Alachua County Democrats defend Rockwell ahead of Florida education board meeting: ‘Weaponization of state government’
WCJB | By Ryan Wyatt Turbeville | Aug. 19, 2025
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Alachua County Democrats are pushing back against Republican leaders in defense of school board chair Sarah Rockwell before she’s set to appear at the Florida Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.
In a statement from the Democratic Party, officials criticize Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas for “weaponizing” the state government and the Alachua County Republican Party, which has called for Rockwell’s resignation.
The statement is the latest in a series of events that began on July 24, when Rockwell posted on Facebook in response to Hulk Hogan’s death, “Good, one less MAGA in the world.”
Rockwell has since apologized for the post, including at a school board meeting on July 31. During the meeting, public commenter Jeremy Clepper was told to leave the meeting after calling the school board chair “vile” and “disgusting.”
Deputies escorted Clepper to the school board attorney, who said he was allowed to stay. Clepper then chose to leave the meeting voluntarily.
Afterward, Kamoutsas accused the school board of violating Clepper’s First Amendment rights. Rockwell was ordered to attend the state Board of Education meeting on Wednesday to “explain what corrective actions have been taken to restore parents’ rights in Alachua County Public Schools.”
Democratic Party officials claim to have found many concerning social media posts made by Clepper that promote “antisemitic, racist, and homophobic” views.
They note Rockwell’s Jewish heritage and the Republicans’ “double standard” when criticizing her Hogan comment and not criticizing Clepper’s posts.
“The same officials who claim to defend the First Amendment are, in practice, using their positions to shield antisemitic rhetoric and suppress the voices of those who speak against them,” said Ebonie Bryant, Chair of the Alachua County Democratic Party. “This is not just hypocrisy – it is a direct threat to democratic principles and to the safety of Jewish residents in our community.”
Democrats are calling on residents to contact state education board members ahead of the meeting. Kamoutsas suggested they could withhold funding from the Alachua County School District in an amount equal to the school board members’ salaries.
