Ron DeSantis Drops the Hammer, Suspends Four Broward County School Board Members

Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis today dropped the hammer, suspending four Broward County School Board members.

The suspension comes after a grand jury recommended the board members for removal and accused them of  “deceit, malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, and incompetence.”

Ann Murray, Donna Korn, Laurie Rich Levinson, and Patricia Good were suspended after being accused of having a “fanatical desire to control data” to use it “to manipulate public perception.”

Korn is the only one of the four who is running for re-election, as the other three were to have their term end in November.

In the primary that took place on Tuesday, Korn finished in first place, although her margin of victory was by less than one percent.

Korn will now face off with Allen Zeman in November’s general election. It is unclear what will happen if she wins at that point.

Political opponents attempted to use the move against DeSantis including teenager activist Jack Petocz, who declared in a tweet that “Ron DeSantis just removed 4 democratically elected school board members from office.”

“This is the work of an autocrat. I’m terrified,” Petocz, who lives in Florida, insisted.

Ron DeSantis just removed 4 democratically elected school board members from office.

This is the work of an autocrat. I’m terrified.

— Jack Petocz (@Jack_Petocz) August 26, 2022

DNC member Thomas Kennedy suggested in a tweet that it is”Yet another instance of authoritarianism from Ron DeSantis.”

“He just overturned four elections by removing four Broward school-board members from office,” Kennedy reported.

Kennedy then claimed that “This is part of his efforts to insert his far-right extremist agenda into our education system.”

Yet another instance of authoritarianism from Ron DeSantis. He just overturned four elections by removing four Broward school-board members from office. This is part of his efforts to insert his far-right extremist agenda into our education system. pic.twitter.com/cZqRAytTZ2

— Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn) August 26, 2022

Grand Jury Recommends Ron DeSantis Remove Four Members of Broward County School Board for ‘Deceit, Malfeasance, Misfeasance, Neglect of Duty and Incompetence’