DeSantis suspends four school board members for mismanagement after 2018 shooting
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Friday suspended four members of the Broward County School Board after a grand jury determined that they had demonstrated negligence and incompetence in the aftermath of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
The members reportedly mismanaged millions in public funds and failed to complete safety upgrades to the district's schools. Broward County School District is the nation's sixth largest, with around 260,000 students.
The suspended members — Patricia Good, Donna P. Korn, Ann Murray, and board chair Laurie Rich Levinson — were all registered Democrats. Several of the new members who replaced them previously worked in Republican politics.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The grand jury also recommended removing board member Rosalind Osgood (D), but she resigned in March after being elected to the state Senate.
In response to accusations of authoritarianism leveled at the governor, DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw retweeted a clip from a local news story about the grand jury process and the allegations against the board members.
"Since the left can't read, here is a video about who decided the Broward school board members should be fired and the reasons why. @GovRonDeSantis was following the Grand Jury's recommendations!!" the post accompanying the video read.
Earlier this month, DeSantis suspended Tampa-area State Attorney Andrew Warren for putting himself "publicly above the law" by refusing to enforce the state's abortion restrictions.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Foreigners in Spain facing a 100% tax on homes as the country battles a housing crisis
Under the Radar The goal is to provide 'more housing, better regulation and greater aid,' said Spain's prime minister
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Codeword: January 22, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: January 22, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Trump starts term with spate of executive orders
Speed Read The president is rolling back many of Joe Biden's climate and immigration policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pardons or commutes all charged Jan. 6 rioters
Speed Read The new president pardoned roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
DeSantis appoints Florida's top lawyer to US Senate
Speed Read The state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, will replace Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Pam Bondi downplays politics at confirmation hearing
Speed Read Trump's pick for attorney general claimed her Justice Department would not prosecute anyone for political reasons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden warns of oligarchy in farewell address
Speed Read The president issued a stark warning about the dangers of unchecked power in the hands of the ultra-wealthy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hegseth boosts hopes for confirmation amid grilling
Speed Read The Senate held confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth, Trump's Defense Secretary nominee
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden removes Cuba from terrorism blacklist
Speed read The move is likely to be reversed by the incoming Trump administration, as it was Trump who first put Cuba on the terrorism blacklist in his first term
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published