BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – It could be an unfunny scatological prank or a sign that political passions have reached a new low in Brevard County.
Tina Descovich, a one-time Brevard County School Board member and co-founder of the conservative group Moms for Liberty, took to social media Sunday to report that someone mailed her a bag of excrement.
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“It came from Pennsylvania,” Descovich told News 6 partner Florida Today on Sunday.
A picture posted on Descovich’s Facebook account showed a stamped priority mail envelope and a bag of what appears to be greenish-brown waste.
“I opened it and my first thought was, ‘Who sent this?’, and that they were trying to send a message,” Descovich said.
“I may contact the police, but I’m going to do my research first. Someone told me that there is a company in Pennsylvania that will send out (animal poop).”
There are online companies that charge to send animal dung through the mail anonymously as a joke or an insult. One company, found with a quick Google search, offers to send gorilla, cow, elephant poo or an assortment of scat for a price.
In some cases, the package will arrive with a slip of paper telling the recipient to turn over the note to find out who sent the package, forcing them to reach inside the soiled bag and revealing only a cheeky anonymous message.
The arrival of the anonymous parcel comes almost two weeks after an intense debate involving consideration by the Brevard County School District over policies regarding the treatment of LGBTQ students.
A document detailing the policies circulated on social media in early March, drawing the ire of local politicians and conservative groups — including Descovich’s group, Moms for Liberty — and was a subject of discussion and dueling rallies at the March 9 school board meeting.
The policies include provisions allowing transgender students to use bathrooms and play on sports teams in line with their gender identities. They also require staff not to disclose a student’s LGBTQ identity without the student’s consent.
Some demonstrators at the meeting screamed obscenities at people who came to speak in favor of the policies, including LGBTQ students. The display drew outrage from many in attendance and condemnation from Moms for Liberty leadership, who said the protestors were not affiliated with the parent advocacy group.
The School Board defended the guidelines, saying they were circulated by the district to keep staff in compliance with state and federal law and that the board did not have the power to change them.
Descovich served on the board from 2016 to 2020. She and former Indian River County School Board Member Tiffany Justice founded Moms for Liberty in January. The organization now has 10 chapters spread across Florida, Maryland, New York, Oregon and Texas.
Moms for Liberty have maintained a consistent presence at school board meetings, frequently speaking in favor of loosening COVID-19 restrictions and increasing parental involvement in school-related decisions.
“I worry about the message that they are trying to send,” Descovich said of whoever sent the package. “But it won’t work with me. We’re speaking up for children and we won’t be intimidated or harassed.”
Descovich said as of early Sunday afternoon she was still considering whether to report the incident to the police.
FLORIDA TODAY education reporter Bailey Gallion contributed to this report.