A.G. Gancarski
A recent appointee to Florida’s Board of Education stoked controversy this week when she made comments applauding a move against a teacher wearing a ‘Protect Trans Kids’ shirt in the classroom.
Esther Byrd of Neptune Beach posted to Facebook in support of a whistleblowing parent who flagged a teacher at St. Johns County’s Tocoi Creek High School who was wearing the shirt.
“Unacceptable teacher attire + Parent Complaint to School = Shirt is Gone,” Byrd wrote, lauding a “mama bear Jen” for complaining about the garment.
“Many times, the district is not aware and needs a heads up,” Byrd added.
Florida Times-Union reporter Emily Bloch, who spotlighted Byrd’s post to Facebook, noted it happened on Thursday, the Transgender Day of Visibility.
The teacher changed into a different shirt, reported the St. Augustine Record.
The Governor’s Office communicated that the shirt was in violation of the St. Johns County School Board dress code, which bars slogans on T-shirts. However, that does not really have much to do with Byrd’s commentary on the shirt on her social media.
Byrd’s post came in the same week of her first meeting as a member of the Board of Education, and reinforces the belief she will be ready to be an active voice against “ideology” in the classroom.
“I’m just a mama and the parent of two children — one’s graduated and one in second grade,” Byrd said Wednesday in Naples. “And we’ve seen the ideology that’s in our education system and it’s not OK. And I look forward to working with this board to make sure that we find those things and we tackle them.”
Byrd is the wife of Rep. Cord Byrd of Neptune Beach.
Rep. Byrd, the incumbent in the current HD 11, is one of the House Republicans who sided with the Governor by voting against redistricting maps preserving a minority-access district in North Florida. Gov. DeSantis is said to be eyeing support of Byrd in a potential Senate run this year.
Mrs. Byrd came to the board with a history of controversial comments, supportive of elements on the right that many see as fringe.
After the Jan. 6 insurrection, Mrs. Byrd offered a defense of those “peacefully protesting” the certification of the 2020 Presidential Election while alluding to “coming civil wars.”
“ANTIFA and BLM can burn and loot buildings and violently attack police and citizens,” Byrd wrote on her Facebook page. “But when Trump supporters peacefully protest, suddenly ‘Law and Order’ is all they can talk about! I can’t even listen to these idiots bellyaching about solving our differences without violence.”
Those comments came after another incendiary post.
“In the coming civil wars (We the People vs the Radical Left and We the People cleaning up the Republican Party), team rosters are being filled,” mused Byrd. “Every elected official in DC will pick one. There are only 2 teams… With Us [or] Against Us.”
In October, Mrs. Byrd offered an unsolicited defense of the Proud Boys, a group of men who bill themselves as “western chauvinists.”
Trump infamously urged them to “stand back and stand by” when pressed to condemn the alt-right movement.
Mrs. Byrd, a staunch supporter of the former President, subsequently claimed many of them and their supporters have been thrown in “FB Jail,” a metaphorical lockdown preventing them from posting to Facebook for some period of time.
“Why do you think Facebook is throwing people in FB Jail who share information about Proud Boys? (Side note: I must really have great friends cause a whole bunch have been locked up! 
) I think it’s because they’ve seen a drastic spike in searches and they are worried that people are educating themselves rather than blindly believing what MSM narrative. Anyone have a better theory?”
Those statements came months after Byrd made comments supportive of QAnon after the couple was photographed on a boat flying a QAnon flag.
Byrd’s appointment ultimately is subject to Senate confirmation.
25 comments
PeterH
April 1, 2022 at 4:01 pm
The Ron DeSantis’brown shirts’ have been activated. LOL
Betting man
April 1, 2022 at 4:34 pm
At the moms an overweight smoker who’s courting covid
Marvin
April 1, 2022 at 5:02 pm
Teachers should be required to keep any and all personal politics out of the class room. As a business owner, I have a strict dress code. Don’t like it, then don’t work for me.
We need to stand up and cancel these far left loons, as badly as they have attempted to cancel mom, apple pie and the American way.
Fight fire with fire. The November elections will tell the story.
Mother Superior Elastico, Bishop Maradona School for Soft-Headed Boys
April 1, 2022 at 5:55 pm
My goodness, Marvin, you need to catch up with DeSantis and the rest of his team: you’re not supposed to say the “cancel” word, even when you mean it! And that thing about mom and apple pie, whoa! Sounds like you need some time with Doctor Freud, bless your heart.
PeterH
April 1, 2022 at 6:22 pm
Crazy talk!
I already know
April 1, 2022 at 7:39 pm
“As a business owner”
You are one of those “business owners” that keeps saying it was better under trump
Becuase you sell debt consolidation
Greg Klein
April 2, 2022 at 5:59 am
What is “political” about supporting children?
Parents
April 2, 2022 at 7:14 am
Supporting children?
The Republican kid either turns into a bigger liberal then me or the joker after you people get done with the parenting lol
Head
April 2, 2022 at 6:14 pm
I hope the teachers quit and all these conservatives spend all their time teaching their kids how to draw a circle using their own heads
Bruce
April 2, 2022 at 4:15 pm
Yes, elections WILL tell the story, as the last presidential election proved. We the people will NOT stand for discrimination, bias, religious stupidity, nor for fraud, lies, and attempts to steal a rightful and honest election by a pandering, pompous, pimple of a man.
The.Truth.Comes.Out.In.The.End
April 2, 2022 at 6:47 pm
I believe in America, you remember the United States of America? That was before a certain Presidential candidate/President started asking RUSSIA for help. The guy (Putin) is currently invading and butchering the citizens of Ukraine. We also need to CANCEL the far RIGHT loons. The Governor and parents need to stay out of these decisions at the State level. The Department of Education along with local school boards should be making these decisions. Parents have input at the local level. Unfortunately, our current Governor is a wannabe authoritarian. Put these things to a vote for the citizens of Florida. Stop trying to rule Florida as a dick(tator). I am sick of BOTH parties trying to run everything down to the detail at a local level. Republicans and Democrats need to get their heads out of their rear ends. Unfortunately, I do not see that happening. It will get worse and worse….
Charlie Adams
April 3, 2022 at 4:32 pm
Shove your idiot talk where the sun don’t shine, Marvin. This country doesn’t belong to Reich-wing trash.
Kai David
April 2, 2022 at 3:11 am
Desantis touts freedom of everything. However, if you say anything against Desantis, he will punish you. Sounds like he took a page from dictatorships like China that makes people disappear for disagreeing with the party line
trump lost
April 2, 2022 at 6:25 am
“we’ve seen the ideology that’s in our education system and it’s not OK. And I look forward to working with this board to make sure that we find those things and we tackle them.”
I’m sure this desire to ban ideologies in schools applies to religious displays as well, like when a HS football coach conducts a team prayer on the field or students are forced to attend in-school revivals. Her zeal for an unbiased school experience wouldn’t only be focused only on things she disagrees with, would it?
Charlotte Greenbarg
April 2, 2022 at 7:54 am
The far left roll out the usual charges. Lunacy evident
All you got left
April 2, 2022 at 8:07 am
Your telling people to take shirts off Republican
No wonder your kids grow up to be the joker lol
Charlie Adams
April 3, 2022 at 4:34 pm
The far Reich-wing needs to be run out of this country.
Seber Newsome III
April 2, 2022 at 11:57 am
No Trans shirts, No black lives matter shirts. Keep the far left propaganda out of classrooms. I support both Cord and Esther Byrd, and of course the Great Governor of Free Florida, Ron DeSantis. Oh Sweet Florida, great song, by the way
Like you already are
April 2, 2022 at 12:48 pm
“No trans shirts no Black Lives Matter shirts”
You know they are just gonna put it back on when You leave lol
Go fail your kid at home
The.Truth.Comes.Out.In.The.End
April 2, 2022 at 6:50 pm
Please add no TRUMP shirts, No Desantis shirts, etc… Keep ALL politics OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS!
Tom
April 2, 2022 at 12:07 pm
Yes peter h, how are the racists at Lincoln doing? Passing out the tiki torches. Please do so for Govs race here as well, like Lincoln did in VA. They will add 2 or 3 plus pts for America’s Gov.
Help get to 60% win, especially vs n. fraud.
Can’t want! America’s Gov the best.
Arthur Bullis
April 2, 2022 at 2:02 pm
Sorry I do have decent vocabulary but that the second dumb count that’s been the news this week I guess Republicans wives are given a pass
The ugs
April 2, 2022 at 6:16 pm
Republican wives get given a pass becuase they are second bottom lol
Don’t move
April 2, 2022 at 9:28 pm
File all the complaints you want you old lady. She can go to court and say they don’t matter just like you. Keep the shirt on
Charlie Adams
April 3, 2022 at 4:37 pm
Another NaziPubliKlan Treason Party piece of walking, talking, semi-human excrement. Need to start treating these freaks the way they treat everytelse.
Comments are closed.