Broward Schools Town Hall Meeting On Security Breaks Into Camps Over Superintendent Runcie's Job Performance

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CORAL SPRINGS (CBSMiami) – People poured into J. P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs on Monday for a public town hall meeting on safety in Broward County Public Schools.

The meeting broke down into two camps — those who support Superintendent Robert Runcie and those who don't.

At times the meeting seemed to break down along racial lines as well as members of a number of predominantly African-American churches showed up to support Runcie.

The head of the local NAACP, Marsha Ellison, supported Runcie.

"We still have confidence in you, Mr. Runcie," she told the board and school security experts at the meeting.

State Senator Perry Thurston, (D) District 33, also announced his support.

"Just as strong as you feel about getting rid of Bob Runcie, we feel just as strong that it ain't gonna happen," he said, as many in the crowd burst into applause.

But many others at the meeting questioned the Superintendent about his job performance and ability to lead the district.

"There is not a sense of urgency for making Broward Schools safe," said Tony Montalto, whose daughter Gina was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Fred Guttenberg put it more plainly.

"Why should you stay in your job?" he asked. "This community is struggling with what happened over this past year. And I blame you."

Guttenberg also addressed an apparent divide in the crowd along racial lines on Runcie's future.

"The bullet that shot my daughter didn't know what color she was and it did not know her socioeconomic status," he said. "And I'm frustrated as hell at what's happening in this room tonight to make this about color and socioeconomic status. This is about security."

CBS4 News spoke with Pastor Eddy Moise from Bethel A.M.E Church in Pompano Beach. He said he believes Runcie is doing an excellent job.

"It's not an issue of color," Moise said. "It's an issue of character. Superintendent Runcie has character."

Moise said his community wants to make sure that lives of all students and staff at all schools in Broward are treated equally.

There were questions about security. People asked about metal detectors. Michael Dorn, Executive Director of Safe Havens Internationall, the company Broward Schools hired to look at its security practices, said metal detectors are not an easy solution.

"The question that everyone should ask is what do you really want with entry point metal detection? What are you trying to achieve?" Dorn told the audience.

An audience member also brought up the Promise program, a diversionary program that came under scrutiny after the shooting. Critics say it creates a culture of leniency in the school district. Runcie says it promotes accountability and works to keep students from getting a criminal record. Runcie told the audience that there's a meeting about the program on Tuesday.

Runcie also said he understands the criticism he receives but that he has no plans to leave.

"Leadership is not about cutting and run when things get tough," Runcie said. "It's my obligation and my responsibility due to the fact that this happened on my watch as superintendent, I need to fix it."

Runcie also said he welcomes a statewide grand jury investigation that is looking at school safety issues.

"We welcome the fact that a grand jury is gonna look at what we actually do and we can get the facts out," he said.

After the meeting we spoke with Debbie Hixon, whose husband Chris was murdered at MSD, while working as a campus monitor. Monday would have been Chris' 51st birthday. Hixon said she felt the meeting would be more substantive.

"The people didn't come with questions," she said. They either were here to be divisive about Mr. Runcie or be his cheerleader and while there's a time and place for that, this wasn't the place for that.

"If we're ever going to be a safe school system, we have to work together."