- October 14, 2026
A Volusia County Schools employee has filed a complaint against a School Board member.
Now, the School Board is hiring outside counsel to investigate the complaint.
The board voted unanimously at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to approve an agreement for limited investigation services with Brown Law & Consulting. According to the agreement, the Tampa-based firm will perform the investigation at an hourly rate of $300 an hour for attorney time, $200 an hour for senior human resources consultant time and $90 an hour for paralegal services time. The firm will also be reimbursed for travel and out-of-pocket expenses.
Neither the agreement nor the agenda item provide more details regarding the complaint by a district employee. In response to an Observer request for more information, the district cited an exemption based on Florida Statute 119.071(2)(k).
At the meeting, School Board member Donna Brosemer questioned the cost and use of taxpayer dollars, as well as the scope of the agreement.
"It doesn't reference a statute, a rule, or policy or anything that is being evaluated, and considering the fact that board members are elected officials, there are varying levels of of authority," Brosemer said. "So, what is the target here?"
VCS staff attorney Heidi Crimins said she couldn't give the board an estimate on how much the investigation will cost, nor how long it will take the firm to investigate the complaint.
"This needs to be treated the same that we would our own internal investigations," Heidi Crimins said. "There is not a lot of public information available during an open investigation and that's where we're at on this."
Crimins, however, said board members have received information regarding the complaint.
School Board member Krista Goodrich initiated the request to engage outside counsel. At the meeting, she said she had spoken to the employee who filed the complaint; the employee categorized it as an "ethical violation," Goodrich added.
Goodrich said that she recommended they utilize outside counsel because their attorney represents both the School Board and the district.
"I don't see how that could be partial when it's a district employee and the School Board," Goodrich said. "I see no way to do it besides go to outside counsel."
As far as the cost, Goodrich said it "devastates" her to use taxpayer funds.
"But at the same time, we would be remiss as a board to sit back and say, 'Well, it was one of ours, so we're not going to follow up on it,'" Goodrich said. "I don't think that's right. ... I don't know what the path looks like forward, because I don't know that we've been through this before. So that's why I'm supporting it."
