Petitioner: BROWARD COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
Respondent: KAYHLENE GAINER-BOSTIC
Judges: DARREN A. SCHWARTZ
Agency: County School Boards
Locations: Lauderdale Lakes, Florida
Filed: May 07, 2014
Status: Closed
Settled and/or Dismissed prior to entry of RO/FO on Monday, November 10, 2014.
Latest Update: Nov. 20, 2024
BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA
ROBERT W. RUNCIE, Superintendent,
Petitioner,
vs.
KAYHLENE GAINER-BOSTIC, Employee,
Respondent.
/
ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
COMES NOW, the Petitioner, THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BROWARD COUNTY,
FLORIDA, through its Superintendent, ROBERT W. RUNCIE, and files this Administrative
Complaint and states the following:
I. JURISDICTIO 1S
1, The Agency is The School Board of Broward County, Florida located at 600
Southeast Third Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida 33301.
2. The Petitioner is Robert W. Runcie, who is the Superintendent of Schools of
Broward County, Florida. His address is 600 Southeast Third Avenue, Fort Lauderdale,
3. The Petitioner is statutorily obligated to recommend the placement of School
Board personnel, and require compliance and observance by all personnel with all laws, rules
and regulations. See ' 1012.27, Fla. Stat.
4. The employee against whom discipline is recommended, Respondent,
KAYHLENE GAINER-BOSTIC, is currently employed as a teacher at Coral Springs High
School.
5. The legal basis for Ms. Gainer’s suspension is misconduct in office and
insubordination. See 1012.33, Fla. Stat.; Fla. Admin, Code r. 6A-5.056.
II. ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES
The Petitioner, Robert W. Runcie, alleges as follows:
6. This recommendation is based upon conduct during the 2013-2014 school year,
7. The Respondent is a teacher at Coral Springs High School who also runs the
school’s Little Colts day care program.
8. On October 22, 2013, the Respondent went to Publix to purchase snacks and
other items for the day care program and subsequently submitted a receipt for reimbursement.
The receipt reflects that the Respondent made the purchases at 8:46 a.m., which is during her
scheduled first period class.
PH ReSPort ent falled tO follow district and schoot sign-out procedures, amd left ———__—~
her students unattended while she was at Publix.
10. On October 28, 2013, a pre-disciplinary meeting was held with the Respondent to
discuss this conduct.
11. Thereafter, on November 8, 2013, Principal Susan Leon-Leigh issued a written
reprimand.
12. Again, on January 10, 2014, the Respondent went to Publix, and submitied a
receipt for reimbursement which was time stamped at 8:59 a.m., again, a time when she was
supposed to be in her classroom supervising her students.
13. On that date, the Respondent did fill out the Coral Springs High School
2
sign-in/sign-out log, but indicated that she returned to the school at 8:25 a.m., which is directly
contradicted by the receipt which reflects that she was at Publix until at least 8:59 a.m.
14, On January 28, 2014, another pre-disciplinary meeting was held to address the
Respondent’s misconduct (in not following policies and in leaving her students unattended) and
her insubordination (in failing to comply with the written reprimand that she not engage in this
behavior).
15. Accordingly, the Principal, Susan Leon-Leigh, recommended that the
Respondent be suspended, without pay, for a period of two days.
16. Also during the 2012-2013 school year, an unrelated investigation was
commenced by the Broward District Schools Police, into the theft of funds in the Respondent’s
office in the day care at Coral Springs High School.
17. The investigation reflected that the Respondent, who was collecting money from
—_———her day care famifies for stadents* uniforms; left the money bag out om her desk, inrar unlocked
office for nearly three hours while she was in her classroom and later determined that nearly
$700.00 was missing.
18. The Broward District Schools Police could not proceed with the case because it
had no leads as to the identity of the person or persons who might have taken the money.
However, the matter was returned to the attention of the Principal, Susan Leon-Leigh, to
address the Respondent’s failure to take appropriate security measures with regard to the funds
that had been collected.
19. On March 12, 2014, another pre-disciplinary meeting was held to address the
missing funds.
20. Thereafter, Principal Leon-Leigh, considered the conduct, the other recent issues
with the Respondent’s conduct addressed herein, the Respondent’s prior discipline (which
included a verbal reprimand in 2009 for the improper collection of money at school for
non-school-sponsored events), and School Board Policy 4.9 (disciplinary guidelines),
21. Principal Leon-Leigh then recommended that the Respondent be suspended from
her position, without pay, for one additional day, as discipline for her failure to comply with
policies and procedures for the safeguarding of funds that had been collected.
22. Having reviewed the materials supporting the charges against the Respondent, the
Petitioner/Superintendent hereby agrees with the recommendation of Principal Leon-Leigh that
Kayhlene Gainer be suspended without pay from her position as a teacher at Coral Springs High
School for a total of three days.
23.—_In-aeeordance-with—-Floridataw,—this-recommendation-for-suspension-must-be-
reviewed, and approved by the School Board. See '1012.33(6)(b), Fla. Stat.
24. — If the ultimate decision is adverse to her, the Respondent may challenge the
decision by seeking an administrative hearing pursuant to Chapter 120 of the Florida Statutes,
EXECUTED this {> day of Nee} , 2014.
ROBERT W. RUNCIE
Superintendent of Schools
cc: Debra P. Klauber, Esq. ~
Cadre Attorney
Docket for Case No: 14-002080TTS
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
Nov. 10, 2014 |
Order Closing Files and Relinquishing Jurisdiction. CASE CLOSED.
|
Nov. 07, 2014 |
CASE STATUS: Motion Hearing Held. |
Nov. 06, 2014 |
(Petitioner's) Motion to Stay or Continue Hearing (filed in Case No. 14-003158TTS).
|
Nov. 06, 2014 |
(Respondent's) Unopposed Motion to Stay Proceedings filed.
|
Nov. 06, 2014 |
(Respondent's) Unopposed Motion to Stay Proceedings (filed in Case No. 14-003158TTS).
|
Oct. 29, 2014 |
Order of Pre-hearing Instructions.
|
Aug. 11, 2014 |
Amended Notice of Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for November 10, 2014; 9:00 a.m.; Lauderdale Lakes and Tallahassee, FL; amended as to hearing date).
|
Jul. 31, 2014 |
Order of Consolidation (DOAH Case Nos. 14-2080TTS and 14-3158TTS).
|
Jul. 22, 2014 |
Notice of Transfer.
|
Jun. 25, 2014 |
Order Granting Continuance and Re-scheduling Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for October 3, 2014; 9:00 a.m.; Lauderdale Lakes, FL).
|
Jun. 24, 2014 |
Joint Motion for Continuance of Hearing filed.
|
May 15, 2014 |
Notice of Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for July 3, 2014; 9:00 a.m.; Lauderdale Lakes and Tallahassee, FL).
|
May 12, 2014 |
(Petitioner's) Response to Initial Order filed.
|
May 08, 2014 |
Initial Order.
|
May 07, 2014 |
Request for Administrative Hearing filed.
|
May 07, 2014 |
Administrative Complaint filed.
|
May 07, 2014 |
Agency action letter filed.
|
May 07, 2014 |
Petition for Formal Proceedings filed.
|
May 07, 2014 |
Referral Letter filed.
|