SARASOTA, Fla. (NEWSnet/AP) — A Florida school board voted on Tuesday to recommend the resignation of one of its members because she is embroiled in the fallout of a sexual assault investigation into her husband, the Republican Party state chairman.

The Sarasota County School Board cannot directly remove Bridget Ziegler from its panel, but voted 4-1 Tuesday for a resolution requesting that she step down.

The resolution was authored by board Chair Karen Rose, who said in an email that she is “shocked and deeply saddened” by the rape allegations involving Ziegler’s husband, Christian Ziegler, and the couple’s admissions about having a three-way sexual encounter previously with the accuser.

“I personally care about Bridget and her family and deeply regret the necessity for this course of action, but given the intense media scrutiny locally and nationally, her continued presence on the Board would cause irreparably harmful distractions to our critical mission,” Rose wrote.

Bridget Ziegler is co-founder of the conservative Moms for Liberty group. She has served on the board since 2014, when she was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott, and has previously been its chair.

She voted against the resolution, saying she was “disappointed” but gave no indication she would step down. She remained on the board’s dais after the vote.

Board member Tim Enos said it’s up to Bridget Ziegler to decide whether to quit. Only Florida’s governor can remove a school board member, and only under certain conditions, such as a criminal charge.

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