Here Are the Broward School Board Candidates Backed by Moms for Liberty

South Florida school districts have become ground zero for culture wars marked by book-banning campaigns, attacks on school diversity programs, and a string of increasingly restrictive "Don't Say Gay" laws. The districts and the boards that manage them are now nothing short of political battlegrounds for groups fighting for self-styled parental rights and claiming rampant classroom indoctrination.

As the August 20 primary election fast approaches, the organization at the heart of the parental rights movement — Moms for Liberty — is supporting a slew of school board candidates in South Florida. In Broward, the group's local chapter this week released a list of contenders whom it is backing for seats in the liberal-leaning county.

"This is our chance to get a conservative majority on our school board!! Please get out and vote!" Moms for Liberty Broward wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside photos of five school board candidates.

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

🔥🔥🔥Vote TODAY!!!!🔥🔥🔥

This is our chance to get a conservative majority on our school board!! Please get out and vote!

Early voting goes until August 18, 2024 and then Election Day is August 20th, please 🙏🏼 vote!! pic.twitter.com/wWInzOJodD

— Moms for Liberty-Broward County (@M4LBroward) August 11, 2024

Founded in 2021 by ex-Florida school board members Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, Moms for Liberty has emerged as a prominent force in Christian conservative circles and education politics. The group has loudly advocated for removal of books from school libraries while speaking out against classroom discussion of gender and sexuality.

Moms for Liberty has been criticized for its narratives about classroom plots to "groom" children into radical ideologies, rhetoric that opponents say feeds into QAnon-like conspiracy theories. The Southern Poverty Law Center has even labeled the group an "antigovernment extremist organization."

The group says its mission centers around combating "Marxist theories of culture," race, sex, and psychology. "They want your children to develop a radical political consciousness. They are inspiring kids to disrupt and dismantle America," Moms for Liberty claims.

So, who are the Moms for Liberty-backed candidates in Broward, and do they endorse the group's views?

New Times reached out to each of them to ask whether they welcome Moms for Liberty's support in the upcoming election. Only one candidate responded.

Here's what to know.

Daniel Foganholi

Appointed to the District 5 seat in April 2022 by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Foganholi is now vying for the District 1 seat, which covers parts of Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, and Lauderhill.

He's running against local attorney Maura McCarthy Bulman and longtime educator John Christopher Canter.

During a recent Moms for Liberty-hosted candidate forum, Foganholi emphasized that he wants to ensure that books in school libraries are "age-appropriate."

"Some of these books...and you see it when people come to board meetings and they'll start reading [them]. I feel so uncomfortable when it happens," Foganholi said. "Like as a board member, I put my head down. I'm just like, 'There's no way...there's no way these books are in our libraries.'"

He added: "As a parent, it scares me."

Torey Alston

A former Broward County commissioner appointed by DeSantis to the District 2 seat in 2021, Alston's seat is up for grabs this year. Former social worker Rebecca Lynne Larew Thompson is challenging him.

Alston previously served as the chief of staff at the Florida Department of Transportation under the governor.

He worked as an economic equity & diversity compliance officer for Miami-Dade County Public Schools from 2018 to 2019. In the role, he led a department that provided contracting verification and business opportunities for small businesses in the area. 

Online activists have pointed out that Alston appeared at a 2023 event hosted by a local group called America First Patriots Club alongside polarizing figures such as flat earther and former American Idol contestant Jimmy Levy. In promotional materials, Alston was featured under the heading, "Exposing the Book Ban Hoax."

Jason Loring

Loring, an Army veteran who previously served in Iraq, is seeking to unseat longtime District 3 school board member Sarah Leonardi.

In an interview with online site Jolt Florida, Loring said the school board needs "more business minds and fewer teachers."

"As a veteran and an entrepreneur, I can make a difference with budgeting and safety," Loring said.

During the interview, the current president of Log Cabin Republicans of Broward County affirmed his support for the so-called "Don't Say Gay" legislation and said that while he doesn't have kids of his own, he believes that "how children are educated will affect every single one of us in the future."

"There's nothing more important than ensuring that the 260,000 plus kids and 30+ schools I will represent will have the best education, with children who are being taught reading, writing, math, and not being indoctrinated with inappropriate ideology," he said.

Thomas Vasquez

Vasquez, a retired U.S. Marine with a rich military history, is campaigning to replace longtime school board member Debra Hixon in District 9. Hixon is the wife of the late Chris Hixon, an athletic director who was killed during the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

According to his campaign site, Vasquez was formerly a school board member for the U.S. Military Bases Public School system.

As an expert in emergency management who managed security programs at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., he says that he is "committed to honoring our local history/sacrifices and making Broward County Public Schools the premier national example on providing school safety."

Windsor Ferguson Jr.

Ferguson, a minister and longtime Publix store manager, is running to unseat current District 5 school board member Jeff Holness.

Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Ferguson says he's running for the school board because he believes "in the power of community, faith, and strong leadership," according to his campaign site. He says he's a "proud product" of the Broward County Public School System.

"My goal is to bring positive change and effective solutions to the challenges we face," he wrote on the site. "I am committed to transparency, accountability, and working tirelessly for the betterment of our community and our children."

Ferguson initially told New Times that he was "grateful to have the support of Moms for Liberty" for his campaign, writing in an email that he was "excited to work alongside" them.

But he followed up less than an hour later to retract his statement.

"I have decided to recant my support for Moms for Liberty in my campaign for the Broward County School Board," Windsor wrote in an email. "While I appreciate their dedication to advocating for children's education, I believe it is important to align with organizations that represent my values and vision for our community."

Ferguson did not respond to additional requests for comment.