Attorneys for Allen Zeman want the Broward School Board to drop plans to investigate allegations of inappropriate touching. On February 6, 2023 REDBROWARD broke the news of allegations against Zeman. Following a December 13, 2022 where then-Superintendent Vickie Cartwright was “unfired,” newly-elected School Board Member Allen Zeman allegedly smacked the buttocks of the school district employee. The contact was not wanted or expected. The next day, the employee reported the incident to Cartwright. REDBROWARD is not naming the employee involved in this incident.

One Board Member told REDBROWARD they observed Zeman inappropriately touching the employee.

Another Board Member confirmed the incident happened.

Superintendent Vickie Cartwright used the employee complaint in a “whisper campaign” to save her job, multiple sources told REDBROWARD.

In late January 2023, Zeman filed a motion seeking the firing of Cartwright. According to a third School Board member, it was around this time when a “whisper campaign” divulging the Zeman incident began at Broward Schools headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. This Board Member believes Cartwright also misused this information in her severance negotiations with the District.

During a Broward School Board workshop last Tuesday, Chairwoman Lori Alhadeff called for an investigation into the claims against Zeman, as well as claims against Board Member Brenda Fam.

WITCH HUNT?

Alhadeff’s plan amounts to a kangaroo court—an “external investigator” would be hired to conduct a yet-to-be defined investigation into amorphous complaints and accusations. The Board will vote on Alhadeff’s costly scheme next week.

Yesterday, REDBROWARD broke the news Fam wanted a criminal investigation conducted to clear her name. “I have yet to receive a written copy of the allegations and the school district has no written policy on how to legally proceed,” Fam told REDBROWARD. “As such, I am requesting that criminal charges be filed so I can confront my accuser, and have my day in court.”

Fam said, “This personal attack is but one battle to be fought in the war that is being waged. I will preserve my reputation and continue to advocate for parents and protect traditional family values.”

On Wednesday, lawyers for Allen Zeman sent a letter to Alhadeff. Zeman retained Michael Dutko, a noted Fort Lauderdale criminal lawyer and David Di Pietro. The lawyers claim the Alhadeff’s accusations have “caused significant damage to Dr. Zeman.”

Dutko and DiPietro claim Zeman denied there was any “inappropriate touching between him and the employee.” But in February, Zeman told the Sun-Sentinel, “I don’t actually remember slapping his butt, so I couldn’t tell you if I did or didn’t,” Zeman said. “But we’re also athletes and guys do that to athletes. He had no issue with it.”

Zeman told the newspaper he would have no problem with someone reviewing the matter if the person was offended.

“Had it been, for example, a woman and somebody had done that, there might be different rules. Maybe some men and women have those rules and that’s OK, but it’s really up to them. Right away it was brought up and both of us said, ‘Damn, that was nothing. We don’t care and so why would anybody else?”

Zeman’s lawyers said it was “shocking and deeply disturbing” to revisit this matter.

They wrote, “[T]he recent public comments concerning the proposed school Board action regarding Dr. Zeman seem to incorporate an ulterior motive and appear ot be insincere, disingenuous, and a complete waste of
taxpayer funds.”

TAXPAYERS FOOT THE LEGAL BILLS?

Claiming the accusation against Zeman was “never deemed to be legitimate,” his attorneys asked Alhadeff to remove the item from Tuesday’s agenda. According to Dutko and DiPietro, failure to remove the item would “clearly constitute abuse of process, defamation and malicious prosecution…” They stated Zeman would seek full reimbursement for all legal fees.

One day later, Marylin Batista responded to the attorneys. She stated it was too late to remove the item from the agenda.

The plan to form a kangaroo court remains on Tuesday’s agenda.

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