SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — With another push to get Bridget Ziegler to step down from the Sarasota School Board came a mixture of emotions from the hours of speakers Tuesday night.

There was a rally held before the meeting that brought out a crowd of people holding signs, waving flags and speaking out for Ziegler to step down.

“Enough is enough. It’s time to bring sanity and good policy making back to our schools,” said Samantha Pollara, Senior Advisor to School Sanity Project.

Her supporters were voicing that they feel she has been unfairly targeted for her beliefs and said that people shouldn’t even be talking to children about sex.

“When they spend three hours just talking about Bridget’s private life, there’s something wrong with them,” Sally Nista said. “There is something wrong with their thinking and their logic and it’s horrible for our kids.”

Inside the meeting, speaker after speaker continued to ask her to step down.

“Bridget Ziegler, you have blasted homophobic and transphobic rhetoric on this dais, across the country and on your social media. You have gay and trans students who are telling you that because you’ve done that, you being here makes them feel unsafe,” a speaker said.

Those pushing for her to step down brought up the death of a young LGBTQ+ student, Nex Benedict, who had been severely bullied in Oklahoma.

“Had you not been so hellbent on climbing up the backs of children, children, this would not be happening. You have blood on your hands,” said Lisa Schurr, with Support our Schools.

Those who support Ziegler asked her to keep her position.

“I’m so glad, Mrs. Ziegler, to see you on the board, please do not leave,” another speaker said.

Those who rally around her said she is a leader for students and has not implemented harmful policies.

“They say that Bridget Ziegler is the hypocrite, but she is not so much the hypocrite, she is not advocating for anything saying that people are not allowed to have their own sexual orientation, or allowing any policy that allows further harassment of students that are of something other sexual orientation,” stated a man at the podium.

At the end of the meeting, Ziegler did speak out about multiple points.

She said she is very excited about the future and what’s taking place on the focus for student’s success but said nobody is trying to cultivate an unsafe environment.

“I believe everyone up here, regardless of whatever fodder, genuinely wants to ensure that the environment and the culture and the climate and the policies and procedures and practices of this district are such that they will ensure every student and every staff member feels protected, feels respected and is in a safe environment,” Ziegler said.

She touched on other issues, like in 2018, how the board voted 3 to 2 for the gender diverse guidelines.

“It put us down this entire path, and it had nothing to do with sexual orientation, at all, it had everything to do with the partnership that parents and schools have, that’s it,” she said.

She spoke about the “Don’t Say Gay” narrative and how it has caused so much harm and the headlines that are filled with what she said is false narratives. She said the board is focused on what matters, if students can read and their success.

“I’m glad that people are coming forward and sharing that they’re fearful, so we can address that that is actually not the culture, the climate, or at all the direction of this district,” Ziegler said.

She ended with saying she will remain on the board.