US Attorney Charges 13 Detroit Public Schools Administrators With Bribery
Vendor lead DPS principals in fraudulent invoice scheme
The US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan is charging a dozen current and former Detroit Public School principals with bribery.
Federal officials accuse twelve principals and an assistant superintendent of accepting bribes and kickbacks from a school supplies vendor. Officials allege the vendor worked with the DPS administrators to invoice schools for more supplies than were provided.
Detroit Public Schools transition manager Steven Rhodes said six of the principals currently work for the district, but have been placed on unpaid administrative leave.
“The actions of these individuals are reprehensible,” Rhodes said, “And they represent a breach of the public trust that has deprived our students of more than $2.7 million in resources.”
Rhodes says the district will suspend all purchasing by principals, conduct a review of vendor contracts, and secure an independent audit of each school’s procurement process.
