Jesse Scheckner
Prosecutors have dropped a felony perjury case against former Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, ending a four-year legal saga without a trial.
The decision was announced in Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein’s courtroom just as jury selection was set to begin.
Under an agreement his lawyers reached with the Office of Statewide Prosecution, Runcie acknowledged he gave untrue statements to a grand jury, but did not admit guilt.
In a statement included in the deal, Runcie said, “Although I did not intend to commit perjury before the Grand Jury, some of those answers were misleading, inaccurate, and therefore untrue.” As part of the resolution, Runcie must avoid breaking the law for six months and pay $4,741.52 to cover prosecution costs.
Violating those terms could trigger the state to refile the case, a prosecutor told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, which first reported on Runcie’s deal.
The case originated from Runcie’s April 2021 indictment, which alleged he lied under oath when asked if he had prepared for his grand jury testimony. Prosecutors presented evidence that he had consulted Mary Coker, then the Procurement Director for Broward County Schools, regarding a contract discussed during questioning. Coker was expected to testify if the case had proceeded to trial.
Fein initially dismissed the case in April 2023, ruling that the statewide grand jury lacked jurisdiction unless the crime occurred in multiple counties. The 4th District Court of Appeal later reversed that decision on the grounds that Runcie’s testimony was broadcast to jurors across several counties during the pandemic. Fein declined a second dismissal request last week, prompting renewed negotiations that led to Monday’s dismissal.
Runcie accrued more than $230,000 in legal fees, all paid by Broward Schools under a 2021 separation agreement that stipulated he must repay the District if he was found guilty or pleaded no contest.
Runcie resigned in 2021 following his indictment. He had overseen the district during the 2018 Parkland school shooting and was a focus of a statewide grand jury impaneled to investigate school safety and financial mismanagement.
