A former District of Columbia schools chancellor has been censured by the city’s ethics board for soliciting a six-figure contribution from a company that was doing business with the school system.
The investigation of former Chancellor Kaya Henderson, who stepped down in September, was launched in May after the Associated Press reported that she had asked major contractors to give money to a gala honoring teachers.
Henderson agreed to the censure, which is largely symbolic because she’s no longer in office. Still, the episode complicates the legacy of Henderson’s 5½ years at the helm, during which she built a reputation as a national leader in urban education reform. She told the ethics board that she did not realize her actions were prohibited.
