A WHISTLE-BLOWER POLICY WAS
IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 THEN
TWEAKED AGAIN IN 2010— WITHIN
DAYS OF THE LATEST LAWSUIT

by Rhonda
Linseman-Saunders

Kathy Reitzel, the former
finance director for the Monroe
County School District
(MCSD) is suing the district
for violating her protections
as a whistleblower. Reitzel
was the first to expose the specific
indiscretions in what has
grown into a financial scandal
involving the alleged bilking of
nearly a half million dollars by
former superintendent Randy
Acevedo’s wife, Monique, the
former coordinator of adult
education.

Reitzel was the star witness
in the trial of Randy Acevedo,
but was promptly fired
less than a week after Randy
Acevedo’s conviction on three
felony counts related to covering
up his wife’s alleged theft.
Monique Acevedo is still awaiting
trial.

Reiztel is not the first to
bring a whistleblower lawsuit
against the district. In October
of 2007, the MCSD settled a lawsuit
filed by Pedro Alvarez, a
Key West High School (KWHS)
security guard. In his lawsuit,
Alvarez accused KWHS Principal
John Welsh and Assistant
Principal Christina McPherson
of malfeasance by knowingly
allowing two employees to
commit payroll fraud and by
condoning the use of taxpayers’
money to pay selected employees
for hours they allegedly did
not work.

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