Another Day, Another Scandal: High-Ranking DCPS Officials Exposed in Blatant Ethics Breach

As residents of the District of Columbia, we expect the Mayor Bowser administration public servants to uphold their oaths with integrity, serving the community without personal enrichment or conflicts of interest. When Bowser senior officials repeatedly breach this fundamental principle, public trust isn't just damaged—it's annihilated.

This alarming trend is not an isolated occurrence but rather a disturbing pattern reflecting a deep-seated culture of corruption within Mayor Muriel Bowser's administration, demanding immediate and rigorous investigation and accountability.

The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) has delivered yet another significant ruling, finding one more high-ranking official within the District of Columbia Public Schools guilty of numerous ethics violations.

The preliminary investigation centers on an Instructional Superintendent, and details a disturbing pattern of misconduct spanning several years. These serious allegations, initially brought forth by my whistleblower complaint back in 2020, have finally come to light five long years later.

Let's break down the key allegations and why they matter deeply to every DC taxpayer and parent or guardian.

The Double Life: A Public Role with a Lucrative Private Interest

The Instructional Superintendent (IS) held a significant and influential role at DCPS from August 2010 until her departure in June 2025. As an Instructional Superintendent, she was responsible for managing twelve school principals in DCPS Cluster II, routinely evaluating their performance and approving their procurement requests. Her official duty hours were Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, a full-time commitment to the public good.

However, the OGE investigation paints a starkly different picture, indicating that the IS simultaneously maintained a long-standing, lucrative relationship with Relay Graduate School of Education ("Relay"). This is critical because Relay is not just any private entity; it is a non-profit institution and a significant DCPS vendor, having received millions of dollars from the DC government for training services to schools.

Here's a timeline of the alleged ethical lapses:

• A Continuous Private Engagement (2017-2024): As early as May 2017, while still a principal at Truesdell Elementary, Ms. Stinson reportedly received a welcome email from Relay HR, outlining her role as an independent contractor. This relationship continued for at least seven years, during which Relay provided training services directly to DCPS staff—the very system Ms. Stinson served.

• The Lucrative Side Gig: Between July 2018 and July 2023, Ms. Stinson allegedly earned approximately $169,464.82 in consulting fees from Relay.

Conflict of Interest in Action: Undermining Fair Practice

The OGE evidence reveals concrete instances where Ms. Stinson leveraged her official position for Relay's benefit while simultaneously on their payroll:

• In May 2023, a Relay representative directly emailed Ms. Stinson (to her official DCPS address) suggesting a school under her supervision continue working with Relay.

• Ms. Stinson then met with the principal of that school to review its budget and ascertain if it could continue the relationship.

• She subsequently emailed the Relay representative, confirming the principal had agreed to a $30,000 contract with Relay. The Relay representative's reply? A telling "thanked her and her team for 'making this happen.'"

• As late as February 2024, Ms. Stinson allegedly emailed the "Cluster 2 Principals" listserv (composed of the principals she managed) with information regarding Relay training and pricing. Crucially, she was still associated with Relay as an independent contractor during all these interactions.

Misuse of Public Time and Resources: Stealing from Taxpayers

The allegations extend beyond conflicts of interest to include a blatant misuse of taxpayer-funded time and resources:

• Paid by DCPS While Working for Relay:

  • On June 21, 2023, The IS attended "Triathlon Coaching sessions" for Relay from 8:00 am to noon, yet entered eight hours of regular pay for her DCPS job.

  • On July 25, 2023, she attended a "July Triathlon Wave 1 meeting" for Relay from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, again entering eight hours of regular pay for her DCPS job.

• Using Sick Leave for Private Work: On February 15, 2024, the IS was attending a Relay Instructional Leadership Academy in Charlotte. She entered eight hours of sick leave for her DCPS government job for that day.

• DCPS Email for Private Business: On at least 20 occasions, the IS allegedly used her official DCPS email account to correspond about outside business, including sending/receiving consulting agreements and negotiating employment with other potential employers.

Misrepresenting Financial Interests: Hiding the Truth

Public officials in certain positions are required to file Financial Disclosure Statements (FDS) to ensure transparency regarding their outside income and activities. Ms. Stinson became an FDS filer in 2017 and was required to report her outside earnings annually. Yet, the investigation uncovered deliberate misrepresentation:

• On her 2022 FDS (disclosing 2021 income), she reported earning between $1,001 and $15,000 from Relay. However, Relay's records show she earned $59,824.95 in 2021.

• On her 2023 FDS (disclosing 2022 income), she again reported earnings between $1,001 and $15,000 from Relay. Relay records, however, show she earned $47,834.51 in 2022.

Why This Matters for All of Us

This scandal represents a serious breach of public trust and fits a disturbing pattern within Mayor Muriel Bowser's administration, where a pervasive culture of corruption seems to be assumed and allowed:

• Undermining Fair Procurement: When a public official with direct influence over subordinate evaluations and purchasing decisions also has a significant financial stake in a vendor earning millions from the DC government, it utterly compromises the integrity of our government. Decisions are swayed by personal profit, not what's genuinely best for DCPS schools and students.

• Misuse of Taxpayer Dollars (and Possible Federal Dollars): Being paid by DCPS while working for a private entity, or using sick leave for private business, is effectively stealing from the taxpayer. It means public funds are being spent for work not performed for the public good.

• Erosion of Trust: Such repeated actions erode public confidence in government at every level. Citizens expect their public servants to be impartial, dedicated, and honest.

• Lack of Transparency and Zero Accountability: Deliberately underreporting significant outside income on financial disclosure forms thwarts the very purpose of these crucial mechanisms, which are designed to shine a light on potential conflicts and hold officials accountable.

Public servants hold positions of immense responsibility, and adherence to codes of conduct is not merely a formality but a fundamental requirement for maintaining a functional, trustworthy government. The Bowser administration has failed residents of DC.

This case serves as a sober reminder that the Bowser administration is an orgy of corruption and cannot be trusted to correct such blatant and pervasive culture of corruption without federal oversight. The residents of DC deserve better.

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