DeSantis Suspends Four Broward School Board Members for Neglect of Duty, Misuse of Authority Surrounding 2018 School Shooting
BROWARD COUNTY (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended four Broward County school board members after the Twentieth Statewide Grand Jury recommended their suspension because of incompetence, neglect of duty, and misuse of authority.
Patricia Good, Donna Korn, Ann Murray and Laurie Rich Levinson have been suspended.
The governor’s office cited the grand jury’s findings, which noted that a safety-related alarm that could have saved lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School “was and is such a low priority that it remains uninstalled at multiple schools,” and “students continue to be educated in unsafe, aging, decrepit, moldy buildings that were supposed to have been renovated years ago.”
The governor’s office called these “inexcusable actions” by school board members who have shown “a pattern of emboldening unacceptable behavior, including fraud and mismanagement, across the district.”
These suspensions will take place immediately.
“It is my duty to suspend people from office when there is clear evidence of incompetence, neglect of duty, misfeasance or malfeasance,” DeSantis said. “The findings of the Statewide Grand Jury affirm the work of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Commission. We are grateful to the members of the jury who have dedicated countless hours to this mission and we hope this suspension brings the Parkland community another step towards justice.
“This action is in the best interest of the residents and students of Broward County and all citizens of Florida.”
The governor also announced four appointments to the Broward County School Board to replace the suspended members:
– Torey Alston, former Commissioner of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners and President of Indelible Solutions;
– Manual “Nandy” A. Serrano, member of the Florida Sports Foundation Board of Directors, and CEO and Founder of Clubhouse Private Wealth;
– Ryan Reiter, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and Director of Government Relations for Kaufman Lynn Construction; and
– Kevin Tynan, Attorney with Richardson and Tynan, who previously served on the Broward County School Board and South Broward Hospital District.
The Florida Supreme Court impaneled the Statewide Grand Jury after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Grand Jury investigated whether school officials committed fraud and deceit by mismanaging funds. The findings said the Board was aware of problems with the SMART Program. The report said Superintendent Runcie was unwilling to manage those problems.
The Statewide Grand Jury mentioned the suspension of former school board member Rosalind Osgood. However, she no longer works for the school board so the governor could not suspend her.
