A Broward School Board member says she’s getting death threats after a post she made about an elementary school’s visit to a popular bar and grill in Wilton Manors. The story became so big that its prompted an investigation by the state.
Board member Sarah Leonardi took the elementary school children on a walk through their neighborhood, and stopped in for lunch at Rosie’s Bar & Grill on Wilton Drive. She posted pictures of the outing on her Facebook page, with the caption: “I was SO honored to be invited to chaperone Wilton Manors Elementary’s field trip to the incredible Rosie’s! The students and I had a fun walk over and learned a lot about our community! A huge thank you to Rosie’s Bar and Grill for hosting this special field trip every year!”
She proudly mentions that the field trip is an annual event, but if Fox and their social media followers have their way, this will be the last year. They portray it as a day at a gay bar. Of course, Rosie’s is a restaurant that, like so many establishments, also has a bar. But that’s not important to people raging against the menu. Pictures of the regular menu were posted online and Items like The Big Girl Burgers and Rhoda Cowboy were called out. – SouthFloridaGayNews.com
However, the students got a kids menu, with three blandly-named items: Mini Burgers or Cheeseburgers, Grilled Cheese, and Chicken Fingers.
If you would like to see what Fox News posted as its version of the field trip, hit the link and you will see what viewers used to fan the flames of fear-mongering.
Leonardi told SFGM that, “Sadly, I’ve recently been attacked with bigoted comments and death threats. My friends, family, and church have also been targeted. These attacks have no place in our society. The threats have been referred to the appropriate authorities, and I will continue to work hard to engage with my community, spread positivity, and represent my district on the school board.”
Threats have been coming in the forms of emails, social media, and calls to the school. SFGN has been told they are being turned over to the proper agencies, but haven’t been told exactly who is handling them.
I loved the CBS4 Miami coverage seen above, but I loved reading it, too.
John Zieba, owner of Rosie’s Bar & Grill, explained, “They meet all the staff. The general manager explains what he does and what the chef does and what servers do.”
But, when one of the chaperones, Broward School Board member Sarah Leonardi, tweeted out how “honored” she was to join the curious kids, the response quickly turned “wicked.”
First, a group of moms who are anti-mask and champion parents’ rights started complaining. Then came death threats aimed at Leonardi, the Broward School Board and Rosie’s Bar & Grill’s owner.
“We’re getting horrible emails, (they’re) jamming phone lines all day with nasty comments, cursing out my staff and with social media and everything else,” an upset Zieba explained. – miami.cbslocal.com
Love or hate the Nextdoor app, I received notifications this AM that there was a police presence at the school as supposed threats were made today.
She continues, “As a School Board Member, I am committed to staying engaged with my community. I’m always proud to join classes for field trips and events, especially when our schools are connecting with the vibrant small businesses in my district.”
Wilton Manors City Commissioner Chris Caputo is proud of her leadership and states, “Our community is lucky to have leaders like Sarah Leonardi looking out for children’s best interests. Fox News’ implication that she is grooming kids to be gay is absurd. She is smart enough to know taking students to a restaurant owned by an LGBT individual isn’t grooming them to be gay any more than taking student to Bona Italian would be grooming them to be Italian. We’re born this way!”
Sources: SouthFloridaGayNews.com , miami.cbslocal.com