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Iowa Teacher Fired for Fundraiser Pressure on Students
1 Oct
Summary
- Teacher pressured students to fund her "medical mission" trip.
- Students allegedly felt pressured to donate to a GoFundMe.
- Teacher denied unemployment benefits for her actions.
An Iowa substitute teacher faced termination after allegedly pressuring students to financially support her planned "medical mission" trip to Ecuador. Stephanie Mullaley offered extra credit in her class to students who donated to her personal GoFundMe page. This action, which came to light in May, resulted in her dismissal from her teaching post.
Students reportedly felt compelled to contribute to Mullaley's fundraising efforts. Despite this pressure, the campaign fell significantly short of its $1800 goal, collecting only $140 before being removed. Mullaley had described the trip as a "blessing" and an opportunity to serve a community in need.
The former teacher argued the experience would aid her education by helping bridge language barriers during the mission. She also noted her husband would assist the team. Ultimately, an administrative law judge denied Mullaley unemployment benefits, stating her conduct showed a "willful or wanton disregard" for her employer's interests.
