An Iowa-based high school teacher has landed herself on the unemployment line. The teacher was fired after using her position to collect funds for students for an international trip. One that she claimed would help her fund her mission trip to Ecuador.
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Teacher Axed For Exchanging Extra Credit For Donations
The teacher, Stephanie Mullaley, a full-time, long-term substitute, was axed from her position at Clinton Community School District on May 29. For allegedly violating the school district's ethics policy, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Tuesday. This happened after she allegedly offered students extra credit in exchange for donating to her GoFundMe. A personal fund to help alleviate the financial responsibility of traveling to Ecuador with her husband, Nick.
Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden found that the students felt "pressured" to donate to the substitute teacher's personal fund. According to a statement obtained by the Dispatch.
"(She) promised high school students in her class that they would receive extra credit toward their grade in her class. If they donated to her GoFundMe account. Students felt pressured to donate money to her personal GoFundMe page," the statement reads.
Mullaley had set an $1800 goal on the GoFundMe page that has since been deleted. However, she fell way short of her goal. She collected just $140 through six donations.
The teacher justified her actions by telling students that their donations would "pay for her education" because it was a "unique opportunity to travel to Ecuador" where she would complete the mission trip.
In a Facebook post obtained by the New York Post said the opportunity to complete the mission trip was a "blessing."
"Feels like a blessing to have an opportunity to serve a community in need of medical service and utilize my skills and serve. God put this in place for us, and we're answering it," she wrote. "Hope to have your support, and if you can't financially, we understand and just keep us in your prayers."
To add insult to injury, Mullaley was denied her unemployment benefits.
