Jessie Thompson vows to remain on the Volusia School Board amid calls for her resignation
DeLand: Jessie Thompson, a member of the Volusia County School Board, is standing her ground. She announced she won’t resign, even after the local Moms for Liberty chair threatened to push for her removal.
Thompson shared that she’s received a lot of support from folks in Volusia and across Florida. She’s committed to her role, saying there’s still important work to do for teachers, parents, and students.
The Moms for Liberty group has been vocal about removing certain books and content from schools. They even invited Thompson to lead a session at a summit in Washington last August, where her comments stirred up quite a bit of controversy.
During that session, she made some remarks about Deltona High School’s graduation rate and questioned the capabilities of some students. She also referred to a fellow board member in a way that many found offensive.
After being elected chair in November, Thompson apologized for her comments at a meeting in December. However, she stepped down from the chair position in January but decided to stay on the board.
Recently, the School Board voted to bring back Jamie Haynes as chair. At a meeting, Jenifer Kelly, the local Moms for Liberty chair, called for Thompson to resign, expressing her shock at Thompson’s past comments.
Kelly warned that if Thompson doesn’t step down, she would pursue other methods to have her removed, including involving the governor or starting a recall effort.
While it’s rare for such efforts to succeed in Florida, the situation has certainly created a stir in the community.
