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Editor’s note: The following is a whistle blower report sent to us from a verified BPS District staff member. The statements made are from conversations between the protected staff member and those mentioned. Any staff member who contacts us is protected by Florida law under journalistic privilege protections.

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The 2024-2025 school year has been an unmitigated disaster for Brevard Public Schools. School threats, the arrest of a bus driver, overpaid principals due to HR errors, allegations of unfair practices by the head of HR, and a superintendent who can’t (or won’t) communicate—these issues are only the tip of the iceberg. The school board, led by Matt Susin, manages to create a new controversy at every meeting. The pressing questions: Who is running this district? And do they even care about the students, families, or staff?

To understand the current chaos, we must look back to two defining moments in 2022 that set the district on its current path.

The first was the election of a new school board in November 2022, which saw Matt Susin achieve his long-awaited dream of becoming board chair. According to a Moms for Liberty member who shall not be named, Susin had been so eager for the position that he preemptively bought himself an engraved gavel, a symbol of leadership he proved unworthy of, the years prior when he was passed over for the position. 

Despite six years of experience on the board, Susin was utterly unprepared to run a public meeting. This inadequacy was exposed when, in his very first meeting as chair, newly elected board member Megan Wright led an effort to fire the superintendent. This brazen move appeared to have shocked two board members, but not Susin or fellow member Gene Trent, who had schemed with Wright in advance—likely violating Sunshine Law in the process. For a party that loves to preach “law and order,” it seems they have little respect for either.

The second key moment came when Susin, in a politically motivated publicity stunt, joined forces with Sheriff Wayne Ivey to make outlandish claims about student behavior. In a bizarre spectacle broadcast live on Facebook, Ivey declared that misbehaving kids needed “the cheeks of their ass torn off,” while Susin stood by, complicit. Not a single leader at BPS knew about this event until they saw it live on social media. The video not only made Brevard a national embarrassment, but it also tarnished the district’s reputation, harming local industry leaders’ efforts to recruit young professionals who had to address their concerns about the local school system from simple google searches.

This pattern of reckless leadership has only grown worse. Susin’s tenure as chair has been a master class in chaos, incompetence, and political theater.

Matt Susin’s Record of Chaos

• The Superintendent Fiasco: When Susin and his allies fired the superintendent, there was no backup plan. Susin had assumed that the deputy superintendent would take over, but she wisely retired instead. Scrambling, Susin oversaw a rushed search for an interim superintendent. He actively campaigned against Dr. Mark Rendell at the district, going as far as to call principals to apply for the role—most of whom flatly refused due to their loyalty to the previous superintendent, Dr. Mullins. Susin eventually moved to fire that guy after less than four months, after an email was leaked of him highlighting Susin, Wright, and Trents lack of leadership.
• The ‘Furries’ Debacle: Susin further embarrassed the district by pushing a bizarre agenda to ban “furries,” a non-issue in schools, all while ignoring actual data on student behavior. His desire to score political points took precedence over facts, leaving students and staff caught in the crossfire of his self-serving media campaign.
• The Permanent Superintendent Search: Susin’s mishandling of the search for a permanent superintendent was so disastrous that the hired search firm swore off ever working with BPS again. Yes, really. They advocated against the hiring of Dr Rendell. Susin did not want Dr. Rendell as the interim or permanent superintendent, telling BPS Cabinet members that he was not a fan of Rendell. That is a direct quote. He said we could “do better.” Despite Susin’s personal vendetta against Dr. Rendell, the district was left with few options due to the negative attention Susin had brought. In the end, Dr. Rendell was hired, but only after qualified candidates steered clear of the dysfunctional district.
• Attacks on District Staff: Susin’s interference with the district’s communications staff is yet another low point. He ordered Dr. Rendell to fire the head of communications simply because Susin didn’t like his lies being contradicted by factual statements from the district. His micromanagement has put the district at risk of lawsuits and further eroded staff morale.
• Book Bans and Policy Ignorance: Susin has shown little knowledge or care for most board policies, especially those concerning the district’s chaotic approach to book bans. His lack of engagement on these issues, unless they involve athletics, has left students and educators in the lurch.

A Year of Political Gamesmanship

Susin’s political maneuvering hasn’t been limited to the boardroom. Over the past year, he has:

• Used School Resources for Political Gain: He directed BPS communications staff to promote his re-election campaign on district social media accounts, blurring the lines between public service and self-promotion. His actions suggest he views his position as a stepping stone for personal advancement, not as a responsibility to the students and families of Brevard. Photos and videos of Susin’s staged visits in classrooms with students takes advantage of these students for his own political gain.
• Botched a Hazing Incident Response: His mishandling of a hazing scandal involving the Viera High football team was egregious. He prioritized getting students back on the field over addressing the open investigation by hosting a team parents meeting that he ‘forgot’ to invite the victim’s mother to. Even attempted to manipulate the victim’s family by withholding information, first calling the mother personally stating he “has information, but she couldn’t share it” and when met with “speak to my lawyer,” he called her ex-husband in Georgia. 
• Lack of Accountability and Favoritism: Running all over Dr. Rendell, who, for some reason, allows it, Susin instructed him to remove the resignation (in lieu of firing) of an administrator who was caught cheating on their time card and making a racist comment in front of staff, simply because she was the daughter-in-law of then School Board Candidate John Thomas.
• Neglect of School Safety: In the face of a spike in school threats this year, Susin has remained largely silent. His only response was to only one issue involving a gun near Johnson Middle School, and even then, the post clearly wasn’t written by him—it was far too articulate to have come from someone who often stumbles over basic communication. “Quell” and hyphenated sentences? Seriously? We expect many more “I’s” and “many of you may not know” and “does that make sense?” Since Matt Susin has already shown that he wants to control the BPS communications department, it is fair to wonder if he has taxpayer staff working for him and his re-election effort both on his school board and campaign social media during the workday.   

A Leader Who Doesn’t Care

Perhaps the most damning fact is that Matt Susin doesn’t even want this job. He publicly declared he wasn’t planning to run for re-election, instead eyeing a state House seat. It wasn’t until the local GOP blocked his ambitions—citing his chaotic leadership and personal indiscretions—that he reluctantly decided to run for the school board again. If his own party doesn’t trust him, why should District 4 voters?

The truth is, Matt Susin’s two real talents are creating chaos and fostering distrust. After eight years on the board, voters deserve someone who will put students first, not their own political ambitions. As we approach the November election, District 4 voters must ask themselves: Do we really want more of Matt Susin’s lies, scandals, and incompetence? Or is it finally time for leadership that cares about our schools, our children, and our future?

Because one thing is clear—Matt Susin doesn’t like you. And he certainly doesn’t care about Brevard Public Schools.

Signed,
A BPS Insider Tired of the Chaos

Watch the September 24th school board meeting and see for yourself. Go to the 45-minute mark to hear Matt Susin’s disdain for the public during the comment section. After nearly eight years, he still doesn’t know how to turn off his microphone.
September 24th School Board Meeting

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At The Space Coast Rocket, we are committed to protecting the identity and confidentiality of our sources. Under Florida law, journalists are afforded protections that allow us to maintain the confidentiality of those who provide information, even in legal proceedings. This includes protection under the Florida Shield Law, which safeguards journalistic privilege, ensuring that whistleblowers and other sources who come to us with critical information are protected from exposure. If you have information of public concern, you can trust that your anonymity will be respected to the fullest extent permitted by law.