A Predator in Plain Sight: West Broward High’s Security Monitor Unmasked as a Monster

Pembroke Pines, Florida, has been rocked by a nauseating scandal that exposes the festering underbelly of Broward County Public Schools’ hiring practices. On Friday, March 14, 2025, Joseph Justice Livan—a 27-year-old security monitor entrusted with the safety of students at West Broward High School—was dragged out of the building in handcuffs. His crime? An active Miami-Dade warrant for the sexual battery of a minor, a stomach-churning charge that shatters any illusion of security at this supposed place of learning. Parents, buckle up—this one’s a doozy.

Let’s start with the grim details. Livan, who’d been skulking around the school for a year as a security monitor, wasn’t nabbed for some petty misdemeanor. No, this creep allegedly plied a 17-year-old with alcohol back in August, coerced the teen into a sexual act alongside another man, and then—because why stop at depravity?—threatened to kill the kid if he dared breathe a word. This isn’t just a betrayal of trust; it’s a full-on horror show starring a man who was paid to protect children, not prey on them.

And here’s the kicker: this didn’t even happen on school grounds, and the victim wasn’t a West Broward student. So what does that tell us? That Livan was a ticking time bomb, a predator who could’ve struck anywhere, anytime—maybe even right under the noses of the very students he was supposed to safeguard. How comforting. Broward County Public Schools, take a bow—you’ve managed to employ a walking nightmare and let him roam the halls for a full year before anyone noticed.

The arrest itself was a scene straight out of a bad cop drama: Pembroke Pines police swooping in to nab Livan while he was on the job, Miami-Dade’s warrant finally catching up to him like a slow-moving freight train of justice. He’s now awaiting extradition, locked up with a “hold” on his record, as if that’s supposed to reassure anyone. Too little, too late. The damage is done, and the questions are piling up faster than excuses from the school district.

How does someone like this slip through the cracks? A security monitor, of all roles—someone who’s supposed to be a gatekeeper, a shield against threats—turns out to be the threat itself. What kind of background checks are they running over at Broward County Public Schools? Did they just glance at his résumé, see “security experience,” and call it a day? Or is this another case of bureaucratic laziness, where the system shrugs and says, “Eh, close enough”? Parents deserve answers, not platitudes about “ongoing investigations” or “commitment to safety.” Spare us the PR spin—this is a failure of epic proportions.

And let’s talk about the aftermath. The Pembroke Pines Police Department is out here issuing tepid “public safety advisories,” telling parents to “monitor who their kids talk to online.” Gee, thanks for the hot tip, Sherlock. How about advising the school district to stop hiring predators instead? Meanwhile, they’re begging anyone who might’ve crossed paths with Livan to call 954-431-2200, as if the community should do the cleanup work for their mess. The City of Miami Police Department’s on deck too, probably wondering how Broward let this guy slink around for so long.

This isn’t just about one sick individual—it’s about a system that’s rotten to the core. West Broward High School isn’t some isolated outpost; it’s a cornerstone of the community, a place where kids are supposed to grow, not dodge wolves in sheep’s clothing. Yet here we are, staring down the barrel of a scandal that proves no one’s watching the watchmen. Livan’s arrest isn’t a wake-up call; it’s a blaring siren that’s been ignored for far too long.

So, Broward County Public Schools, what’s the plan? More hollow apologies? A few extra training sessions to check a box? Or will you finally admit that your vetting process is a joke and your priorities are upside down? Parents aren’t just angry—they’re terrified, and they should be. Because if Joseph Justice Livan could waltz into a school and wear a badge of trust while hiding a rap sheet like that, who else is lurking in the shadows? The ball’s in your court, and the clock’s ticking.

#WestBrowardScandal, #PredatorInSchool, #BrowardCountyFail, #JusticeForVictims, #SchoolSafetyCrisis, #LivanArrest, #ProtectOurKids, #SecurityMonitorShame, #MiamiDadeWarrant, #ParentNightmare