An Iowa high‑school substitute teacher was dismissed after offering students extra credit in exchange for cash donations to a personal GoFundMe campaign. Stephanie Mullaley, who worked for the Clinton Community School District, was fired in May after the district determined she violated its ethics policy.
During the 2025‑26 school year, Mullaley shared her personal education goals with students and told them they could donate to the GoFundMe to earn extra credit. The fundraiser had a target of $1,800 and promised travel to Ecuador in July 2026, where Mullaley would serve as an interpreter for a medical mission team and her husband would assist the team in any way he can.
The district discovered that Mullaley was using her position to pressure students to donate, and an administrative law judge ruled her actions amounted to job‑related misconduct. Judge Duane Golden denied her request for unemployment benefits, stating that she showed a willful disregard of the district’s interests and was therefore ineligible for benefits.
Mullaley received a total of $140 from six donations ranging from $5 to $50, and the Independent was unable to contact her for comment.
