Press Release
From Common Sense Fernandina Beach
After two years of seeking public curriculum from the Nassau County School District and the NGO Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare, our Nassau Legislative Delegation has taken bold action to hold Starting Point CEO Laureen Pagel accountable as well as a counselor. They recommend termination of Starting Point CEO Laureen Pagel and the counselor in the 2023 Pride Festival video where Starting Point was a booth sponsor. They also recommended that “taxpayers cannot continue to fund it” referring to the state funding Starting Point. The State Legislature has/had $400,000 earmarked for Starting Point in the 2026 Budget. Nassau County also has $315.000 earmarked for Starting Point in 2026.
Last Week’s Common Sense Fernandina Beach Press Release
PRESS RELEASE: 10.13.25
Nassau County Schools block access to Mental Health Curriculum: two years and counting
Ripple Effects claims to be in 4,000 schools across America with 400,000 active students in all 50 states.
Nassau County School District offered Ripple Effects Mental Health curriculum to students in this Florida county for 8 years. Ripple Effects claims availability in 4,000 schools across the US. When adults asked to see it (August 1, 2023), they were blocked – for over two years with over a dozen debunked reasons. Nassau County Circuit court delivered two affirmative court orders compelling access. Still, no public records were made available. These actions to block access beg the question: What are they hiding?
We know that Ripple Effects includes many sexual topics. We know that Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare delivers the service at schools. We know Starting Point has a counselor who told an underage child they will not share sexual conversations about sexual identity with her parents in violation of Florida Parents Rights laws. We know that at least one Ripple Effects video shows a child celebrating multiple mental health diagnosis to encourage other children to do the same. We know that Ripple Effects threatened legal action if adults were allowed to view their software.
How did Superintendent Burns, Nassau School Board, school leadership and Starting Point push this content to kids for 8 years with virtually no oversight and no evaluation? Why did the school system and Starting Point block public access to these records? School district and Starting Point joined hands in every legal proceeding to obstruct access – illegally. Knocke has reopened the court case for a second time seeking accountability.
Ripple Effects is free to our school district through funding to Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare from Lutheran Services, Florida State Legislature ($400,000 in 2026) Nassau County ($315,000 in 2026) and others. Another NGO with public funding hiding something.
Our Florida Legislature funded mental health in our Florida schools at $9 million in 2016. By 2024, the Legislature raised the funding to $180 million. Our schools have been turned into mental health hospitals. Stop this funding! Strengthen the laws!
What’s in your school? Research and ask questions.
Substack with more details and links
Contact:
Jack Knocke, Common Sense Fernandina Beach
470-295-4365
