Coward and Coward are defiantly no cowards

Trails In The Sand By Peter Traceit, The Street Detective

Ol Pete watched with glee as Alfreda Coward of Coward and Coward Law spoke truth to power in the most eloquent way possible at the Board meeting on Tuesday.  If you recall, Ol Pete called it months ago when reporting that Broward schools uses the process of “rejecting all bids” when a vendor who they don’t like wins a contract.  Coward and her sister, Kimberly responded to a request for proposal to provide legal services to the district.  Only two vendors applied, and Coward and Coward were awarded the bid. District staff notified them that they had won and began the process of negotiating contract terms.

But, Whoa Nelly. All of a sudden district staff began finding all sorts of rhyme and reason why the Coward sisters would not or should not receive the contract.

The Detective is told that months and months passed after the sisters were verbally told they won the award, yet the deal wasn’t sealed with the Board’s approval. Finally, a Board agenda item to reject all bids and provide these services in-house was presented Tuesday.
The Coward sisters showed up in the morning for the Board meeting and the Board conveniently did not address their Board items until late evening. Pete waited with the Coward sisters because it was evident there was going to be some sand flying in the air.
Sister Kim gave her Big Sister three minutes of her time and Alfreda Coward spoke for six minutes on behalf of her and her sister. She dug into the Board like Fani Willis has dug into Jim Jordan, leaving no sand grain unturned. Pete scribbled on a note pad as she challenged the rationale that the rejection was a result of the district not having the funds. Pete chuckled as she brilliantly pointed out that Super Pete, on the very same Board agenda, was looking to add two new positions, one being an Attorney to the Superintendent who answers directly to him and not current lead counselor, Marilyn Batista.

But Coward wasn’t finished digging. She was going to work like Mc Hammer and his army of dancers. She pointed out that Board Attorney Batista wasn’t pleased that the Coward girls were selected because she, Alfreda Coward actively attended Board meetings and provided sound counsel during the entire Vicky Cartwright quadruple firing debacle.  Alfreda Coward was no coward then and is no coward now. She then dug her nails into the Board chair and reminded the entire Board room and online listeners that her sister, Kimberly was the person who entered into the District 4 School Board race against Lori Alhadeff at the eleventh hour and gave her a ride that she has obviously not forgotten.

In the end, all but one Board member, Allan Zeman voted to bring the item back to a subsequent meeting to award Coward and Coward to provide the legal services outlined in the request for proposal.

Ol Pete was thinking that if Coward and Coward were not approved for the contract, Alfreda Coward might just be the counsel Super Pete would need for his proposed added counsel position. New Pete is also proposing to add a Chief Strategy Officer whose job would be to deal with the right sizing of schools, more appropriately known as school closures or school repurposing. Also on the list is working with ESE which has been a colossal mess for years. Traceit was not surprised that the Board members didn’t approve the addition of New Pete’s two additional positions. They tabled them for a future workshop. Ol Pete is thinking that while New Pete is adding now, he will be cutting come May 2024 when he presents the new organization chart.  The Detective is thinking it will be very interesting to see who survives and who dies on the vine.