Attorney General James Uthmeier said he will investigate Broward County Public Schools’ handling of multimillion-dollar technology contracts, after the county inspector general linked the process to efforts to steer business toward a particular vendor.
Inspector General Carol “Jodie” Breece’s office found that School Board members were misled and that a vendor allegedly submitted falsified paperwork to win a contract. The report was referred to State Attorney Harold Pryor’s office, which said prosecutors from both offices plan to talk about the case and welcome collaboration. Uthmeier wrote on X that his office raised concerns last year and that the report did not ease them.
The 623-page report reviewed three solicitations between September 2023 and October 2024 for computer purchases and distribution services worth more than $40 million. The program put roughly 80,000 laptops in students’ hands. Investigators said district staff repeatedly worked against Lenovo, the district’s longtime supplier, and tried to steer deployment work to a local company, Phone & Pad Warehouse. Investigators said that company’s owner, a district employee, submitted a lease overstating its warehouse space more than twofold, and they referred possible felony and misdemeanor violations to prosecutors.
Investigators did not find probable cause for bid-tampering charges against district employees. Superintendent Howard Hepburn said he would recommend firing two employees and seek to end the contract with the company. The inspector general’s office asked for an update by Dec. 29 on 11 recommendations, including better protection of bid information and annual procurement training.
