Tina Descovich
This content was last updated Oct. 4, 2023, 8:09 a.m. UTC
Tina Descovich is an anti-LGBTQ+ activist and local politician in Brevard County, Florida. Descovich is most known for being one of the co-founders of Moms for Liberty after losing a 2020 school board race.
When you don’t get what you want, change the rules. Those kids were always the worst one [sic] to play with on the playground!
Education and Career
Descovich earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Valdosta State University in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (1992-1997).
According to her linkedIn she worked as a Marketing Specialist for CCG Systems, Inc. (1999-2001), a Strategic Communications Specialist for L3 Communications during which she advised a United States Army General on media presentations and external communication (2001-2002), a graphics developer for defense technology company Northrop Grumman Corporation (2003-2005), an independent distributor for the coffee company Choffy (2011-2014), and she worked in media relations for Chatbooks (2014-2015). She has also worked as a freelance communication consultant and a volunteer in multiple capacities.
In November 2016 she was voted onto the Brevard County School Board, District 3 in Florida, where she served until November 2017. She ran for re-election in 2020 but lost in the August primary.
Moms for Liberty
Mom’s for Liberty is designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group has its headquarters in Florida and smaller splinter chapters seeded throughout the United States. The group bills itself as a “parental rights” group, a dog whistle for opposing LGBTQ+ and inequality education while supporting sweeping book bans.
Descovich is credited with the initial idea for Moms for Liberty, which she devised after losing the 2020 Brevard County school board race. With support from Tiffany Justice and Bridget Ziegler, the trio founded the initial chapter in Brevard County, Florida in early 2021. By the end of the year, the group claims to have swelled to 135 chapters, largely owing to spotlights by Fox News and other conservative networks.
Following Descovich’s loss in her 2020 school board race, her opponent, Jennifer Jenkins, reported a systemic campaign of harassment against her as soon as Moms for Liberty formally came into existence.
Descovich’s appearances for Moms for Liberty tend to focus on softening the group’s image in the public eye. During an episode of Dr. Phil, she claimed the group is “not against teachers,” despite various chapters harassing and threatening educators and school board members across the country.
In an appearance alongside co-founder Tiffany Justice, when asked what kind of reading materials she wishes to see in schools, she responded “books that educate children,” which Justice clarified by specifying “Books that don't have pornography in them — let's start there. Let's just put the bar really, really low. Books that don't have incest, pedophilia, rape.” Instead, the group approves of reading materials written by slavery sympathizers.