Citizen DEMAND that DeSoto School Board and Administration agree to hire a Forensic Auditor.

As a former school board member and even before being elected, I had advocated for the board to agree to hire an auditor that reports only to the board. This is also a recommendation by the Legislative Budget Board ((LBB) who assessed DeSoto ISD in 2015-2016. This recommendation is for schools with over 5,000 students. Five of the seven members refused to consider the recommendation. In my position as a board member I began to question how the American Express cards were being used by the top administrators for purchases on Amazon and Apple, restaurants and travel all over the United States. There was travel to Washington, DC, Los Angeles (restaurant on Rodeo Drive), Las Vegas, San Francisco, CA. Purchases by one administrator on a trip to Chicago, spent $265 at Mortons Steakhouse for "one" person. The use of the American Express for expensive dining experiences is a common practice by top administrators. An example, a trip taken by an assistant superintendent and her, at that time, fiancé to Orlando, Florida charged on district American Express. Somehow all receipts for pay back the cost of her fiancé by this assistant superintendent were all lost or misplaced. Airfare for a trip to Los Angeles, California for the former superintendent, his wife and three children was put on the AMEX card and there was no evidence of the superintendent being on a school trip. I was finally told by the superintendent he had paid it back and to contact his attorney. I did not and contacted the school attorney. She relayed to me he had agreed to pay it back. I don't know if he actually did or not. He has recently been relieved of his position as superintendent. His salary at the time of his agreed on resignation and departure was $260,000 plus a bonus plan and other perks. Another example was when an e-mail was sent to the school board by the finance department's senior accountant claiming he was told by the chief financial officer to "cook the books". I suggested for the board to meet with him but was overruled instead and the HR department was asked to investigate. The accountant was put on leave until his contract was up. There are many other instances of what I call abuse of power and abuse by top administrators of taxpayer money as well as money received for grants and money borrowed by the district.
As far as I can tell none of the major purchases were approved by the purchasing department or anyone else but the administrator and it appears the purchases were made by top administrators on the fly. I would like to know how these purchases of equipment are being tracked and if not why not.
It is time for a forensic auditor to be hired and determine if there are problems and to correct them before a new superintendent is hired.
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