A CHOICE OF PEACE: BROWARD SUPERINTENDENT RUNCIE TO STEP DOWN AMID PERJURY CASE
By Clayton Gutzmore
In the latest chapter of the Robert Runcie controversy, the Broward County Schools Superintendent decided to step down from his position. His decision came during a special workshop meeting of the Broward County School board on Tuesday, April 27 at the administration building in Fort Lauderdale. Runcie was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) on Wednesday, April 21 on the account of perjury in official proceedings, or in other words lying under oath. Runcie’s choice did not come from the perjury case but from the release of the blame for the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school shooting, “If the environment is not as such that I can’t do my very best, I’m willing to discuss a path to a mutual agreement of separation,” said
Robert Runcie.
Runcie, along with Broward County Schools General Counsel Barbara Myrick, is set to resign together. The school board will finalize the terms of their separation from the school district on Thursday, April 29. Lori Alhadeff and Debbi Hixon are two board members who were calling for Runcie’s termination without cause at the workshop. Both Alhadeff and Hixon have lost loved ones in the Parkland shooting, “I know you’ve been in enormous amounts of pain that none of us can ever imagine. And I guess I’m probably part of the source of that, in some way,” Runcie said to Alhadeff during the meeting. Alhadeff joined the board months after the Parkland shooting. She called for Runcie’s firing in 2019. That attempt was unsuccessful. This time, Runcie decided to bow out, “if it’s going to give you peace, and it’s going to give you and those other parents who remain angry — because I don’t see how there’s anything else I can do — if it’s going to give you that, I will step aside so you can have the peace that you are
looking for,” said Runcie.
Runcie is receiving a lot of negative attention. However he does not want everyone to lose sight of what’s important, the development of the students, “I just ask that you just focus on what's in the best interest of these kids, because we can’t let our grievances and frustrations override that, no matter how difficult the things are.” said Runcie. The Broward Superintendent released his first official statement in a video Tuesday morning. Runcie thanked everyone that has shown support of him. He then said that he plans to continue to serve the students and he is confident he is going to be cleared of the charges against him, “I am confident that I will be vindicated and I intend to continue to carry out my responsibilities as superintendent with the highest level of integrity and moral standards as I have done for nearly 10 years,” said Runcie. The Superintendent’s formal arraignment is scheduled for May 12.
