DC Public Schools Instructional Superintendent Admits 25 Ethics Violations Impacting Thousands of Children

Washington D.C. –  A bombshell revelation just five days ago has sent shockwaves through the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), as a high-ranking instructional superintendent admitted 25 violations and took nearly $170,000 from the multi-million-dollar DC government vendor “Relay,” while drawing a $195,000 public salary and overseeing a dozen schools that included Boone Elementary and Kimball Elementary; both school principals received poor evaluations from the superintendent and fired for opposing Relay and exposing the superintendents ethical violations.

Principals pressured to steer scarce school funds into Relay contracts—including a forced $30,000 deal—converting student resources into private gain. This was apparently for services, but the superintendent purportedly benefited personally as an independent contractor for Relay.

Cracks in the Facade: A Systemic Breakdown?

The fallout has hit vulnerable students hardest as top leadership siphoned dollars from classrooms under a pay‑to‑play culture. This misconduct is part of a broader pattern: In six months two instructional superintendents admitted guilt to the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability for ethic violations and conflict of interest with Relay, two additional affiliated with Relay and the remaining five instructional superintendents relationship with Relay remain unknown.

They had direct financial ties to the vendor “Relay,” leading to significant ethical violations within DCPS and misuse of District resources. The superintendents profited, while the children suffered, with no opportunity for redress—especially in Wards 7 and 8.

Fingers are pointing to an intentional scheme orchestrated by the instructional superintendents superiors, who sent emails to her and she forwarded to principals about Relay services and pricing according to the instructional superintendents Negotiated Disposition. Superintendents superiors are: chief of elementary schools, deputy chancellor, chancellor and DC mayor.

What is Relay? 

Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) promoted a no‑excuses, compliance‑first model, limited critical thinking, scripted “Strong Start” routines, rigid behavior tracking, and drill‑like transitions—that narrowed curriculum and stifled student voice, particularly in majority‑Black schools in Wards 7 and 8, segregated by the mayor to mandate Relay.

Former US Asst. Secretary of Ed. wrote: "Relay would never be acceptable to middle class parents of any race. They shouldn’t be trained like dogs. Why is this harsh treatment reserved for low income Black children?"

Disparate Treatment

In stark contrast, wealthy, predominantly White elementary schools west of the Anacostia River were exempt from Relay.

Whistleblowers' Warned Them Beginning 2019

Finally, after years of silence, a public confession unmasked a deliberate plot within DCPS: funds meant for the classroom were brazenly stolen from vulnerable children to line the pockets of corrupt insiders. In 2019, Boone Elementary’s former principal and its director of strategy and logistics, two highly effective, decorated and beloved educators, courageously questioned Relay’s mandates and the undue influence of instructional superintendents who clearly prioritized Relay’s interests.

They fearlessly approached a councilmember and the mayor, lodged a blistering 2020 whistleblower complaint alleging rampant disparate treatment, procurement fraud, and severe conflicts linked to Relay, and filed a powerful 2022 lawsuit in DC Superior Court and  Now, after six tenacious years, their unwavering resolve is at last compelling the accountability that this profound crisis urgently demands.

The True Victims: Our Children's Futures Betrayed

While the legal details are stark, the gravest tragedy, according to community advocates, lies with the thousands of elementary students, particularly those in underserved communities east of the Anacostia River. These are the children whose education may have been directly damaged by deliberate corruption and unequal treatment under the very Instructional Superintendent tasked with ensuring their success. Every dollar diverted, every resource withheld, and every decision tainted by greed directly impacted the quality of their learning environments, their opportunities, and ultimately, their futures.

These vulnerable members of the community have had their educational pathways compromised by the very system designed to uplift them. The promise of a quality education, a cornerstone of equitable opportunity, has been profoundly betrayed.

Corruption Cripples Education

• Coercion to sign Relay contracts—including a cited $30,000 push—redirected scarce dollars from instruction to vendor services aligned with the superintendent’s outside pay, reducing school‑level capacity for tutoring, materials, and teacher support.

• Use of official position, undisclosed outside income, and on‑the‑clock vendor work fragmented leadership focus and eroded trust, weakening principal autonomy and instructional coherence in the schools supervised.

• Multiple ethics actions against instructional superintendents show this was systemic, not isolated, compounding instability and distraction from core teaching and learning.

Disparities that Persist

• Even with citywide scores slight uptick in 2025, Black students' proficiency remains deplorably low at 14.7% in Math and 26.6% in ELA, unequivocally demonstrating monumental leadership failures in addressing the most urgent educational disparities.

• A decade of massive investment has failed to close glaring disparities, revealing that mayoral control, leadership, and oversight—NOT mere funding—are the critical roadblocks to achieving meaningful outcomes. Mayoral control has failed DCPS.

Implication of Top Bowser Administration Leaders

The nature of these violations – specifically the coercion of principals – points to a potential systemic breakdown within DCPS. It suggests an environment where such schemes could not only be conceived but executed for years, fostering a culture where the pursuit of personal financial gain overshadowed the fundamental duty to students and the community. Concerns are mounting that these senior leaders couldn't have perpetrated such a scheme without the backing or tacit approval of superiors, suggesting a broader complicity within the system.

A Further Insult: The Attorney General's Stance

The DC Attorney General's office is reportedly defending those who admitted to these egregious violations. This stance has sparked widespread condemnation, with many questioning where the city's priorities lie. When public officials, meant to uphold justice, appear to shield those who have admittedly engaged in corrupt practices that harm children, all to protect the mayor's reputation and approval rating, it's seen by many as a profound breach of public trust, undermining any confidence that true accountability will be served.

Their Silence Equals Complicity

"It's hard to accept the truth when lies are what you want to hear"

DC's elected and appointed officials bear complicity through their silence and inaction, having turned a blind eye for five years. If our officials cower from defending our children, then who the hell are they truly afraid of?

Finally, Enough is Enough!

This wasn’t a lapse—it was a brazen betrayal of the public, a slap at the educators who refused to look away, and a direct hit on the children who could least afford it.

The era of polite silence and polished spin is over; the curtain has fallen.

Demand names, documents, and consequences: full transparency, independent oversight, restitution of classroom dollars, and protections with teeth for whistleblowers.

No more excuses, no more delays—accountability at the top or get out of the way. Our kids have paid the price long enough.