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.
The DTU Executive Board met Monday to elect a new president and vice president and those names will be released following a meeting with the union’s school leaders on Wednesday.
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 said it currently has over 6,500 members.
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