Florida Education Chief Rebukes Clay County Board Member for No-Show at Hearing on Racial Remarks

Overview

• Robert Alvero was directed to appear before the State Board of Education to explain a Facebook Live video in which he described overwhelmingly negative experiences with African Americans.
• He did not attend the Jan. 21 meeting, and Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas condemned both the comments and the refusal to appear as unacceptable conduct.
• Kamoutsas said the Legislature should consider giving the state board more authority over locally elected members who prioritize politics over their duty to students.
• Community and civic leaders pressed for accountability, including calls for Alvero’s resignation, a formal code of conduct, and mandatory bias and anti-racism training for board leaders.
• The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department temporarily reassigned Alvero and stated his views do not reflect the department’s values while it reviews the video.