‘Lack of financial accountability': Governor calls for criminal charges after Tulsa Public Schools audit
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The highly anticipated state audit for Tulsa Public Schools released Wednesday accuses former leaders of promoting a culture where financial misappropriation ran wild for years.
State Auditor Cindy Byrd shared her findings on Wednesday. It came two weeks after her office said the district had invoked a state statute delaying the audit's release for two weeks. District leaders followed up by noting they were under the impression the two-week timeline to review major findings from the audit was standard.
The audit was requested by Governor Kevin Stitt nearly three years ago. His concerns were tied to vendor contracts, how COVID relief funds were spent, and if the district violated a state law banning critical race theory in public schools.
State auditor finds Tulsa Public Schools mismanaged money, lacked oversight
'I just want to shine a spotlight on it,' said Stitt during a Wednesday news conference.
Byrd said the audit focused on the area of time between 2015-2023, spanning nearly eight years.
Documents pertained to former superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist's administration. It's important to clarify that Gist resigned in August 2023. Dr. Ebony Johnson was appointed into the position after serving briefly in the interim in December 2023.
Byrd pointed to various areas of concern highlighted in the audit, noting that her office found more than 1,400 financial discrepancies. She said multiple district administrators fostered a culture of financial noncompliance and disregarded laws and policies meant to protect taxpayer money.
Key findings from the audit:
Byrd says the investigation focused on $37.3 million in expenditures.
$25 million of the money investigated, according to the audit, violated the district's own policies.
Former Chief Learning and Talent Officer Devin Fletcher was able to commit fraud because of lax financial and internal controls. Fletch was convicted and sentenced to 20 months in federal prison in 2024.
Tulsa Public Schools paid more than 700 vendors without receiving proof of services.
Some vendor contract language was vague.
Some invoices didn't list services on them at all.
State auditor's office experienced difficulty obtaining some records pertaining to the audit due to poor record-keeping practices.
Processes were taken to bypass the local board of education to avoid oversight.
Conflicts of interest in awarding vendor contracts.
'Oklahoma law states that no payments can be made without an itemized invoice, as well as proof of receipt of goods or service,' said Byrd. 'TPS' disregard for this statute was perhaps the most pervasive issue uncovered during our investigation.'
Tulsa Public Schools superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson addressed some things that the district is doing to improve, during a Wednesday press conference.
She says the district has purchased an AI program to detect any signs of fraud. She says communication and transparency with the board have improved significantly, adding that the information board members receive is more detailed.
Johnson said an auditor has been hired to help oversee finances across the district. She says she recently hired a new Chief Financial Officer and meets with them on a consistent basis as well.
'We're going to continue to take feedback so that we can continue to do better,' said Johnson. 'We know that there are some practices that we definitely have to continue to step in and shore up and monitor and bring in oversight to.'
Byrd says her office found no evidence the district wasn't in compliance on COVID relief fund spending.
Tulsa school board president cites miscommunication in audit delay drama
'We found that TPS did utilize the federal funds in compliance with the stated purposes of the grant,' said Byrd.
However, Byrd did note that the district's lack of internal controls at the time is likely what brought millions of dollars into question.
When it came to whether the district broke a state law banning critical race theory in public schools, the audit says the district had training materials covering the concepts of bias and social justice. It says those are concepts of critical race theory.
'There was evidence that the district did in-person expenditures with vendors for prohibited concepts after House Bill 1775 became effective,' said Byrd.
Johnson denies the district has done anything wrong.
'We do not teach critical race theory or CRT,' said Johnson. 'We are not about telling anyone that they are better or worse than anyone else.'
News 4 spoke with Rep. John Waldron (D-Tulsa) on Wednesday, who attended Byrd's presentation of the findings. He called the audit serious and concerning.
'I think the findings do definitely show that where there was smoke, there was definitely fire,' said Waldron. 'But I want to remind you that these are past practices. TPS has a chance to clean up those practices and do a better job moving forward.'
Byrd says she extends an open hand to superintendent Johnson and the Tulsa board members if they need assistance reestablishing financial practices that will protect students and taxpayers.
'Moving forward, there is no reason why TPS cannot rebuild and foster a culture of responsibility and trust, and it is my sincere hope that they can begin to do so immediately,' said Byrd.
Byrd noted that there were issues in the audit that she thinks should be given a closer look by the appropriate agencies.
'We've already turned a couple over to the attorney general's office,' said Byrd.
News 4 reached out to Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office late Wednesday for comment. A spokesperson shared the following statement:
The Attorney General's Office engages in regular and robust contact with Auditor & Inspector Bryd's office on a weekly basis regarding potential criminal conduct at all levels of government. However, to protect the integrity of investigations and to protect the reputations of the innocent, we do not typically confirm or deny our investigations or our communications with our law enforcement partners.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond's Office
News 4 also received late reaction to the audit findings Wednesday from Governor Kevin Stitt who encouraged Drummond to take action:
I requested this audit in 2022, and today Auditor Byrd finally confirmed what myself and many other Oklahomans believed to be true— where there's smoke, there's fire. And it's deeply troubling to see Tulsa Public Schools having engaged in such gross financial misconduct. The release of the audit is only the first step in holding wrongdoers accountable. The Attorney General needs to take immediate action and bring charges wherever possible. This can never be allowed to happen in Oklahoma again.
Governor Kevin Stitt
News 4 also reached out to a spokesperson for State Superintendent Ryan Walters' Office on Wednesday for comment on the audit's findings but did not receive a statement at the time of publication of this report. Walters was a vocal critic of Gist's leadership and the district's internal controls prior to her departure.
News 4 reached out to Gist directly for comment but told us she was out of town.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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