JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Less than two months after FBI and IRS agents raided the Jacksonville office of Duval Teachers United (DTU), there are still a lot more questions than answers about what federal crime the agencies were investigating, and who is the target.
As those questions loom, DTU now has new leadership after longtime president Terrie Brady retired last week.
“After more than 40 years in public education and a rewarding 30+ year career with Duval Teachers United (DTU), I have retired from my current position as president to spend more time with my family. It has been an honor to serve DTU, and I am confident the organization will continue to strengthen our public school system, enabling our members to provide the best education for all students in Duval County,” Brady wrote in a statement to News4JAX.
Brady has served as the president of the teacher union that represents teachers and staff in Duval County Public Schools for over 20 years. Brady is a former member of the Democratic National Committee and leader of the Florida and Duval County Democratic Party. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Brady presided over statewide victories for the Democrats in Lawton Chiles’ re-election in the 1994 governor’s race and President Clinton’s Florida victory in 1996, the first victory for a Democratic presidential candidate in Florida in 20 years. She stepped down from her role as Chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party in 1998 to focus on her role in DTU, the Times reported.
“She oversaw contract negotiations, led the efforts to pass a referendum to help fund Duval County Schools, worked with various community groups and brought local businesses to the table to support Duval’s students,” DTU said in a news release on Tuesday. “She earned her retirement.”
DTU Vice President Ruby George also retired earlier this month which was previously planned, DTU said. News4JAX was told the raid in September and the retirements are not related.
The DTU Executive Board met Monday to elect a new president and vice president and those names were released on Wednesday afternoon.
The DTU Board voted by secret ballot to elect Tammie Brooks-Evans as President and Jessica Reyst as Executive Vice President of Duval Teachers United. The new DTU leaders are both certified teachers on personal leave of absence as the Collective Bargaining Agreement allows, from Duval County Public Schools.
DTU said Brooks-Evans worked as a teacher for the Duval County Public Schools prior to working at DTU as a Staff Consultant and the Chief Negotiator.
“The new leadership and staff stand ready to work with the DTU Board of Directors and Building representatives to continue to provide great support to the excellent educators and support staff in the Duval County School System. The leadership team also looks forward to the continued success at the bargaining table for the Teachers, Paraprofessionals and United Office Personnel of Duval (UOPD) employees they represent,” DTU said in a release on Thursday.
FBI and IRS agents arrived at the DTU building off Atlantic Boulevard in early September and left several hours later carrying boxes of business materials, paperwork and computer equipment. In one of the photos shared by the Florida Times-Union, a box of evidence is clearly labeled “DTU Credit Card statements.”
News4JAX has heard from various sources that federal investigators are looking into how they had been handling its money, and the raid involves the potential misappropriation of funds.
“We continue to be focused on upholding our mission of supporting our members and the students we serve. We are fully cooperating with authorities and anticipate a full and thorough assessment of the facts. To respect the integrity of the process we will not discuss any further details,” DTU said in a statement.
News4JAX spoke with Attorney Hank Cox who showed up at the DTU building following the raid. He would not say who he was representing and what the allegations were.
DTU is one of the strongest school teacher unions remaining in Florida. Many of the state’s unions have faced challenges after a new law passed last year imposed strict rules about membership and fees.
The union said it continues to grow despite a new law that makes it harder for teachers and staff to join the union. DTU said it currently has over 6,500 members.