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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Ex-School Auditor Files Whistleblower Claim

ATLANTA (CN) - An internal auditor for the Fulton County School District claims he was fired for reporting that a Georgia high school violated Title IX by pledging to use money from the school's athletic events to pay the loans of a football booster's club.

According to the federal complaint, Derrick Smedley discovered that "officials at Northview High School improperly pledged income from the school's student athletic events to guarantee and/or pay the loans of a private organization, to wit: the Northview Football Booster's Club."

District policies block schools from pledging sports-related income to pay the loans of private organizations, particularly booster's clubs that benefit male student athletes exclusively and contribute to gender inequality in the school's athletic program, the lawsuit claims.

Smedley says he reported his findings to Martha Greenway, who drafted the school district's policies prohibiting gender inequality in school athletic programs. Greenway allegedly passed on the information to district Superintendent Cindy Loe and CFO Theresa McDugald. Within a "week or so," Smedley was fired, the lawsuit says.

Smedley sued the school district, Greenway, Loe and McDugald. He is represented by Stephen Katz of Marietta, Ga.

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