Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspended four Broward County School Board Members for “incompetence, neglect of duty, and misuse of authority” Friday in part over the handling of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018.
A report from the Twentieth Statewide Grand Jury found that a safety-related alarm could have saved lives during the shooting, but that the alarms remained uninstalled and the buildings kept in, “unsafe, aging, decrepit, moldy” conditions. DeSantis suspended members Patricia Good, Donna Korn, Ann Murray and Laurie Rich Levinson upon the Grand Jury’s recommendation. (RELATED: ‘That’s On Them’: Ron DeSantis Slams Biden Administration For Student Loan Forgiveness Program)
BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends four Broward School Board Members from office due to misuse of authority, neglect of duty, and incompetence.
— Lydia Nusbaum (@LydiaNusbaum) August 26, 2022
“These are inexcusable actions by school board members who have shown a pattern of emboldening unacceptable behavior, including fraud and mismanagement, across the district,” a statement from the Governor’s office read.
“It is my duty to suspend people from office when there is clear evidence of incompetence, neglect of duty, misfeasance or malfeasance,” DeSantis said in the statement. “The findings of the Statewide Grand Jury affirm the work of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Commission.”
Nikolas Cruz has been accused of killing 17 individuals at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Police and security have been accused of negligence and incompetence in dealing with the shooting. The school’s Public Safety Commission found that police were preoccupied with equipment and neglected confronting Cruz. CNN reported that Cruz was able to enter the school because of an unlocked gate.
The Daily Caller reached out to the individuals suspended and will update the article as necessary.