A Florida civil rights leader is calling on Duval County School Board member Tony Ricardo to resign after a Facebook post that appears to have been shared by Ricardo described Islam as an “invasive political cult” and claimed the Quran contains “instructions for jihad.” Ricardo has not publicly addressed the allegation, and two of his fellow board members have weighed in with starkly different tones.
Wilfredo Ruiz, a leader with CAIR Florida, is calling for Ricardo to resign over the post, according to Action News Jax. The post reportedly included the lines “Islam is an invasive political cult,” “We got lost in the myth that Islam is a religion,” and “The Quran is instructions for jihad.” Ruiz said Ricardo should “immediately resign” and also called for an apology, adding that Ricardo lacked the intelligence, capacity and respect for the students he was meant to protect.
Action News Jax reported it found a Facebook account belonging to Ricardo with a profile picture matching the screenshot of the apparent repost, but the station said it could not independently verify that Ricardo actually shared it because his account appears private. The outlet emailed Ricardo asking whether he shared the post; he did not respond, and a phone call to him went to voicemail.
Board Members Split on Tone, Unified on Respect
Two Duval County School Board members responded to the outlet's inquiries. Board member Melody Bolduc said she disagreed with the message Ricardo shared, arguing that Islam is a religion and that describing it as an invasive political cult unfairly disparages Muslims. She said Ricardo speaks for himself and answers to the voters who elected him, but added that Muslim students, employees and families deserve dignity and respect, and that an apology is appropriate.
Bolduc went further, saying people should not distrust their neighbors simply because they are Muslim, and that Muslim students, employees and families belong in Duval schools and the broader community and deserve fair and respectful service. She also said radical ideologies that promote terrorism, coercion or rights violations can be opposed without abandoning respect for religious freedom.
Board member Reginald Blount struck a more measured note, saying he was aware of the repost once it was brought to his attention but that he could not and would not speak for Ricardo. Blount said he has always stood firmly for the respect of all faiths and religions, and that everyone deserves the same level of respect. He added that defense of religious freedom and respect should not be selective or based on personal beliefs, and that insults or attacks directed at Christianity should be met with equal outrage.
A Pattern of Social Media Controversy
This is not the first time Ricardo's online activity has drawn scrutiny. Action News Jax noted that in 2024, LGBTQ advocates raised concerns about other Facebook posts associated with Ricardo. Separately, Jacksonville Today reported that Ricardo made more than 90 hurricane-related posts between Hurricane Helene's Florida landfall and Hurricane Milton's arrival in 2024, with dozens of them containing misinformation or getting flagged by Facebook fact-checkers, according to the outlet's reporting.
Ricardo is not the only Duval County School Board member whose online conduct has triggered calls for resignation. In October 2025, Florida State Representative Angie Nixon called on board member April Carney to step down over a controversial social media comment, News4JAX reported. Carney denied any affiliation with the account involved and said the claims against her had no basis.
The board's relationship with members' online speech has also carried financial consequences. The board approved a $340,000 settlement with former teacher Thomas Caggiano in October 2025 following a dispute tied to his Facebook posts, as reported by Jacksonville Today, underscoring how social media fights involving the district have escalated into costly legal matters as well as public controversy.
