Broward School Board stalls on plan to hire outside investigator after 2 members accused of inappropriate touching
FORT LAUDERDALE - The Broward School Board on Tuesday voted 5-2 to postpone discussion on hiring an independent investigator to look into allegations against two members accused of inappropriate touching.
"After two hours of conversations, it was very clear there were still bits and pieces the board collectively did not have," said District 2 Board Member Torey Alston.
"This whole thing is actually a mess," said District 1 Board Member Daniel P. Foganholi. "I feel like we're up here playing Clue."
The board moved the decision to vote on retaining an independent investigator to its April 18 meeting. Zeman was present for the meeting but Fam was not.
As part of its agenda during its regular meeting Tuesday, the board was set to decide whether to allow interim Superintendent Earlean Smiley and the district's general counsel to hire an outside investigator to look into the allegations against Brenda Fam of District 6 and Allen Zeman who holds the countywide at-large Seat 8, according to CBS News Miami news partner The Miami Herald
An 18-year-old student reportedly told the district that Fam touched him on the buttocks during an event on March 27, according to the Sun-Sentinel. Fam has said that she inadvertently brushed against someone with her hand at a banquet at the Signature Grand in Davie but didn't say where on the body it was.
Fam told the Miami Herald that she respects the call for an investigation.
In regards to Zeman, a male school district employee told former Superintendent Dr. Vickie Cartwright in December that Zeman had hit him on the buttock, according to the Sun-Sentinel. The school employee involved in the alleged incident said he did not wish to file a complaint.
Zeman told the Miami Herald that every complaint needs to be heard and every complaint with credibility needs to be investigated.
The incident occurred last December, and District 3 Board Member Sarah Leonardi says the that district's general counsel has already looked into it and told her: "The incident was without merit. The person who reported it verbally did not see any issue with what happened."
Absent from the meeting, Fam faces accusations of touching an 18-year-old student on the buttocks last month, from what CBS4 learned at the meeting.
"There was an SRO incident report formally written and submitted," the interim Superintendent Earlean C. Smiley shared of that incident.
Alston said he learned most of what he now knows about the allegations from the meeting. With the district's general counsel Marylin Batista absent, he wanted to wait until next week to ask her questions before deciding a path forward.
"What took so long to share one incident with the board," Alston said. "Was an investigation or review done in one case?"
