State-ordered review of Broward School Board members finds no wrongdoing

Sun Sentinel | By Scott Travis | December 5, 2024

An outside lawyer hired to review allegations of ethical breaches by three Broward School Board members found no evidence of wrongdoing.

The inspector general’s office for the State Department of Education ordered the school district to conduct an “independent review” of allegations made against board members Jeff Holness, Sarah Leonardi and Allen Zeman.

The district submitted the findings to the state Wednesday afternoon.

Nathalie Lynch-Walsh, a longtime volunteer with the district as well as one of its most vocal critics, filed a series of complaints with the state this year alleging improper relationships between the three board members and vendors. She also alleged the School Board improperly used federal COVID dollars to pay for teacher raises.

But Continental Attorneys-At-Law, a Coral Gables firm hired by the district to review the complaints, recommended the complaints be dismissed.

Lynch-Walsh’s concerns “appear to be driven by disagreements with the Board’s exercise of its judgment and policymaking. To the extent her concerns over the motivation underpinning an individual Board members’ vote is framed as an ‘improper influence’ due to political contributions, there is no record evidence to support such an allegation,” Continental lawyers Jesus M. Suarez and Marianne Arellano wrote.

“The matters raised by the Complainant are all policy considerations within the Board’s lawful discretion and no evidence of waste, fraud, or mismanagement has been uncovered,” the lawyers wrote. “Complainant may disagree with the Board’s wisdom in the way it chose to address contract, staffing, and budget issues, but her recourse lies in persuasion and the democratic process.”

Lynch-Walsh, reached Thursday, said the assertion that her complaint was based on a policy difference “is absolutely incorrect.” She said she witnessed board members do what appeared to be lobbying from the dais.

But she said she wasn’t surprised the lawyers were unable to prove unethical behavior since they had no subpoena power, nor did they have the authority to take statements under oath. “I can’t say I’m surprised by the outcome,” Lynch-Walsh said.

Lynch-Walsh told state officials and the law firm that she witnessed troubling interactions between board members and subcontractors for AECOM, the company hired to manage the district’s $800 million bond for school construction. She said Zeman and Holness shared information about the subcontractors at a June 2023 Board meeting that she alleged were “too specific and detailed to have been the result of anything other than insider information.”

Lynch-Walsh also alleged the board members may have been influenced by political contributions by the subcontractors. The investigators said the three board members “unequivocally” denied having improper relationships, and the investigators said they found the denials credible.

The complaint also questioned whether there was anything improper about Zeman’s brother getting a land-surveying contract. The investigators determined there was no evidence that the school board member had any influence over the contract, and determined that he properly recused himself during the vote.

The investigators also said the School Board’s decision to use federal COVID relief dollars for teachers’ raises, a move that was opposed by three Republican members on the School Board, was allowed by the state Department of Education.

Leonardi said she was happy to cooperate with the investigation “and am not surprised it illustrates that these allegations were clearly false.

“At a time of division in both our county and our country, now is the time for us to set aside petty political grievances and personal vendettas and replace them with unity and leadership,’ she said. “As stewards of taxpayer dollars, we have a responsibility to end this pattern of waste and abuse based on divisive politics and fraudulent allegations. Our residents and students are counting on us to be better, and I hope the end of this investigation allows us to move forward.”

Zeman told the Sun Sentinel “there’s tremendous value” in the public being able to file complaints if they have concerns with the School Board’s actions. But he voiced concern about frequent accusations of unethical behavior that come from Lynch-Walsh.

“There’s a limit to an abuse of that authority,” he said. “There was significant expense to the district and significant duress by three School Board members. It’s also a significant distraction. These accusations had no basis in fact.”

Holness voiced similar sentiments.

“It is unfortunate that a member of several of our advisory committees finds it appropriate to express their disagreement with board action by alleging wrongdoing,” he said. “These unfounded allegations required the board to allocate financial and time resources to investigate and defend its actions, diverting well-needed funds away from our students’ education priorities.”