TEMPLE TERRACE, Florida — Members of a citizens group in Temple Terrace are asking for the resignation of the mayor because of questions raised about her education.
- City website says Mayor Mel Jurado has Ph.D., master's degree
- There are calls for mayor to step down after investigation
- Council meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday
Mayor Mel Jurado has been under fire for the past week after a Tampa Bay Times story questioned her Ph.D. as well as a master's degree in sports medicine from the University of Illinois.
Her education is prominently displayed on the city's website.
The investigation found the mayor's Ph.D. came from a university in Louisiana that was shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the 1990's for being a diploma mill.
The Times could not verify any degree the mayor received from the University of Illinois for sports medicine.
University of Tampa professor and Re-imagine Temple Terrace member Nicole Ford said she wants the mayor to step down.
"Because she's been misleading our community for more than 20 years as far as who she is, this persona she's painted for our community," Ford said. "She ran on false pretenses. Based on that we believe she's breached public trust."
The City of Temple Terrace pushed back against the Times article last week, saying the mayor's educational background has nothing to do with her qualifications or fitness to run the city.
In a statement this week to Spectrum Bay News 9, Laurie Hayes with the City of Temple Terrace said: "City council meetings provide a forum for citizens to express their concerns. All in attendance on October 16 will be afforded the usual three minutes to share their thoughts regarding the mayor or any other matter they may wish to discuss."
Tuesday night's Council meeting is at 6 p.m. It's not clear if the mayor will address the call for her to resign and also not clear if any City Council members will entertain any public speakers demanding the mayor step down.