Unprecedented: Broward School Staff Investigates Two School Board Members!
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Higher ups in the school system ordered an investigation of two School Board members after a complaint their comments at a public meeting amounted to bullying.
The taxpayer-paid investigation of School Board members Robin Bartleman and Nora Rupert cleared the two public officials, according to documents obtained by Browardbeat.com today.
The results are not as notable as this:
It is unprecedented that the school staff conducted an investigation of Board members for comments they made at a public meeting.
The two members investigated — Bartleman and Rupert — are the most outspoken critics of School Superintendent Robert Runcie.
Supintendent Robert Runcie
Triggering the extraordinary investigation was Jillian Haring, a teacher that Runcie personally promoted outside of the usual channels.
The Superintendent said he admired Haring skills with a computer and databases. So he gave her a job in January 2015 as an investigator with the school police, although she had no law enforcement training.
But her transition wasn’t smooth.
Haring’s special treatment from Runcie provoked criticism from some in the school system.
Then she began taking part in police interviews of teachers and principals accused of wrongdoing. There were allegations that she was confrontational and intimidated those who disagreed with her.
“Haring basically took over the Investigations Department,” according to the statement of retired Broward Schools Police Major Angie Pollock.
Pollock alleged that Haring ruled the school police.
“Haring told…that the Chief’s name will come off all police forms and she will be the sole signer. She will sign off on all cases and not the Chief. Haring stated that ‘Bob’, she never called him Mr. Runcie, gave her the authority to do these things,” Pollock said.
Having a former teacher with no law enforcement training virtually control the school police rubbed some the wrong way.
Some of Haring’s critics complained to School Board members Bartleman and Rupert.
There were allegations that Haring allegedly received a raise to roughly $70,000-a-year. There were complaints about Haring’s lack of law enforcement qualifications and her alleged strong-arm tactics.
Bartleman and Rupert heard enough. They brought the issue up at Board meetings.
Becoming a public issue, was distressing for Haring. She formally complained she was being harassed and bullied by Bartleman and Rupert… at the public meetings.
She also complained about Pat Reilly, the school’s Chief Auditor; Lisa Maxwell, the executive director of the Broward Principals and Assistants Association; and Pollock.
Emails show that Runcie’s top staff were flummoxed by the harassment complaint.
Staff somehow made the decision to hire retired Broward County Court Judge Robert Zack to investigate Haring’s allegations.
Former Broward County Judge Robert Zack
That staff believed it was acceptable to investigate the Board is inexplicable even in a government as dysfunctional as the Broward Schools. That staff had the taxpayers pay for an investigation of its elected bosses — inexcusable!
Who actually approved the investigation?
It isn’t immediately clear from the documents released in this matter.
A possible clue? Runcie told Zack in a statement that the two Board members public questions about Haring’s pay and promotion were “out of line.”
Rupert disagreed with Runcie’s reasoning.
In her statement, Rupert stated, “to not inquire about these matters when brought to her attention would mean she was not doing her job as a School Board member.”
A judge from 1988 to 2009 and now a mediator, Zack interviewed all those Haring accused of harassment and Runcie. He concluded that Haring was the one who was guilty of bad conduct.
“The testimony does suggest a pattern of confrontation and intimidation on the part of Mrs. Haring towards anyone who questioned or disagreed with her,” Zack wrote.
My take.
This isn’t the last we will hear of this matter.
December 9th, 2016 at 4:39 pm
Unbelievable – time to clean house.
December 9th, 2016 at 4:47 pm
Loud voices and intimidation tactics are the tell-tell sign of incompetent people….I hear it daily.
December 9th, 2016 at 5:38 pm
In my opinion, Bartleman & Rupert truly care about our students, our teachers & the schools in Broward County. Then when they question some of the decisions that have taken place they are criticized by “bob” & his” flunkies”. We will never have a successful school system, as we have had in years gone by, until “bob” hightails it back to Chicago – hopefully taking his “flunkies with him. As I have predicted in prior posts, “bob” will not make it in the Broward School System until 2019 – the time extension that was given him by his”flunkies” after only two years of mass destruction.
Robin & Nora – keep up your good work. You are badly needed by students, teachers, schools & us taxpayers!
December 9th, 2016 at 5:43 pm
Who authorized a ‘staff’ investigation of ELECTED officials? Ithink this investigation issues raises LEGAL ISSUES that transcend Board Pilucy votes.
December 9th, 2016 at 8:43 pm
why are there “school police?”
December 9th, 2016 at 9:06 pm
As an elected official, I wouldn’t put up with that crap. Fire ‘Bob’ and those on his coattails.
After all, who is in charge???
December 9th, 2016 at 9:58 pm
There are teachers working 50 hours a week for $40K trying to help kids learn to read, and then there’s these idiots..
December 9th, 2016 at 11:34 pm
What else is new.
The School District still (after almost 2 years) has not hired a qualified Chief Fire Official, which is required by the State DOE.
The Design plans for Single Point of Entry projects have sat in a storage room for about 2 years and were only picked up after the incident at Coral Springs High School.
It is hard to believe that Safety is the number 1 priority of the School District.
December 9th, 2016 at 11:50 pm
Seems to me that most of the school bullying in Broward County is being done by the administration, the same administration that budgets money to encourage non-bullying by students.
This do as I say, not as I do attitude by the “higher ups” at the SBBC leads to an ineffective control of bullying by students.
Idea: Send the “higher ups” to anti bullying workshops and let the students pay attention to the subject material taught by the teachers. Make sure the workshop locations are held in school buildings, not hotels where rooms are charged to school credit cards. That is another issue concerning the “higher ups”.
December 10th, 2016 at 7:22 am
FIRE Runcie for cause. He should go with no financial package. I would only guess he has taken enough from Broward’s taxpayers. Leave without your package and just go away.
December 10th, 2016 at 9:43 am
This is clearly a firing offense for the leading official(s) involved—no exceptions.
December 10th, 2016 at 10:51 am
Investigate Runcie. Something smells fishy.
December 10th, 2016 at 3:06 pm
So what particular “qualifications” does Jillian Haring have to get “Bob” to appoint her to such power in the school police?
December 10th, 2016 at 4:23 pm
On what legal or policy authority does staff have the ability to accuse and investigate elected school board members?
How does this not create a chilling impact on the board? If you do your job and strongly criticize and review staff actions, you can get investigated by the staff?
Bring back the grand jury to investigate this.
How much money was spent on this kangaroo court and star chamber? Who authorized it and how?
How is legal and runcie not called on the carpet for this freak show?
December 10th, 2016 at 4:29 pm
Shame on all the School Board members who are so scared of offending a person of a different color that the bow to every wish of Runcie as well as overlook all his wrongdoing. They aren’t fooling anybody by calling themselves the Leading Ladies. The only ones who stand up to King Runcie are Robin Bartleman, Heather Brinkworth, Nora Rupert. The rest are wastes of space.
December 10th, 2016 at 6:37 pm
When the Sun-Sentinel keeps endorsing incompetent, Runcie lap dog incumbents, and those who call themselves civic activists for the public good help get them elected, this is what you get.
December 10th, 2016 at 9:22 pm
Fire runcie. He lies, can’t trust him
December 11th, 2016 at 9:42 am
Sounds like all that “safe spacer” rhetoric of THE DISTRICT is getting out of control, and I can see why. When I spoke at the School Board the past year I was admonished by then Chairperson Rosalind Osgood and then explained “the policy” by interim School Board General Counsel, “approved speech” bully and all around un-American legal stooge Barbara Myrick that the public is not permitted to use elected officials names at the podium at a public meeting. No doubt being publically called out in a calm methodical manner at a public meeting by constituents is deemed a form of constituent to politician bullying. Rest assured, I signed up and showed up at the next meeting to explain that free speech and the right to petition the government was indeed my birth right as an American and trumps any nonsense that that joke lawyer on the dais whispers in their ears. If there is going to be an investigation of school board members, it should surely start with Rosalind Osgood and her “community building” enterprises, Abby Freedman’s ability to understand simple things and the Westside Gazette’s Bobby Henry’s influence over Superintendent Robert Runcie and his continued employment in Broward doing thing “the Chicago way.”
FROM BUDDY:
Not permitted to use elected officials names at the podium?
It sounds like the School Board majority can’t take criticism. And, oh, there is sooooo much to criticize!
You describe the type of political correctness run amuck. It is such thinking that helped create the backlash that elected President Trump.
December 11th, 2016 at 10:55 am
WOW!! I really would love to know who asked for Robin and Nora to be Investigated. We all should know who they are, look at how they attacked Robin in Tuesday Board Meeting. Nora does her homework and Robin has a great passion for Human Rights. I want them two ladies to continue to be great at what they do, they are not there to earn brownie points. They are there for the Students of Broward County Schools.
December 11th, 2016 at 9:30 pm
Cudos to Board members Bartleman and Ruppert. They listen to the public and then do their job.
December 12th, 2016 at 9:23 am
Time for the Broward County Inspector General. We should have him on speed dial.
December 12th, 2016 at 10:09 am
My sons were bullied at Taravella and since Mr.Ceira was in with Runcie nothing happened,also Mrs.Rupert is one of the few who fight for the people.Abby Friedman did nothing to help and she is also close to Mr.Ceira and his inner circle,there is a whole list of protection certain people receive in the Broward County school system,let’s drain that swamp
December 12th, 2016 at 10:21 am
Once again, just like some principal’s participate…those who swing (male and female) are given jobs and protected from all the wrong that they do. It may sound funny, but it’s the truth.
December 12th, 2016 at 8:11 pm
The real question is, did Runcie notify all Board members of the investigation? You know, his bosses.
December 12th, 2016 at 10:24 pm
Bobby Henry is not on the School Board. The Westside Gazette is not the Superintendent. Two personal attacks without a bsis.
December 13th, 2016 at 7:54 am
Many have questioned what Jillian has on Runcie …why does he go to bat for her and stick up for het after all she has proven to be?
Some speculate its information she obtained when she hacked into his emails…other suspect an affair….obviously she has something to hang over his head…One thong is for certain.until the SBBC terminates Runcie and temoves his cronies…this will not change and the District will plunge even further in turmoil and corruption. Good..Levinson..Korn…Friedman….Murry..its time you four stand up and do what you were elected to do. Have a backbone damn it! Osgood will never.
December 13th, 2016 at 12:57 pm
If only “The Grinch” could be a human character…
Aside from the many caring souls who work in the front lines of ESE, the inconvenient truth is that no amount of staff training or workshops can create a moral conscience; or a caring heart.
Go ahead; leading ladies. Keep sending ESE the garbage, the victimized, the traumatized, the drug addicted, the Principal’s dumped girlfriend, the under medicated bipolar element- and the elderly sick and weary of Humana Insurance. Bring it on.
“We”, the good teachers, the new teachers, the subs and the parents who understand the game are exiting this nightmare faster than you can say “Mount Olive”. JH can join the “dump jobs” sent to ESE as punishment for a perceived offence toward an “untouchable.”
One such gem, recently mugshotted by BSO for domestic battery had been placed and then “re-placed” to ESE in Parkland (The safest city for families without disabled school children)
Has BCPS been utilizing the Archdiocese model for their staff placements?
With regard to ESE, many of us who are the parents, teachers and friends of the most oppressed minority population:
THE DISABLED
are very much looking forward to the aftermath of Hurricane Betsy.
December 14th, 2016 at 9:19 am
It’s time that Broward’s Inspector General, Florida DOE & FDLE sit up and take notice of what’s going on in this District. A full audit of activities at the Superintendent’s level as well as at the Facilities & Maintenance levels will bring to light the on-going corruption, favoritism, intimidation, cronyism, malfeasance, demoralization, fraudulence, and miss-management of tax-payer monies and dedicated SBBC employees. The District has never been as miss-managed and corrupt as it has become under the leadership? of Runcie, Bobadilla, and Bays. Just watch Board Meetings for all the proof you need to begin investigations. STATE AGENCIES PAY ATTENTION – IT’S YOUR JOB!
December 14th, 2016 at 12:00 pm
From what I understand, this ridiculous investigation into two school board members and their public comments and questions of the highly questionable Jillian Haring from the dais came from the legal department headed up by “Interim” General Counsel and ardent “approved speech” and “safe spacer” Barbara Myrick. That she would allow an investigation of this foolishness to go forward just shows how little she understands about the meaning of freedom of speech in this country. I guess our elected official now as well as the public should keep their mouths shut if they know what is good for them in regards to the emperor and his new clothes. Constituents verbally “bullying” their politicians at public meeting, politicians verbally “bullying” employees at public meetings. Where does it all end in “Interim” General Counsel Barbara Myrick’s great legal mind? If the geniuses on the School Board ever seek to remove the “Interim” from Ms Myrick’s title you can bet I’ll be there exercising my freedom of speech before she finishes fully extinguishing it.
December 15th, 2016 at 9:35 am
Last night…
Coral Springs Holiday Parade:
The BCSB’s vehicle of callous indifference was heckled and booed by spectators.
Next year, Ms. Bartleman may want to consider Brinkworth and Rupert as floatmates.
December 16th, 2016 at 6:33 am
ASK ANYONE BOTHERED TO ASK IF RUNCIES HAS A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HARING?
WHY IS BSO DETENTION DEPUTY ALLOWED TO WEAR A FIREARM WHEN VISITING SCHOOLS ON PERSONAL MATTERS?
TIME FOR NEW SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
December 16th, 2016 at 8:24 am
Over the years there have been multiple investigations, task forces, and consultants all of whom have been either discounted, ignored, or allowed to implement very small portions of their recommendations for a brief time before Management quickly reverted those process back to their ineffectual ways – ALL AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE!
How much longer are we going to allow this to go on? Over the last two and a half years Management has taken steps to slowly and quietly remove all of the oversight and safeguards that were recommended by Portolan Grau and put in place to curb waste and inappropriate spending at Facilities and Maintenance. It seems like the Chief Facilities Officer is not even aware that it’s happening behind his back. It’s a free-for-all and the loudest, meanest, pushiest, most Board connected voices are catered to. The State of Florida needs to immediately look into how the Bond and Maintenance budgets are being distributed/spent and then take some action to protect taxpayers, SBBC staff, and our kids’ education and health.
December 16th, 2016 at 12:51 pm
@8 Fed Up : hey buddy PUT UP! If you HAVE PROOF or REAL EVIDENCE writeto the State Attorney or US Attorney omsjibf charhes. But Znever Prove them!
December 16th, 2016 at 4:15 pm
It was only 5 years ago that a statewide grand jury recommended the astonishment of the school board due to corruption. They also recommended a strong Super who wouldn’t take crap from the school board members or anyone else. I think Runcie has done that. The complainers are the ones how are used to getting their way. They also recommended the creation of an independent office of Inspector General to monitor the Board and District.
FROM BUDDY:
The Grand Jury never intended that anyone would silence School Board members at a public meeting.
December 17th, 2016 at 3:12 pm
Dear John,
The Grand Jury spoke to board members meddling in day to day business. Calling into classrooms to tell teachers what to do, asking for donations for your not for profit from vendors, steering contracts and projects, choosing staff at schools, demanding your spouse’s practice be chosen in network…… Those are the types of things that board members were doing that were against the law. While there may be board members who still inappropriately interfere with school district operations, Rupert and Bartleman do not.
What Bartleman and Rupert have done, as confirmed by the Judge, is their job. They have created policy and opposed Runcie’s attempts to violate policy through their votes. They should be applauded for their strength to do the right thing even when it is difficult. That is the measure of a leader.
Astonishment? Aren’t you a smarty.
FROM BUDDY:
You are right.
It must be remembered that the Grand Jury report is the product of a group of citizens who see only what a prosecutor wants them to see. Any recommendations from jurors is exactly that…recommendations.
Superintendent Runcie is using the Grand Jury report to justify leaving School Board members out of the decision making at the schools. But what about three important recommendations that both the Board and Runcie has ignored:
* Reducing the number of School Board members to 5.
* Place before the voters the issue of electing the Superintendent
* Create independent office of Inspector General to monitor the Board and District
There are many other management improvement recommendations that Runcie hasn’t followed.
Runcie’s management was publicly criticized by the State Attorney’s Office a year ago. This sentence from the Sun-Sentinel Nov. 12, 2015 sums it up: “The Broward State Attorney’s Office took aim at the Broward school district’s facilities department for continuing the “bad habits” identified in a 2011 grand jury report.”
But hiding behind the Grand Jury report is meaningless anyway. Florida law governing the duties of a School Board member is the guiding document, not any Grand Jury report.
December 18th, 2016 at 2:31 pm
Maybe it’s just me but Runcie and staff act and sound very much like “The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether” – Poe.
December 19th, 2016 at 11:15 pm
@6. I wonder what the ELECTED MAJORITY and Dr Runcie think about the bloggers and their “credibility”? It appears we only hear one side here.
December 22nd, 2016 at 2:08 pm
Buddy, Kudos on spreading the word and exposing this! QUESTION; Where did the amazing email to Runcie’s private email come from? Did you secure it as the result of a Request for Info under Sunshine laws or through the Judges investigative efforts and his requests of info from Runcie and Haring? If this email IS NOT IN THE BROWARD SCHOOL SYSTEM then Runcie and Haring both are in violation of the state of Florida’s Sunshine Laws, aren’t they? Using private emails to go around use of internal emails to discuss school district business is a big no-no, yes-yes? BROWARD, FLORIDA School Superintendent Robert Runcie goes around SUNSHINE laws by USING PRIVATE EMAIL to COLLUDE against specific School Board members and discuss District business; even as he CONS school board members into believing they cannot communicate with each other on ANY topic except during School Board Meetings because of Sunshine laws and a Gross misinterpretation of a prior court opinion on the duties of a school board to OVERSEE the running of district schools!
CRIMINAL!
Why; The Sunshine Laws as currently enforced by Mr. Runcie and the State of Florida have essentially FROZEN the ability of representative elected government at all levels to govern by curtailing their ability to communicate and perform their duties and simultaneously have empowered State special-interest and corporate Lobbyists to become the only acceptable means of communication between our elected leaders across all levels of government – like pouring thick molasses on democracy in America!
DECEPTIVE!
Mr. Runcie was hired by the Broward school board using his credentials as a graduate of the BROAD ACADEMY FOR SUPERINTENDENTS without their full awareness that the purpose of the academy is to send superintendents out to schools across America to oversee the TRANSITION of districts from public to private schools and fulfill the BROAD FOUNDATION’s goal to see the elimination of the entire Public Education system in favor of Privatization. Our school board was conned, there is no other word for it. Just wrong; Three Broad Foundation alumni followed Mr. Runcie to the district and were advertised on the District website for a time, but when a public information request for information was filed, the response was that there were no other Broad alumni in the district!
CRIMINAL!
UNBELIEVABLE; Charter schools are ALLOWED TO HAVE PARENTS SIGN Contracts in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami/Dade Schools in which they agree to Force Kids to Leave if Pregnant!
OBSCENE!….
DISGUSTING!
All this and more, SOLELY because of Mr. Runcie and a School Board asleep at the wheel.
WAKE UP!
Mr. Runcie tried to sell BECON TV against FCC & Congressional wisdom to set aside a percentage of airwaves for public use and NO RESPONSE FROM DO-NOTHING BOARD!
IGNORANT!
Mr. Runcie oversaw the editing-out of public speakers when School Board Meetings air on BECON TV and NO RESPONSE from DO-NOTHING BOARD!
CRIMINAL!
Mr. Runcie has personally seen to the blocking of and hampering of the court mandated Diversity Committee by ignoring requests for granular segregation data, a public website for the sharing of such information, and strong-arm insertion of district staff to “manage” and “oversee” the committee to minimize its influence and ability to operate as intended. Codified Inequality in Florida Charter Schools EVIDENCE: Documents show the student appeals process as having a CHARTER school Box w/out Inputs or Outputs which means kids w/out Options! It is surreal!
CORRUPT!
Enough!
WAKE UP!
All this and more, SOLELY because of Mr. Runcie and our School Board, asleep at the wheel.
WAKE UP!
How can our Broward County Schools Board members face themselves in the mirror, shame, shame, shame!
WAKE UP!
For the meek at heart, understand that FIRING or LETTING-GO of Mr. Runcie will not hurt him, this isn’t about him and he will be MORE THAN FINE as the result, rest assured!
~ TOXIC “EXPECTATIONS” ~
The Broad Foundation and Mr. Runcie’s “expectation” of public school boards and the public school system is that elected SCHOOL BOARDS and the PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM are the PROBLEM and this “expectation” is TOXIC!
The Broad Foundation and the State of Florida will ensure Mr. Runcie is WELL REWARDED and that he see’s a BIG raise when he goes to another poor unsuspecting district – he will be moved up, not down, the food chain, sadly. This is not our concern in Broward; The Broad Foundation’s day will come. But for right now, right here, it is our school boards obligation to end his days as Superintendent and ask him to resign or to leave and simply take a job elsewhere. It is time.
WAKE UP! – And PLEASE take immediate corrective action to protect Public Education in America, protect our Democratic Principles of Equality and protect and fight for our children; they deserve better.
December 23rd, 2016 at 11:17 pm
Ps. It is NOT Dr. Runcie @ #37 (Lee). Not even close. Time to get the Sun Sentinel to investigate further. Enough is Enough!
December 24th, 2016 at 4:35 pm
@39
You are correct. It is Mr, not Dr, Runcie.
December 26th, 2016 at 10:28 am
I dont know and did not follow the hiring of Mr Runcie in 2011 but checking his credentials he was NOT qualified then or now having no significate teachiecperience.