Sarah Leonardi is facing a challenge to her District Three seat on the Broward County School Board from Jason Lee Loring.

Leonardi was recently endorsed by Equality Florida, SAVE LGBTQ, and the Dolphin Democrats. After accepting the endorsements, she talked with OutSFL about the challenging conditions in schools for students and teachers alike.

“It’s important to understand that some of this legislation school districts have gone beyond what the legislation requires. It’s been such a chilling effect across the state.”

She’s referring to an aggressive anti-LGBTQ coming out of the state legislature that targets students, including “Don’t Say Gay,” restrictions on health care, and forcing teachers to tell parents if their kid comes to them with a problem.

Many school districts were zealously enforcing the policies beyond what the laws call for, and Leonardi says step one is to tell people to dial it back.

“It’s important that we elect people who stand up and say, ‘Hey! We don’t actually have to go this far in over complying with the law.’ It’s important that we have school board members that will say this law is immoral and is harmful to children, and then try to make them repeal those laws.”

Leonardi is known for taking part in a program at Wilton Manors Elementary. As part of a life-skills unit, students took a morning field trip to Rosie’s restaurant. It was before opening, and the kids were given special menus that were free of the more colorfully named dishes.

When people saw it was a “gay” restaurant, they freaked out and made accusations of “grooming” the students. The field trip hasn’t happened since.

A look through her campaign’s financial statements finds she has a lot of monetary support, primarily from South Florida.

Her opponent is Loring.

He is LGBTQ and a member of the Log Cabin Republicans. A veteran who signed up in 2003, he was discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He tells OutSFL that service informs his life today.

“I have given my all to protect and serve others. I offered my life in hopes that your loved ones wouldn’t have to.”

He laments that this school board seat has “become politicized,” and, while not directly addressing Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Republicans’ attacks on LGBTQ families, he does say he supports parents’ rights to be involved in the education process.

“When a parent signs an enrollment application to place their child into our schools, they do not sign over their child's birth certificate. Instead, they trust in us to educate their children and prepare them for a future that is bright. If a parent is unhappy with something that is being taught in their child's classroom, they should be allowed to attest to it.”

Loring says he closed his business to run for school board, and his campaign papers say that at the end of 2023 his net assets were zero dollars.

The primary election is Aug. 20. Early in-person voting is Aug. 10-18 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.