Stambaugh, after arriving to the school, drove to a nearby highway and looked on through field glasses. Sergeant Miller stood outside the school as shots rang out. Miller, Stambaugh and Eason represented part of the failed police response on the day when a teenage gunman murdered 17 staff and students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. So in just back pay and overtime, the decision on the two deputies represents some $580,000 just in back pay and likely accrued overtime if the deputies are reinstated in June, two years after they were terminated. Stambaugh earned $152,857 in base and overtime pay in 2018 and Miller earned $137,249. The ruling, especially if the third deputy is successful, could reach upward of $1 million in pay and benefits. The sheriff’s office would not say Thursday if it intends to appeal the decision at a higher level. “Nevertheless, will continue to fight to uphold discipline when deputies commit misconduct on the job.” The Sheriff’s Office said it believes that the arbitration process is inherently flawed, preventing law enforcement agencies from holding law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct. “The union’s claimed ‘victory’ fails to acknowledge that the union fought desperately to prevent the arbitrator from hearing the facts that justified the termination of these deputies, and that this ‘victory’ was the result of a procedural technicality, which the Sheriff’s Office maintains was wrongly decided.” 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when Miller and Stambaugh failed to do their jobs, and it is belief that the deputies do not deserve their jobs back. “We don’t get to bring back the children who were murdered on a technicality,” Pollack said.ĭespite Thursday’s ruling, the Broward Sheriff’s Office’s general counsel maintains the deputies shouldn’t get their jobs back. He said he wants parents to know that the fired deputies could possibly be called to an emergency: “ this is who you got coming.” If people really cared, that is what they would do.” “Every mayor in every city should say we don’t want these deputies in our town responding to a 911 situation. “It is painful for me to once again see there is no accountability.”Īndy Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, was killed in the attack, said he hopes the decision is a call-to-action for city and county leaders. “Alyssa and 16 others are no longer here because of the failures and inactions by many, including Miller and Stambaugh,” said Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter, Alyssa, was killed in the massacre. "The union's claimed 'victory' fails to acknowledge that the union fought desperately to prevent the arbitrator from hearing the facts that justified the termination of these deputies, and that this 'victory' was the result of a procedural technicality, which the Sheriff's Office maintains was wrongly decided."Ī third case involving the dismissal of deputy Edward Eason is still ongoing.- Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter, Alyssa, was killed in the massacreīell said he fully understands the ruling will not sit well with Parkland families and survivors. There were no victors on February 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when Miller and Stambaugh failed to do their jobs, and it is belief that the deputies do not deserve their jobs back," the Broward Sheriff's Office's general counsel said in a statement. The Sherrif's Office blasted the decision to reinstate the officers but did not say if they would file an appeal. In addition to back pay, the officers will also receive accrued sick and vacation time, plus overtime and off-duty detail pay, which they would have earned in the time since they were terminated. Brian Miller was dismissed two days after the deadline had passed. Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony decided to fire Joshua Stambaugh 13 days after the deadline. Under Florida law, officials have 180 days after the competition of an investigation to discipline officers. The ruling by Broward Circuit Judge Keathan Frink upholds decisions made last year by arbitrators who determined that the firings were unlawful because officials took long to punish the two deputies. A judge in Florida ruled that two Broward County deputies who were fired for inaction during the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland must be reinstated with back pay.
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