The Florida Board of Education turned its eye to Alachua County Public Schools Thursday as it grilled a school board member over her social media presence and announced an investigation into the school district’s disability services.
The state board summoned Tina Certain, the vice chair of the Alachua County School Board, Sept. 24 regarding a social media post she made about the late activist Charlie Kirk’s death.
"How a 31yr old uneducated white boy has been glorified,” Certain said in a deleted Facebook post. “To see the feds & state elevate him angers me."
At Thursday’s meeting, Certain argued her comments are protected by her First Amendment rights, despite her status as the school board’s vice chair.
“Why should I have to explain what I said on my personal Facebook page, on my personal time, using my personal device, when I have First Amendment rights?” she said to the board.
Certain cited a free speech training the school board members received from the Florida Department of Education, following an August order from the state. She said her post about Kirk’s death didn’t breach those teachings. The post, made on her personal account, does not represent the school board, but rather her personal opinions, she said.
According to Certain, she intended to critique Kirk’s legacy by using similar rhetoric he had used toward Black people to challenge his comments. She referred to a quote from former U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan she had on her desk.
“If society today allows wrongs to go unchallenged, the impression is created that those wrongs have the approval of the majority,” Certain said.
The board was wasting its time addressing her when several issues in Florida need attention, like poor funding and statewide test scores, Certain added.
If her posts concern voters in Alachua County, she said, they don’t have to reelect her next year.
State Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said Certain’s post about Kirk isn’t the only one the state is concerned about. In one post cited at Thursday’s meeting, Certain said she avoids Asian-owned stores. The board also said one of Certain’s social media accounts liked a post that said white women have been central to “building, maintaining and protecting racial violence.”
“How do you think those comments make that community feel?” Kamoutsas asked. “These posts are not just about Charlie Kirk — there is a repeated pattern.”
Kamoutsas said he believes in the First Amendment, but he’s concerned by the example Certain is setting on social media. Her actions could indicate to students that it’s OK to engage with politically violent rhetoric, he said.
Certain and the Alachua County School Board have been under scrutiny from the state board for months. In July, Alachua County School Board Chair Sarah Rockwell came under fire for a post she made about the death of Hulk Hogan.
“Oh did Hulk die? I didn't even know. Good. One less MAGA in the world," she wrote in a Facebook post.
Since Rockwell’s comments, state board officials have followed the school board closely, citing a history of unprofessionalism and poor leadership.
State board member Grazie Christie said during the meeting she sympathized with Certain. It’s easy to get carried away on social media with heated topics, she said. But, she added, Certain is still a public official. Christie then gave Certain advice for the future.
“Remember that the cure for racism is not more racism in the opposite direction,” Christie said. “When you’re going to post anything publicly, replace the word white or Asian with Black, and then hear it in your head and see how that would feel to you.”
At the meeting, the state board also announced it was investigating Alachua County Public Schools for complaints of alleged discrimination and lack of accommodations for students with disabilities.
Members of the Department’s Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Team are in Alachua County investigating these claims, Kamoutsas said.
In an email, Alachua County Public Schools spokesperson Jackie Johnson said the district was aware a parent reached out to the Florida Department of Education about the claims.
“The district is continuing to address those concerns. Representatives from DOE visited local schools today and were able to go into classrooms and talk with staff,” Johnson said in an email.
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @logandmcbride.
Logan McBride is a journalism junior and the Fall 2025 K-12 education reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows or playing basketball at Southwest Rec. He is also a big football fan and will die for Dak Prescott.
