassment for the organization and the Zieglers.

Donate to The Wave

$495

$1200

Contributed

Our Goal

Your donation will help support not only the student Journalism and Yearbook clubs at Marco Island Academy, but as well as any new equipment, club improvements, and annual website hosting costs.

About the Contributors

Elle Richardson, Executive Editor

Elle Richardson is a senior at Marco Island Academy and the Executive Editor for The Wave. She enjoys learning about space, sailing, and 70s music. Math and science are her favorite subjects, and she hopes to use them to pursue a career in aerospace engineering, hopefully at the University of Florida. When she's not at school or work, Elle enjoys sorting vinyl records and dragging her friends to sailing with her.

Logan Yarnell, News Editor

Logan Yarnell is a senior at Marco Island Academy and the News Editor for The Wave. He grew up in St. Louis, where he found his love for writing, video-making, and science (especially biology). He spends most of his time outside of school reading, playing video games, and listening to music.