Broward County School Board Member Donna Korn is facing a complaint filed with Florida Commission on Ethics regarding showing favoritism to a vendor. Korn and Shawn Cerra, director of student activities and athletics, vacationed and stayed separately at a $1.1 million beach house in Naples owned by Chuck Puleri. Puleri’s company, Chuck Puleri & Associates, has been Broward County Schools’ longtime distributor for Herff Joes caps and gowns.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel originally launched an investigation last month into the school board member and determined she stayed at the luxurious beach house. The ethics complaint was subsequently filed by Amy Shield, the moderator of a Facebook group entitled “Concerned Citizens of Broward.”
John Daly, another moderator of the same group, filed a complaint against Korn. Both Shield and Daly received confirmation that the ethics commission received their complaint.
“Ms. Korn failed to disclose that she has a personal relationship with Chuck Puleri and has received gifts from him and his company, including vacationing with his family on at least two occasions,” Shield wrote.
Cerra, who is also a Coral Springs City Commissioner, allegedly told principals within Broward County to inform parents that students would not be able to attend graduation unless they are in Herff Jones caps and gowns.
“Cerra is a ‘close friend’ of Puleri and has received gifts from Puleri and failed to disclose their relationship,” Shield wrote.
Korn took the vacations to Puleri’s home in August 2016 and March 2017.
She was also a part of a vote to award Herff Jones with an exclusive contract with the school district in 2016, numerous contract renewals since, and $500,000 in funding above the contract.
Korn said as recently as last month that her friendship with Puleri did not create a conflict of interest and she would not recuse herself.
“I don’t have a benefit from him. I’ve never received any gifts,” she said last month. “I stayed with him, but I paid for my stay. There’s no grounds by which to recuse myself.”
Korn was originally elected to her Seat 8 At-Large post on the School Board in 2012 with two-year terms. She has not disclosed whether or not she will run again in 2022, but she does have an active campaign website, albeit dated as recently as 2019.
However, according to the Broward County Supervisor of Elections website, Raymond Adderly is the only filed candidate for the Seat 8 At-Large position. Adderly is a 17-year-old Broward County student at Fort Lauderdale High School who, since his announcement in June 2021, has raised nearly $15,000 for his campaign.
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at the Florida Capital Star and the Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Photo “Broward County School Board Member Donna Korn” by Broward County Public Schools.
