Broward School Board Members Patricia Good, Donna Korn, Ann Murray, and Laurie Rich Levinson were suspended from office by Governor Ron DeSantis. Due to their “incompetence, neglect of duty, and misuse of authority,” the move followed recommendations of the Twentieth Statewide Grand Jury to suspend these board members. These suspensions are effective immediately.
“Each committed malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, and incompetence” in handling a campus safety program, page five references the grand jury report. Lives could be saved at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with a program the Governor stated. “Each hereby suspended from the public office that they now hold,” the order says, according to CBS News.
Five of the nine school members have been appointed by DeSantis in the predominantly democrat-leaning Broward county. The seat two is held by Goode, to which Torey Alston was appointed. He will finish her term, ending in 2024, a source says. DeSantis has appointed Alston a second time to a position within the county in a year. He was tabbed a County Commissioner last November. For nearly three years, Alston also served as Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Transportation.
Governor Ron DeSantis said: “It is my duty to suspend people from office when there is clear evidence of incompetence, neglect of duty, misfeasance or malfeasance. 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.”
“Students continue to be educated in unsafe, aging, decrepit moldy buildings that were supposed to have been renovated years ago. These are inexcusable actions by school board members who have shown a pattern of emboldening unacceptable behavior, including fraud and mismanagement across the district,” DeSantis added.
Anna Fusco, Broward Teachers Union President said: “My reaction is that this is deplorable. Our voters voted in people to do the business of Broward Public schools and unfortunately what the Governor is doing is putting politics in. What he should be doing is focusing more on more resources for schools in Broward County.”
A former Broward School Board member, and currently State Senator Rosalind Osgood is questioning what DeSantis did. “When you go through the Democratic process… it is my personal belief that unless someone commits a crime no one has the right to remove them. It goes against the voters’ choice,” Osgood said.
Attorney Kevin Tynan will fill Korn’s seat, serving through mid-November. “You know, hopefully, collectively, board meetings help restore trust in the system,” Tynan said. Tynan who is a former GOP Chair in Broward is receiving this appointment for the second time, as his first was under then-Governor Charlie Crist. “Always said I wanted a second shot at their budget,” Tynan added. His objectives include fiscal responsibility, construction projects, and school safety initiatives.
Tynan emphasized, saying: “We need to protect our children, as homeowners, we need to have reasonable taxes, and the trust placed on the school board with the monies that they’re given, we need to make sure they’re spent wisely and appropriately.”
Leftists were recently triggered when DeSantis pushed civics programs in education and wants to remove ‘woke’ curriculum materials.