Osceola County School Board Member Jon Arguello will not face criminal stalking charges after a resident accused him of harassment and unethical behavior.
In February 2022, an Osceola County resident filed a complaint with the St. Cloud Police Department against Arguello for violation of school district policies after Arguello made political-related comments on social media and during school board meetings. The resident also advised law enforcement the behavior continued for several months following the initial complaint.
An Osceola County School Board independent investigation concluded Arguello violated school board policies and rules related to harassment. St. Cloud Police determined Arguello’s actions potentially violated Florida’s criminal Stalking statute (784.048) and sent the case to the State Attorney’s office for review.
After a thorough review of the facts and evidence, the State Attorney’s Office has determined Arguello’s actions were protected political speech. According to the State Attorney, they do not meet the criteria for a violation of the Stalking statute under Florida law. While the disagreement about local politics may have been hostile, the State is unable to prove there was no legitimate political purpose for the speech.
The State will not be filing charges in this case and the complainant has been notified. The Central Florida case is now officially closed, according to Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain’s office.
