Leader of Guatemala US-FL Chamber of Commerce asks Chris Patricca to resign, governor’s office could investigate

The Lee County School Board will be asking the governor’s office to look into a systemic abuse of position regarding Patricca. The motion passed at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

The Guatemala U.S. Florida Chamber of Commerce is the latest to demand a resignation from Lee County School Board member Chris Patricca.

Patricca has come under fire for making comments about Guatemalan students.

“The biggest challenge principals have with students from Guatemala is getting them out of the bathroom,” she said in a video posted to YouTube last month. “They’ve never seen running water before. They go in there, turn the faucet on and flush the toilet and are fascinated by plumbing.”

Dozens of people have asked for Patricca to step down due to these comments. However, she admitted on Tuesday that she will be staying put. “I also understand edac’s request for me to step down. I did consider request but it’s not the best course of action,” she said. “Doing so would mean I’m willing to walk away from difficult issues.”

Mario Juarez, president and CEO of the Guatemala U.S. Florida Chamber of Commerce, wrote a letter to Lee County School District Superintendent Ken Savage asking for Patricca to step down.

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