Photo courtesy of Pulitzercenter.org

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Prosecutors dropped perjury charges against former Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie before his trial was scheduled to begin.

Prosecutors and Runcie’s attorneys reached a deal before jury selection, avoiding a trial.

Runcie was charged with giving false testimony during a grand jury investigation into school safety in the wake of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

The shooting took the lives of 17 students and teachers and severely injured 17 others.

Prosecutors won’t pursue the case as long as Runcie pays court costs and stays out of legal trouble.

The case was dismissed in 2023, but an appellate court last year overturned that decision.