Broward superintendent ‘ignored’ safety info requests related to Stoneman Douglas shooting, Department says

Published Jan. 23, 2023, 5:53 p.m. ET | Updated Jan. 24, 2023

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, February 2019. (Photo/Pablo V. Gomez)
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, February 2019. (Photo/Pablo V. Gomez)

BROWARD COUNTY (FLV) – The Florida Department of Education said Broward County Schools Superintendent Vickie Cartwright “ignored” requests from the state for school safety information.

“It would appear Superintendent Cartwright ignored our requests and failed to prioritize the health, safety and welfare of Broward’s students,” a spokesperson for the Department of Education said.

Following a Statewide Grand Jury investigation related to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, an August 2022 report showed a pattern of incompetence, neglect of duty and misuse of authority by school officials. The department said the most “concerning” findings include a “severe” underreporting of school safety data through the PROMISE program and noncompliance with law enforcement.

In September 2022, the department scheduled a meeting with Cartwright to discuss the findings. At the time of the visit, a spokesperson said Cartwright agreed to provide the department with documents regarding:

  • Any documentation discussing the PROMISE referral tracking program including any of its corresponding data.
  • The district’s annual budget since 2017.
  • Any documentation regarding how the district reported criminal incidents that occurred on campus over the past several years.
  • Any documentation regarding SESIR training.
  • A copy of the data from the 41,000 parents who responded to a school survey outlining concerns surrounding school safety.
  • Any documentation regarding how your faculty reports criminal incidents that have occurred on campus.
  • Any documentation regarding the SMART bond program as it pertains to school safety.

Months following the request, they met in person to question why the superintendent had not yet provided the requested information.

“Following this visit, Superintendent Cartwright was magically able to find and provide most of these documents in just a matter of hours,” a department spokesperson said.

“The Department of Education will not hesitate to hold Superintendent Cartwright accountable should she continue to act in such a manner.”

Florida’s Voice reached out to the school district for a comment.

In a Jan. 23 letter from the Office of Safe Schools to Cartwright, Vice Chancellor of the Office of Safe Schools Scott Strauss called the district’s “failure” to provide the documents a “chronic issue.”

“To the extent that your continued non-compliance threatens the lives of children and staff attending school in your district, we intend to hold you fully accountable,” he said.

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