Proud Boys brag about helping reThugs take over local school board

Proud Boy: We helped ticket

Board members distance themselves from group

Zac Anderson

Sarasota Herald-Tribune USA TODAY NETWORK

Newly elected Sarasota County School Board members have tried to distance themselves from the far right Proud Boys extremist group, saying members weren’t involved in their cam- paigns.

That’s not what one of the Sarasota County Proud Boys says in a new social media post, though.

A message posted on the Sarasota Watchdogs website that is attributed to Proud Boy James Hoel says the Proud Boys played a big role in the election.

Hoel wrote a rebuttal to Sarasota County School Board member Bridget Ziegler’s comments in the Herald-Tribune last week, when she distanced herself from the Proud Boys after she was photographed with two of them at her election night party Aug. 23. Incoming School Board Member Robyn Marinelli also was in the photo. Ziegler told the Herald-Tribune in response to questions about the photo that the Proud Boys are “a menace.”

“They aren’t involved with the work and they played no part in the win, but they attend public events and try to photobomb every photo just to secure attention and headlines,” Ziegler continued. “These guys who show up – are total yahoos, irrelevant – and need to be called out. Why you guys continue to

See PROUD BOY, Page 3C

They “try to photobomb every photo just to secure attention and headlines.”

Bridget Ziegler, School board member

Continued from Page 1C

give them any relevance is beyond me.”

Hoel disputed Ziegler’s assertion that Proud Boys played no part in her win.

“I hate to tell you this Ms. Ziegler, but the ZEM movement did include many local Proud Boys, along with dozens of other concerned parents and grandparents,” Hoel wrote, referencing the shorthand for the Ziegler, Tim Enos and Marinelli (ZEM) slate of School Board candidates. “We were greatly involved in getting you not simply elected, but through the finish line with an utter blowout victory! Despite what you believe, this is the reality of the situation.”...

Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022:https://sarasotaheraldtribune-fl.newsmemory.com?selDate=20220904&goTo=C01&artid=0