STATE OF WYOMING HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT OF THE SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE July 23, 2014 Members Thomas E. Lubnau II, Chairman Mark Baker Glenn Moniz Rosie Berger John Patton Gregg Blikre Ruth Petroff Kermit Brown Tim Stubson Cathy Connolly Mary Throne Kathy Davison Nathan Winters Mike Greear Dan Zwonitzer Michael Madden SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE • 213 State Capitol • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 TELEPHONE (307) 777-7881 • FAX 307-777-5466 • E-MAIL [email protected] • WEB SITE www.wyoleg.gov REPORT OF THE SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE JULY 23, 2014 REPORT OF THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE Table of Contents Page No. I. Executive Summary ..........................................................................................................1 A. Teacher to Teacher Programs ..................................................................................1 B. Management Overrides of WDE Financial Directives ............................................3 1) Paul Williams Contract ................................................................................3 2) Shan Anderson Contract ..............................................................................4 3) Victoria Lesher Contract Issues ...................................................................5 4) A-133 Audit / Management Override ..........................................................5 C. Establishment of Reading Program at Fremont #38 ................................................6 D. Failure to Follow Statutes and Executive Branch Regulations and Legislative Directives............................................................................7 1) Obstructing the Implementation of the 2012 Wyoming Accountability in Education Act ......................................................7 2) Hiring Persons as At-Will Employees without Authority ...........................8 3) Demands by Superintendent Hill for Political and Personal Loyalty........................................................................9 a) Firing of a WDE Employee for Alleged Comments about Superintendent Hill ....................................................9 b) Filming Body Language of Employees .........................................10 c) Forced Retirement of WDE Employee ..........................................10 d) Meeting on January 22, 2012 .........................................................11 e) Superintendent’s Demand for Loyalty and Belief in Conspiracy Theories ......................................................11 f) November 19, 2012 Meeting and January 23, 2013 Follow-Up Interviews ........................................................11 4) Harassment – Discouraging Investigation of WDE Management Member ........................................................13 5) Fear and Intimidation in the WDE Workplace ..........................................13 E. Superintendent Hill’s Testimony Before the Select Investigative Committee on January 8, 2014 .............................................14 i SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE • 213 State Capitol • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 TELEPHONE (307) 777-7881 • FAX 307-777-5466 • E-MAIL [email protected] • WEB SITE www.wyoleg.gov REPORT OF THE SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE JULY 23, 2014 II. Introduction ......................................................................................................................16 III. Areas of Investigation and Findings ...............................................................................21 A. Teacher to Teacher Program ..................................................................................21 1) An Examination of the Constitutional and Legal Requirements to Establish and Fund a Program Under Wyoming Law ....................................................................21 2) The Wyoming Department of Education Created the Teacher to Teacher (T2T) Program without a Legislative Appropriation, and in Violation of the Constitution and Wyoming Statutes ...................................................................25 3) Continuation of T2T Professional Development Trainings after the Passage of the 2012 Budget Bill Footnote .......................28 4) Attempts to Hide T2T-Related Expenditures ............................................31 5) Misuse of Federal Special Education Funds for T2T Trainings ................34 B. Management Overrides of WDE Financial Directives ..........................................37 1) Paul Williams Contract ..............................................................................37 2) Shan Anderson Contract ............................................................................44 3) Victoria Lesher Contract Issues .................................................................47 4) A-133 Audit / Management Override ........................................................49 C. Establishment of a Reading Program at Fremont #38 ...........................................52 1) Background Information on the Involvement of WDE in Fremont #38 .....................................................................52 2) Wyoming Read Program Implemented at Fremont #38 ............................52 3) Funding of WYR at Fremont #38 ..............................................................54 4) WDE Employees Providing Direct Student Instruction in WYR ..............56 5) Hiring of Coaches/Tutors to Provide WYR Services ................................57 6) Fremont #38 Discontinues the WYR Program ..........................................58 D. Failure to Follow Statutes and Executive Branch Regulations and Legislative Directives..........................................................................60 1) Obstructing the Implementation of 2012 Wyoming Accountability in Education Act ....................................................60 2) Hiring Persons as At-Will Employees without Authority .........................64 ii SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE • 213 State Capitol • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 TELEPHONE (307) 777-7881 • FAX 307-777-5466 • E-MAIL [email protected] • WEB SITE www.wyoleg.gov REPORT OF THE SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE JULY 23, 2014 3) Demands by Superintendent Hill for Political and Personal Loyalty......................................................................68 a) Firing of a WDE Employee for Alleged Comments about Superintendent Hill ..................................................70 b) Filming Body Language of Employees .........................................71 c) Forced Retirement of WDE Employee ..........................................72 d) Meeting on January 22, 2012 .........................................................73 e) Superintendent’s Demand for Loyalty and Belief in Conspiracy Theories ...........................................74 f) November 19, 2012 Meeting and January 23, 2013 Follow-Up Interviews ........................................................76 4) Harassment – Discouraging Investigation of WDE Management Member ....................................................................79 5) Fear and Intimidation in the WDE Workplace ..........................................81 E. Superintendent Hill’s Testimony before the Select Investigative Committee on January 8, 2014 ..................................................................85 1) Superintendent Hill’s Testimony on the Use of ARRA Funds at Fremont #38 ....................................................................86 2) Superintendent Hill’s Inability to Recall Key Details before the Committee .....................................................................90 3) Stonewalling ..............................................................................................92 4) Refusal to Answer Questions .....................................................................93 5) Superintendent Hill was Deliberately Evasive in Differentiating Between At-Will Employment and Permanent Employment .................................................................95 6) Personal Attacks on Witnesses ..................................................................96 IV. Conclusions and Recommendations ...............................................................................97 A. Lack of Effective Reporting Procedure .................................................................97 B. Compliance Education ...........................................................................................98 C. Compliance Plan ....................................................................................................99 D. Independent Human Resources Officer .................................................................99 E. Management Override .........................................................................................100 F. Impeachment ........................................................................................................100 iii SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE • 213 State Capitol • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 TELEPHONE (307) 777-7881 • FAX 307-777-5466 • E-MAIL [email protected] • WEB SITE www.wyoleg.gov REPORT OF THE SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE JULY 23, 2014 V. Final Comments .............................................................................................................102 VI. Appendices Appendix I – Committee Procedural Issues Appendix II – Partial Financial Finding of WDE Involvement in Fremont #38 iv SELECT INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE • 213 State Capitol • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 TELEPHONE (307) 777-7881