Report ties Duval schools superintendent Bernier to rough language, not racism, in old job

Jacksonville | By Steve Patterson | November 19, 2024

Was Duval County schools Superintendent Christopher Bernier a jerk as a boss? Was he something worse?

The Lee County school district around Fort Myers, where Bernier was superintendent until April, hired a labor lawyer to dig into that question after Bernier abruptly quit last spring, weeks before he was picked to run Jacksonville’s schools.

The lawyer’s 19-page report testing complaints of racial discrimination and derogatory comments about two female employees was dated July 30 but just came to light recently.

The report described Bernier raising his voice, using profanity and speaking in insulting ways to a high-ranking Black employee, but found that employee “was not the sole target of this conduct, and that race was not a factor.”

The findings also said Bernier “spoke about and appeared to regard some female employees less favorably than men,” but added there was no sign that had affected any terms or conditions of their jobs.

Bernier has been Duval County’s superintendent since July, having negotiated a four-year, $320,000-a-year contract.