During a regular meeting on Wednesday, the Florida State Board of Education agreed with Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas in finding probable cause that the Alachua County School Board violated a parent’s First Amendment rights, as well as Florida law, at a heated school board meeting on July 31.
The board unanimously approved a recommendation by Kamoutsas that will require School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) members to undergo training on free-speech policies and follow these guidelines for the remainder of the 2025-26 school year, according to the order issued by the state board.
The school board has 48 hours from receiving the order to accept the policies, undergo training and inform the state board of its compliance. Failure to do any of the above could result in pay cuts.
Jeremy Clepper was among more than 30 public commentators who had signed up to speak at the July 31 meeting in reference to a comment board Chair Sarah Rockwell made on her personal Facebook account about the July 24 death of pro wrestler Hulk Hogan.
“Oh did Hulk die? I didn’t even know. Good. One less MAGA in the world,” Rockwell’s comment said.
While most of the community members at the July 31 meeting spoke in support of Rockwell, a few, including Clepper, offered differing remarks.
Clepper told Rockwell she should resign if she has “a shred of integrity.” He concluded his remarks by calling her a “disgusting, vile human being.”
Vice Chair Tina Certain, who was moderating the meeting at the time, called for Clepper to be removed from the meeting after his comments caused an uproar from the audience. However, Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) Attorney David Delaney recommended that Clepper not be removed from the meeting room.
Clepper ultimately left of his own accord with Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies around him.
During the public comment portion of Wednesday’s standing-room-only meeting in St. Augustine, Clepper briefly addressed the July 31 meeting.
“I stood up, as any father would, to speak out,” he said. “And in a school board meeting is where people are supposed to go and share their grievances, unless you don’t agree with them. All I simply said to the audience was that if you want to get up and speak, go sign up and speak. And that’s when they were saying I was threatening Rockwell.”
Just days after the contentious July 31 meeting, Kamoutsas sent a letter to Rockwell, claiming she violated Clepper’s constitutional rights.
“After a parent expressed his protected opinion under the First Amendment, you sat idly by while the police were directed to escort this parent out of the school board meeting for expressing a conservative viewpoint,” Kamoutsas wrote in the Aug. 1 letter. “Not only did you allow a parent’s constitutional rights to be violated under your leadership, but the rest of the board stood by silently, failing to stop it.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, Kamoutsas said the board violating First Amendment and parental rights has become a “persistent problem.”
Kamoutsas showed three short video clips of past school board meetings – including one from the July 31 meeting – in which he claimed First Amendment rights were violated. The third clip showed a board member asking for a commentator to be removed after he called for the resignation of former Superintendent Carlee Simon.
“When the government creates a designated public forum, such as a school board meeting, to facilitate the speech of citizens, it is unconstitutional for it to unreasonably restrict that speech,” Kamoutsas said, adding federal courts have confirmed this in Moms for Liberty versus Brevard County Schools.
Rockwell attended Wednesday’s meeting via Zoom due to recovery from surgery. She updated the state board on what corrective actions the school district has taken to restore parents’ rights in the Alachua County School District.
“I agree with the commissioner and the Board of Education that protecting the First Amendment rights of all individuals is of the utmost importance,” she said over Zoom. “I am committed to continuing to protect the First Amendment rights of every person in my community.”
In line with that commitment, Rockwell said the board recently updated its public comment policy “based on the findings in the Moms for Liberty versus Brevard County Schools case.” She added that the board also held a workshop on Aug. 13 to “ensure continued fair and consistent application” of the policy.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
I have not understood the concern over what the superintendent said? If a public figure like Hulk Hogan came out in support of a convicted felon who cavorted with pedophiles, then he did not deserve to be admired. He should live…and die…in shame. Herald, instead, those who truly stand for children.
Do you really believe that half your country’s population, those who didn’t vote the way you voted, “should live…and die…in shame”?
I can’t imagine living with what seems to be a massive amount of anger spread out among so many hardworking professionals, tradespersons, healthcare workers, police and firefighters, truck drivers, teachers, parents, grandparents…
Sure, we all post without thinking. I hope you don’t mean what you posted, maybe just missed morning coffee. But imagine if somebody actually felt the way you posted, but towards your party of preference, and was getting ready to perform surgery, or decide whether or not to rescue you. Please think this through!
Well give us some evidence that Sara Rockwell or the other members of the School Board actually care about the children. Test scores for the poor children are not increasing.
Also just because you agree with Rockwell doesn’t make what she said any less despicable, particularly for someone in her position. We don’t need to teach children that it is OK to celebrate the death or misfortune of other people we disagree with.
The most relevant comment here. Ideology rule the ACSB mob, not what better educate children.
And cancel culture of differing thought
Some commentators previously have said the speakers rights were not harmed as he was able to speak the allotted time. However, when the chair asked deputies to remove him that is a clear violation whether he was removed or not. Stating that he be removed was the threat!
These people don’t want to hear anything outside of their liberal bubble!
Worse they want to Carl the expression and those speaking them
A schoolboard member posted something reprehensible. I do think she should step down as chair. On the other hand, the angry dad spewed venom also. He should have stopped talking 30 seconds earlier. I think he owes the public an apology, even though he probably had a lot of understandable frustrations built up.
Somebody has to calm down and focus on what is good for the education of Alachua County’s children. Voters need to consider how long the District has been declining. It started before Covid.
In other words, fellow voters, we should use the ballot box to clean house!
You forgot to mention that he was responding to members of the mostly Democrat audience who were berating him and calling him a white supremacist. Tina Certain should have gaveled for order and shut everyone down.
Correct. The primary error was not shutting down the public microphone when others began to speak before being recognized by the chair. Whether this was a staff error or that of Certain is not clear.
Yes cancel culture thrives on Gainesvillr
Well said. In normal times I would agree with Rockwell giving up the chair as penance. However after the lies and ridiculous narrative put forth by the Republicans and the State Board of Education, and the threats to her personal safety and career she is right to not back down from the bullies. Maybe President Fuchs could take some notes and stop the degradation of UF.
Tina Certain showed why she should resign along with Sara Rockwell. She blamed the disruption of the meeting on the speaker without mentioning that the mostly Democrat audience berated him. In fact one called him a white supremacist and Tina did nothing to silence the audience. I believe the audience, in fact,was made up of supporters that Rockwell called and asked to attend the meeting to defend her. Regardless of what they say, this is definitely a stifling of free speech. Many people would be afraid to go to meetings like this if they were there to criticize the School Board.
Rallying your bosses to cancel rejected speech is the model of operation by all of Gvilles political body. Thought suppression enforced by a thought police mob
This whole thing was a setup designed to make the elected school board look bad. My guess: It was probably planned in Newberry.
I don’t think one needs a “setup” for this school board to look bad. It looks bad day in and day out
A more severe punishment (according to AG Pam Bondi) would be for Clepper to throw Subway foot-longs at the members of the School Board until his arm got tired.
That meeting situation is nothing. Y’all should be around when IEP meetings are held. School Board people suck! They act like the money and the buildings kids are supposedly educated in belong only to them! Only their opinions matter. After suing DCPS (Duval County Public Schools) 2001, it’s chilling to see so little has changed. Wonder what else these idiots are doing?
Thank you for the cold hard truth