The Westside Gazette broke the story about what has been coined as “Slap Gate” when one of the newly appointed Board members groped one of Cartwright’s Cabinet members. This was witnessed by a Board member which prompted the Cabinet member to report it immediately to Cartwright. Instead of Cartwright doing something about it herself, she sat on this information for two months and only whipped it out to coerce support from the Board member. And when that didn’t work, she kept that same blackmail card as leverage to negotiate money for her mutual exit agreement. The employee who was on the receiving end of the groping has said he is not interested in filing any sort of complaint and would like to put it behind him. Let it be known that even so, groping or slapping another person on the rear end in the workplace is inappropriate workplace behavior. This act needs to be investigated, along with the fact that Cartwright didn’t report it and attempted to use it to extort Board members.
Further, it is rumored that Cartwright has three other alleged claims that she sat on until the opportune moment. The second allegation is that a Board member met with her to strong arm her into hiring more African American vendors. I am not sure how a Board member can strong arm her into doing her job. I took the following straight from the BCPS website.
“The School Board of Broward County, Florida (SBBC) and the Economic Development & Diversity Compliance Department (EDDC) are committed to conducting business with diverse suppliers and contractors and are continually developing and promoting business opportunities. We strive to ensure that Minority/Women Business Enterprises have the maximum opportunity to do business with the District. The Superintendent’s Goal Setting Committee is responsible for establishing S/M/WBE program goals for the School District based upon industry categories, vendor availability, project-specific characteristics, and M/WBE utilization.”
Cartwright’s third alleged claim is that a Board member and one of her harshest critics tried to strong arm her into hiring her in exchange for stopping the public criticism. Cartwright even crossed Andrews Avenue and went over to the Broward courthouse to file a complaint which went nowhere fast.
Lastly, Cartwright claims, “public humiliation” and discrimination based on her race and gender by a Board member. I am still struggling to understand how giving her a report card on her performance considered public humiliation. As superintendent of the sixth largest school district in the nation, Cartwright is a public figure. She cannot claim discrimination when truth is being spoken to power by her boss. According to the Board member, Cartwright had not engaged him at all since mid-November. Had the Board member desired to provide Cartwright with a report card in a less public space, she never afforded him the opportunity.
Cartwright’s attorney had the gall to mention that Runcie got an exit package that exceeded $700,000. Batista accurately countered that Runcie was superintendent for ten years to Cartwright’s two years. Using Cartwright’s logic, she should have been granted 1/5 or 20 percent of Runcie’s package since she was in Broward 1/5 of the time he was here, yet she clenched closer to 50 percent of Runcie’s exit package.
There must be something illegal or at the very least unethical about this brokered deal between Cartwright and her attorney and Board Chair Alhadeff and Interim Counsel Batista. It has blackmail, extortion and bribery written all over it.
Here is what needs to happen on Tuesday. The Board needs to vote down this ridiculous blackmail agreement, fire Cartwright with cause effective immediately and send her packing, and name Dr. Earlean Smiley or Dr. Valerie Wanza interim superintendent so we can get to the business of educating our children.
I am sick of this foolishness
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