Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends four school board members following Parkland report

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has removed four elected school-board members from office, after a grand jury found that they had acted with negligence and incompetence in implementing safety measures at schools in Broward County.

The Broward County grand jury was called in by Parkland, Florida authorities to examine the school district’s failures and inadequacies that led to a 2018 mass shooting at a high school that killed 17 people. In its findings published last week, the grand jury said that the Broward School Board had mishandled a program funded by a $800 million bond and failed to deliver on promised projects, including safety improvements to schools.

In a statement released Friday, DeSantis said that he had suspended the four officials “in the best interest of the children and the people of Broward County.”

“The grand jury’s findings are clear: The school board failed in its duty to protect students and staff, failed in its duty to provide adequate resources and failed in its transparency with the parents and taxpayers,” DeSantis said. “This is inexcusable.”

The four officials who have been suspended are:

• Broward County School Board Chairwoman Rosalind Osgood
• Vice Chairman Nora Ruiz
• Board member Lori Alhadeff
• Board member Abby Freedman

DeSantis has appointed Michael K. Geist, a retired judge, to serve as interim chairman of the school board until a replacement is selected. He has also directed Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to work with local officials to “ensure a smooth transition.”