SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — Tom Edwards, Sarasota County School Board Member, is rejecting calls for him to step down after taking a job as executive director of Project Pride SRQ, a nonprofit focused on LGBTQ inclusion and community programs.

Edwards, who is openly gay, began the position last week.

“I view this as another version of bullying that I’ve been experiencing since I’ve been a school board member,” Edwards said, calling the backlash “political theater” and “hypocritical.”

Edwards said he views his school board position and nonprofit work as two separate jobs with separate responsibilities, adding that many elected officials hold other jobs and see the school board role as part-time.

The Sarasota County Republican Party released a statement calling his new role “radical” and cla

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