Some four dozen Broward business and religious leaders joined Friday to say that Superintendent Robert Runcie has been wrongly indicted and should continue to lead the Broward School District.

Supporters turned out in front of the school district headquarters in a show of solidarity for Runcie, who has been superintendent since 2011. He was arrested Wednesday on a perjury charge as part of a statewide grand jury probe. General Counsel Barbara Myrick was also arrested, but no one mentioned her during the event.

Speakers described Runcie as an honest, tireless leader who has improved graduation rates and test scores.

“You have a community that stands with Bob Runcie, a community that questions this indictment,” said Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam, owner of Messam Construction.

Speakers called the indictment political, part of an effort by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to punish Runcie and other Democrats for the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people.

DeSantis impaneled the grand jury to focus on school safety issues, but the scope has expanded into other areas, such as the mismanagement of the $800 million bond referendum and questionable technology purchases. Former Chief Information Officer Tony Hunter was arrested in January on bribery and big rigging charges.

“This is not about Robert Runcie’s abuse of power but someone else’s,” said the Rev. Derrick Hughes, pastor at First Baptist Piney Grove in Lauderdale Lakes.

Others attending included Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance; Keith Koenig, CEO of City Furniture; State Sen. Perry Thurston; and Kathleen Cannon, president and CEO of United Way of Broward County.

Cannon said Runcie had made great strides in raising academic achievement and improving social and emotional learning. She said the nonprofit community supports him.

“As a social worker by trade, I’ve been able to witness the dramatic change in schools since 2011,’ she said.

Commissioner Dale Holness praised Runcie’s efforts to improve student achievement, incorrectly saying there were 50 D and F schools when Runcie arrived. In reality, there were nine D schools and no Fs in 2011, not counting charter schools. There are now eight D schools and no F’s, according to grades issued in 2019, the most recent available. The number of A-rated schools have dropped from 130 in 2011 to 69 in 2019.

“I’m saddened and broken-hearted about how Broward schools will run without Mr. Runcie,” Holness said.

The School Board will discuss the future of Runcie and Myrick at a meeting at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.