Mayor Deegan Condemns School Board Member's Islam Post
Jacksonville's mayor and a City Council member call for Duval County School Board member Anthony Ricardo to resign after he reshared a post calling Islam a political cult.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Islam
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Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan publicly criticized Duval County School Board member Anthony Ricardo over a social media post describing Islam as "not a religion" and "a political cult masquerading as a faith." City Council member Jimmy Peluso, CAIR Florida and OneJax also called for Ricardo to resign.
Why it matters
The dispute raises questions about religious bigotry and conduct by elected officials overseeing public education in Jacksonville and Duval County. Ricardo's reshare has been removed from his personal Facebook page, and the district has said individual Board members' views do not represent the School Board's collective position.
The post Ricardo reshared was itself a reshare of an infographic created by Americans Against Islamification, and Ricardo's reshare has since been removed from his personal Facebook page. Duval County Public Schools does not include information about religious affiliations in its demographic data, and Ricardo has not responded to News4JAX's request for comment.
The players
Donna Deegan
Donna Deegan is the Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, who publicly criticized the post and called for better conduct from the school board member.
Anthony Ricardo
Anthony Ricardo is a Duval County School Board member representing District 1, whose reshared social media post about Islam drew the criticism.
Jimmy Peluso
Jimmy Peluso is a Jacksonville City Council member who called for Ricardo to resign over the post.
CAIR Florida
CAIR Florida is the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights and advocacy organization that denounced Ricardo's post.
The details
Ricardo reshared a post stating "Islam is not a religion," which a screenshot of his reshare brought to wider attention. CAIR Florida, the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida and OneJax publicly denounced the post, and OneJax said religious bigotry has no place in public education.
Timeline
Monday: OneJax posts a statement saying religious bigotry has no place in public education.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Mayor Donna Deegan shares a statement criticizing Ricardo and calling for better behavior.
Religious Expression
Public officials in Florida have faced recurring scrutiny over social media posts, and this dispute places a school board member's religious commentary under similar review. It highlights how religious criticism by an elected education official can prompt demands for resignation from city leaders and advocacy groups.
Parents and students in Duval County are directly affected by the conduct of school board members who oversee district policy. The dispute raises questions about how the district handles religious bias among its elected officials.
The takeaway
Elected education officials' public conduct, including social media activity, can shape community trust in local schools. Residents who want to track the response can follow statements from Jacksonville city officials and the Duval County School Board.
Further reading
For broader context on faith-related community responses, explore more coverage in Islam.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News 4 Jax.
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Should elected school board members resign over personal social media posts about religion?
