Runcie Arrest. Who’s Next To Fall?
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Broward School Superintendent Robert Runcie found out that you can get away with lying to the public for a decade, but you can’t lie to the Grand Jury.
Runcie arrested today after being indicted by a statewide Grand Jury investigating wrong doing at the Broward School Board. Runcie was charged with perjury in an official proceeding.
Veteran School Board attorney Barbara Myrick was also charged. She is accused of leaking confidential details of the Grand Jury proceedings.
Who’s next?
Maybe nobody.
But there are widespread rumors in political circles and the Courthouse that one, or more, School Board members will be indicted shortly. The theory is that all a School Board member would have to do is repeat something as fact to the jurors that Runcie had told them.
There are also rumors that various school system administrators tied to Runcie are in trouble.
The bottom line is that the Broward school system’s administration is in turmoil. Leaders and their staff are worried, for some panicked is not too strong a word, of what happens next.
Robert Runcie’s mug shot
For Runcie, the reckoning is a long time coming.
I ate lunch with Runcie more than a decade ago. I came home from that lunch and told my wife that he was clearly lying to me the entire time. I had internal documents that disproved much of what he said.
I believe Runcie went on to lie his way through his entire tenure at the School Board.
He lied about the $800 million school construction bond issue.
He even lied about qualifications of the Houston official he hired to oversee the bond construction. He continued to lie even though Texas officials and media said Runcie was wrong. See this link.
Many parents believed he lied to them with his promises of construction at schools. Their children went through school and graduated without seeing a dime of improvements.
He was accused of lying repeatedly about the school system’s culpability in the Parkland shootings.
He apparently lied about moves to fire staff members.
I could go on and on.
But no matter what was written or what any one said about Runcie, a gullible majority of the School Board bought everything the superintendent told them.
School Board To Blame
In the end it is the Runcie-supporting majority on the School Board led by Chair Rosalind Osgood that is to blame for this latest embarrassment.
They had plenty of warnings, including front page stories in the Sun-Sentinel detailing failures in the bond spending program, parent complaints and the Parkland shootings.
Osgood and members Patricia Good, Donna Korn, Laurie Rich Levinson and Ann Murray, all fierce supporters of Runcie for years, did nothing.
They bought his guff, his spin, his outright prevarications.
In the end the Grand Jury acted.
Please remember that Runcie will plead not guilty. He says he did nothing wrong and his defense will be orchestrated by Michael Dutko, one of Broward’s leading criminal defense attorneys.
What’s next?
The School Board’s incompetence, weakness and failure of leadership are not crimes. But maybe, just maybe, a Board member did something that can be prosecuted. And the Grand Jury caught them at it.
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Florida Department Of Law Enforcement news release on Runcie arrest:
FDLE agents arrested Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, 59, for perjury in an official proceeding, a felony. Runcie was arrested this morning by FDLE as was Broward County School Board General Counsel Barbara Myrick, 72. Myrick is charged with unlawful disclosure of statewide grand jury proceedings, a felony.
The 20th Statewide Grand Jury charged Runcie and Myrick related to their testimony before the grand jury. The grand jury was impaneled to investigate possible failures in following school-related safety laws and mismanaging funds solicited for school safety initiatives.
Runcie and Myrick were booked into the Broward County Jail. Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is prosecuting the case. Information relating to the grand jury has been sealed by the court.
April 21st, 2021 at 5:20 pm
Nathalie Lynch Walsh and Andrew Grub are vindicated! Will Nan Rich run cover again for the board majority and The rest of the thugs?
April 21st, 2021 at 6:00 pm
Prosecutors can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. For everyone frothing at the mouth, what if this is nothing to do with school safety and it’s about the technology purchase that led to and indictment earlier this year? Not any less criminal than perjury on misuse of bond funds, but suddenly a lot less sexy.
One count of perjury. And the lawyer? One count of sharing grand jury info? Sounds a lot less than what people have been banging drums about.
April 21st, 2021 at 6:47 pm
While you’re digging up bones, how about a little vindication for Hibbs? Now peel this onion and get through all the lies and layers and follow the money. The surface always itches, intensely scratch and bleed this corrupt gang of perverse porcine pirates.
April 21st, 2021 at 7:52 pm
Runcie has failed the students of Broward County by allowing them to attend classes in moldy, leaking, poorly ventilated buildings, some with shoddy roofs and fire alarm systems that did not function. He also failed to provide safe environments in which students could learn. The “discipline” system he and a former Sheriff cooked up only led to more disruptions to the learning environment and failed to change the behaviors of students who broke school rules.
I just realized I have written in the past tense. That is where Runcie belongs, in the past. Broward students deserve better.
April 21st, 2021 at 8:19 pm
This is delicious! DeSantis was unable to remove him but has finally taken him down via the FDLE. More to come and not just Skool Bored members.
This lying S.O.S. will soon be gone.
April 21st, 2021 at 8:41 pm
1. Charlotte Greenbarg was right all along
2. Buddy Nevins was right all along
3. BUT my FELLOW Democrats will NOT PROBABLY TURN ON THE CROOKS around the School Board for political reasons…
April 21st, 2021 at 9:11 pm
It is ABOUT TIME that this scumbag got caught.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:25 am
The whole Broward Schools construction/facilities/operations have been ‘in trouble’ since the late 1980’s when the shoddy construction resulting in mold, poor air quality, etc was first reported in the Sun Sentinel when the newspaper was 25 cents a copy. All involved were to blame – the architects/A/E design teams, the Facilities Dept., the School Administrators, building Chief(s) and inspectors, the contractors, etc. Anyone remember Becky greenwood who tried to bring change over 25 years ago. It went on through two Grand Jury investigations, numerous superintendents and their right hand cronies, etc. and how many ‘bond’ programs. If a private enterprise ran their real estate portfolio like the SBBC they would all be out of a job with clawbacks of their financial gains. The past elected SBBC members included Diane Wasserman Rubin who later was on BCC and took bribes that led to charges, Miriam Oliphant who was appointed to a sweet SOE gig by Jeb that led to voter debacles as SOE, so compared to them this current elected slate of reps look sterling. Rest assured their allegiance to Runcie is unwavering and he will get a fat raise and another contract extension, isn’t that right ladies? Nothing will change when it happens in Broward, and the electeds will work hard to keep it that way.
April 22nd, 2021 at 10:12 am
Me.Runcie will state he did nothing wrong but hires one of the best criminal defense atty( firm rather) out there.And u didn’t mention Atty.Myrick.She could end up losing her license to practice law .Now would u agree that at the next school be.meeting Me.Runcie will be suspended from his duties until further notice This is coming next.
April 22nd, 2021 at 12:00 pm
Broward clean up.
School board, Sheriff, counrt commissioners we are watching
April 22nd, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Don’t get too excited. Runcie and his team are glorious at spinning things. This will be turned into a “race” issue peppered with “politics” It won’t matter the billons of dollars that have wasted. It won’t matter the children that were harmed. I won’t matter the dead at MSD. It will be about race. DeSantis better be ready, because Runice is slick….
April 23rd, 2021 at 9:47 am
They r not done yet.My guess since they want to speak w/ Osgood but they r told she left for the day.Is she next?.They r not attepting to talk w/ her to take her to lunch.Oh,I think this is just getting started.I also think they have more on Mr.Runcie besides the perjury charge.
April 26th, 2021 at 10:09 am
Ask yourself how many WEALTHY PEOPLE SEND THEIR KIDS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL IN BROWARD COUNTY. That tells you EVERYTHING.M
April 29th, 2021 at 11:45 am
Good riddance! Can’t say it enough!