FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Barbara Myrick, the former general counsel for Broward County Public Schools, entered a no contest plea on Thursday to a lesser charge related to her involvement in the grand jury investigation of the 2018 Parkland school shooting.

Myrick faced a felony charge for allegedly disclosing grand jury information but instead pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of attempted unauthorized disclosure of proceedings. As part of her sentence, she has been placed on probation for one year, which can be reduced to six months depending on her compliance, and she is required to pay $4,751 in court fees.

The legal ramifications of this case may continue, as Myrick’s plea deal permits her to appeal a previous ruling by the judge that denied her motion to dismiss the charges. Her attorney, David Bogenschutz, confirmed that they plan to take this appeal to the 4th District Court of Appeal.

The investigation that led to Myrick’s charges began in 2021, when she and the then-Superintendent Robert Runcie were arrested. Initially, a grand jury had been convened to assess school safety following the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which resulted in 17 fatalities. However, the scope of the inquiry widened to include a $17 million technology contract, which led to the indictment of Tony Hunter, a former district administrator, on bribery and bid tampering charges.

While Runcie faced accusations of perjury related to the technology deal, Myrick was alleged to have improperly shared sensitive information from the grand jury with Runcie’s legal counsel. Following these developments, Runcie stepped down from his position, and Myrick opted for retirement.

In a twist, Runcie’s case was dismissed based on jurisdictional issues last year, but that ruling was later overturned by an appellate court. Additionally, a separate dismissal in Hunter’s case has also been challenged by prosecutors, indicating that the legal fallout from this investigation is far from settled.