School & District Management

Fishing Outing Ends in Firing

By Lesli A. Maxwell — June 13, 2006 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

It started with a disgruntled former employee alleging on local radio that the Baltimore school system had paid for a fishing excursion for 10 district staff members and city officials.

Within a few days, district Chief Executive Officer Bonnie S. Copeland ordered an investigation. By May 31, the schools chief had fired Eric Letsinger, her chief operating officer, who had chartered a boat for $1,600 to treat his staff to an outing on Chesapeake Bay.

Ms. Copeland announced her decision in a terse written statement.

“As a result of that investigation, Eric Letsinger will be vacating his position of chief operating officer and will no longer be employed with [the Baltimore city schools],” the statement said.

Last week, according to a report in The Sun of Baltimore, state prosecutors opened their own investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, Mr. Letsinger, who as the head of school maintenance and construction was a principal architect of the district’s controversial school closure plan, told the newspaper that he had done nothing wrong.

But the brouhaha is another blow to the 87,000-student district, which has been struggling to polish its public image.

Two years ago, a fiscal crisis saddled the school system with a $58 million deficit in a $918 million budget and led to a City Hall loan to keep the district afloat.

Earlier this spring, Ms. Copeland and her team were left reeling after the Maryland state board of education, invoking the federal No Child Left Behind Act, voted to seize control of four low-performing Baltimore high schools and to turn over seven middle schools to outside managers. (State lawmakers blocked the takeovers for at least one year.)

Since Mr. Letsinger’s chartered fishing trip was first revealed, district officials have refused to discuss details, saying it’s a personnel matter.

In interviews with The Sun, Mr. Letsinger said that the trip was originally meant to be a retreat for his staff to discuss district issues and thus could be billed to the school system. But after the outing became a day of fun and relaxation, Mr. Letsinger said he paid the bill himself, according to the newspaper.

A version of this article appeared in the June 14, 2006 edition of Education Week

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Rising Tensions From Israel-Hamas War Are Seeping Into Schools
As effects of the war reverberate in school communities, schools have federal responsibilities to create discrimination-free environments.
5 min read
People gather in Pliny Park in Brattleboro, Vt., for a vigil, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, for the three Palestinian-American students who were shot while walking near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, Vt., Saturday, Nov. 25. The three students were being treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center, and one faces a long recovery because of a spinal injury, a family member said.
People gather in Pliny Park in Brattleboro, Vt., for a vigil, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, for the three Palestinian-American students who were shot while walking near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, Vt., Saturday, Nov. 25. Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war are playing out in schools and colleges across the country, including some K-12 schools.
Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
School & District Management The Missed Opportunity for Public Schools and Climate Change
More cities are creating climate action plans, but schools are often left out of the equation.
4 min read
Global warming illustration, environment pollution, global warming heating impact concept. Change climate concept.
Collage by Gina Tomko/Education Week and iStock/Getty Images Plus
School & District Management 13 States Bar School Board Members From Getting Paid. Here's Where It's Allowed (Map)
There are more calls to increase school board members' pay, or to allow them to be paid at all.
Two professional adults, with a money symbol.
sankai/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Bad Sleep Is a Problem for Principals. Here’s What to Do About It
Our new study highlights the connection between stress and sleep among school leaders, write three researchers.
Eleanor Su-Keene, David E. DeMatthews & Alex Keene
5 min read
Stylized illustration of an alarm clock over a background which is split in half, with one half being nighttime and one half being daytime.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva