FORT MYERS, Fla. — A packed Lee County School Board meeting Tuesday night stretched for hours, with parents and residents filling the district headquarters to voice opinions on several controversial topics.
Staff Terminations
While the meeting’s agenda focused largely on future projects and policies, much of the discussion centered on an issue not listed at all, the possible termination of three district employees. Superintendent Denise Carlin has recommended that the staff members be fired over social media posts made following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Before the meeting, protesters gathered outside, some holding signs defending free speech and others calling for accountability.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the meeting:
Many speakers urged the board to consider the impact of firing educators over their opinions, saying it could chill academic freedom and create fear among staff.
“If it's an opinion, these opinions should be heard and discussed,” one speaker said. “Kids need to know that we can have different opinions about things. They should know how democracy works.”
Others argued that teachers should be held to a higher standard.
“Individuals employed by our school district who engage in such hateful speech, even in their private lives, must still uphold the standards expected of those shaping young minds,” another speaker said.
High School in Alva
The debate over teacher conduct was followed by another hot-button topic, the new high school planned for Alva. The project, set to open in August 2027 near Joel Boulevard and Tuckahoe Road, will serve more than 2,000 students. But several residents argued the school should instead be built in Lehigh Acres, where population growth and overcrowded classrooms are more pressing issues.
“The infrastructure’s already there,” one speaker said. “The community wants and needs the school in Lehigh, not Alva.”
Vaccination Requirements
The final major issue of the night was a resolution that did pass, reaffirming parents’ rights to make medical decisions for their children, including vaccinations.
The measure cites Florida’s “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” which states parents should have the final say in their children’s health care.
Supporters called it a victory for family freedom.
“I believe the decision about our children's health should rest in the hands of the parents and not the government,” one parent told the board.
