Lubby Navarro, former Miami-Dade School Board member, stripped of her honorary doctorate degree
MIAMI -- Lubby Navarro is no longer a doctor.
Facing an array of criminal charges for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the former school board member is also being stripped of her honorary doctorate.
"Yes, we are rescinding her doctorate," Michael Fridovich, the chancellor of the Catholic University of New Spain, told CBS News Miami.
In September 2019, the Catholic University of New Spain, a for-profit, private school located on the ninth floor of an office building in downtown Miami, awarded Navarro an honorary doctorate of humane letters noting that she "is a great example of the type of Hispanic leaders who are making a difference in Florida and the world."
After receiving her honorary doctorate, Navarro insisted, according to district sources, on being referred to during school board meetings as "Dr. Navarro" and had school district staff change all the signs, name plates and stationery so that it would now include her honorary title of doctor.
In terms of Navarro's actual education, she earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Florida International University.
Lubby Navarro accused of wrongdoing
Navarro was arrested Jan. 11, for allegedly using school district credit cards on personal items for herself and her family and friends. In all, investigators say they uncovered nearly $100,000 in suspicious purchases, including family vacations to the Dominican Republic and a trip to Las Vegas with her then boyfriend.
"She siphoned away resources meant for the good of our children," Inspector General Felix Jimenez alleged during the press conference announcing her arrest.
Navarro has denied wrongdoing.
"There's a lot more to this case," said her attorney, Ben Kuehne. "Ms. Navarro is not a public servant but will be exonerated."
The arrest warrant claims Navarro purchased two artificial silicon and cotton padded pregnancy bellies from Amazon.
One of the fake bellies simulates the first three months of pregnancy and the second that can be used for the later stages. Investigators claim she used the faux bellies to trick her ex-boyfriend into believing she was pregnant after they had broken up. She also allegedly purchased two electronic tracking devices that detectives reportedly found hidden in the wheel well and under the front grill of her boyfriend's car.
"Oh, lovely," Fridovich said sarcastically after being informed of the charges. "Excuse me for laughing, I know this is serious."
He said he did not know why Navarro was given the honorary degree in 2019, adding "thank goodness that was before my time."
A short time later, Fridovich issued a more formal statement to CBS News Miami, writing: "We are rescinding Ms. Navarro's doctorate. The University does not condone this type of impropriety. We hold our honorary doctorate recipients to a higher standard."
Neither Navarro nor her attorney responded to a request for comment on the school's decision.
School board appointment
Navarro was appointed to the school board by then-Gov. Rick Scott in 2015 and won election to the board in 2016 and 2020.
She resigned in December 2022 after a Constitutional amendment was approved preventing elected officials from working as lobbyists. Navarro worked as a lobbyist for the South Broward Hospital District, which has placed her on administrative leave following her arrest and announced they are conducting an internal review of her spending at the hospital district.
Navarro's tenure on the school board was full of controversy.
In April 2022, during a discussion on recognizing a day of prayer at the school district, she said approving the measure would "send a message to our community that we have one creator, one creator, and that is God and Jesus Christ."
The chairman of the school board later apologized to people of other faiths who may have been offended by her remarks.
That same month, Navarro used her district credit card to buy more than $1,600 in gift cards, that investigators say she would use to hide other unauthorized purchases.
Overall, they claim she purchased more than $40,000 in gift cards, that she either used herself or gave to family members, a charge her attorney denies.