FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reappointed a member to the Broward County Public School board hours after declaring a vacancy.
DeSantis on Thursday signed an executive order appointing Daniel Foganholi to take over the seat of elected board member Rod Velez.
Foganholi will be representing District 1.
This is the governor’s sixth appointment of the year and the second time he appoints Foganholi to the Broward County School Board.
Velez was elected by voters in the last election but was deemed ineligible due to a past felony conviction from the mid-’90s that could bar him from serving in public office.
A vacancy was declared by the governor after the commission failed to swear him in within 30 days following the election.
Velez’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, said Velez’s past felony is taken care of.
“He has finished the term of his sentence. He is not a convicted murder. He is not a convicted sex offender, and all of his fees, fines, and costs are paid,” said Gottlieb. “He is eligible for automatic clemency; it just requires the governor and two cabinet members to sign off on it. The governor has failed and/or refused to do that.”
Foganholi didn’t serve for long the first time he was appointed, but he did help manage to fire Superintendent Vickie L. Cartwright.
Cartwright currently has her job back after elected board members took office in December.
However, the issue is expected to arise again in January with Foganholi back on the board.
“Mr. Foganholi brought the item to terminate the superintendent, so I’m sure that’s probably something that’s still on his radar,” said Broward County School Board Chair Lori Alhadeff.
Velez had won the seat and just needed the governor to approve his clemency by Thursday. Instead, he named his replacement.
“I think this is just the governor’s tyrannical way of wanting to control the Broward County School Board,” said Gottlieb.
In statement issued Thursday, Broward County Public Schools spokesperson John J. Sullivan wrote, “The District congratulates Mr. Foganholi on his appointment to the School Board. The Superintendent looks forward to working with him and the entire Board to honor our student-first approach.”
Gottlieb said his client will continue to fight the governor’s decision.
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