Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has formally demanded that Sarasota County Schools fire Pine View history teacher Liz Ballard and revoke her educator certificate, citing reports that she repeatedly targeted a conservative eighth-grade student, called him a misogynist, and tried to damage his reputation on campus.
Pine View is a public magnet school for gifted students in Osprey. Uthmeier’s Office of Parental Rights sent the letter Monday, giving the district until Oct. 1 to report what action it has taken or plans to take.
It shows that Ron DeSantis’ version of Florida is what the rest of the country should aim to be like.
What Ballard Allegedly Did to the Student
According to the letter, Ballard routinely raised political topics in class, and the student told her his parents expressly forbid him from taking part in those debates. Despite that request, she allegedly continued putting him on the spot as the designated conservative voice, pressuring him to defend political positions in front of classmates.
The letter states Ballard “harassed, disparaged and deliberately tried to ‘cancel’ an eighth-grade student for his conservative views.” Uthmeier wrote that she called the boy a misogynist, spread that label around the school, and openly questioned the suitability and influence of the student’s father. Multiple parents had already opened human resources files against her before the attorney general stepped in, Liz Ballard conservative student targeting according to the letter.
Uthmeier Calls It Reputational Destruction of a Child
Uthmeier described the conduct as “the reputational destruction of a child” and said it would violate Florida law, school board policy, and at least six principles of professional conduct for educators. He posted on social media that the allegations, if proven, warrant permanent removal from teaching.
“If true, she should be fired and never teach in Florida again,” Uthmeier wrote.
Union President Defends Ballard, Dismisses the Letter
Jason Means, president of the Sarasota Classified Teachers Association, pushed back publicly, calling Ballard a strong educator. He stopped short of confirming whether the union would formally defend her during any investigation.
“She’s a great teacher at a great school; Pine View’s a great school,” Means told WFLA. “He might have, you know, overstepped his bounds a little bit. I mean, obviously it’s within the laws of the state of Florida, and I can see where he would say that he would have the right to send such a letter. I feel like he might have bigger fish to fry.”
Sarasota County Schools now has a firm deadline of Oct. 1 to respond to Uthmeier’s office with a description of any disciplinary steps taken or planned. If the district does not act to his satisfaction, Uthmeier could pursue further legal or regulatory action through the state, including pushing for the revocation of Ballard’s teaching certificate through Florida’s Department of Education.
