JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan weighed in Tuesday as Duval County School Board member Anthony Ricardo continued to face backlash over a controversial social media post about Islam that groups claim he shared on his personal Facebook page.<\/p>\n
Ricardo, who represents District 1, is facing calls to resign after he apparently reshared a reshare of the post, which said \u201cIslam is not a religion,\u201d calling it \u201ca political cult masquerading as a faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
The original post appears to be an infographic created by Americans Against Islamification.<\/p>\n
Ricardo\u2019s reshare, which was captured in a screenshot that was shared by others, has since been removed from his personal Facebook page.<\/p>\n
Several groups have publicly denounced Ricardo, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR Florida), the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida and OneJax, a Jacksonville nonprofit focused on interfaith programs.<\/p>\n
OneJax posted a lengthy statement on Monday, saying \u201creligious bigotry has no place in public education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deegan joined the chorus of critics on Tuesday when she shared this statement:<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t behavior the public expects from an elected official in charge of school system policy. Muslim students like all other students should feel welcome and parents deserve to know their children are safe. We must demand better. Religious prejudice does not belong anywhere in our city.<\/p>\n
Mayor Donna Deegan<\/p>\n
News4JAX left a message with Ricardo, seeking comment, but we have not heard back.<\/p>\n
City Council member Jimmy Peluso echoed the call for Ricardo to resign, saying, \u201cThis is not about his right to speak; it is about his ability to lead and to inspire a supportive and safe learning environment for all students, faculty, and staff.\u201d<\/p>\n